Who They Was

By: Gabriel Krauze

Narrated by: Gabriel Krauze

Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents Who They Was by Gabriel Krauze, read by Gabriel Krauze.

Longlisted for the Booker Prize.

An astonishing, visceral autobiographical novel about a young man straddling two cultures: the university where he is studying English literature and the disregarded world of London gang warfare.

The unforgettable narrator of this compelling, thought-provoking debut goes by two names in his two worlds. At the university he attends, he’s Gabriel, a seemingly ordinary, partying student learning about morality at a distance. But in his life outside the classroom, he’s Snoopz, a hard-living member of London’s gangs, well-acquainted with drugs, guns, stabbings, and robbery. Navigating these sides of himself, dealing with loving parents at the same time as treacherous, endangering friends and the looming threat of prison, he is forced to come to terms with who he really is and the life he's chosen for himself.

In a distinct, lyrical urban slang all his own, author Gabriel Krauze brings to vivid life the underworld of his city and the destructive impact of toxic masculinity. Who They Was is a disturbing yet tender and perspective-altering account of the thrill of violence and the trauma it leaves behind. It is the story of inner cities everywhere, and of the lost boys who must find themselves in their tower blocks.

©2020 Gabriel Krauze (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"A wild ride from the very first page. An astonishing telling of a young man’s search for belonging, caught between a life of crime with his London gang and hopes for his academic future." (Douglas Stuart)

"It is exceptional." (Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie)

"Magnificent in its relentless intensity and searing honesty, this is a new voice arriving fully formed and raring to go." (Booker Prize 2020 judges)

Worth a Listen

I love it when the author reads their own work, especially when it’s semi-or actual autobiographical. I imagine it’s much better to have this particular novel read to you rather than read it yourself because of all the British slang. You get the accent and the melodic flow of the language by having it read to you. While it was very interesting and entertaining, it lacked plotting or much depth in my opinion. The end sentence was also very jarring….I thought my audible had malfunctioned. I’m sure there will be much criticism of a white man appropriating British-Jamaican/Afro culture….I’m not sure how I feel about that because his story feels genuine.

Raw, unyielding, great listen

I was hesitant when this was recommended, but once I started I could not stop listening. The casualness the author uses helps the listener fall into life in SK and get swept up like so many characters.

Great story

What a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of humans. We have ambition, intelligence, the rawness of anger, and, overall, the will to survive by your own hands. I think what really boils this narrative down for me is the simplicity of the music, from trap to walzes, discertations while making moves. I'm a terrible review writer, but a voracious reader, and this was definitely worth it. Recommend. The reason it's a 4 for me is actually one of the things that probablymakes this book more authentic. Nowhere does it sayx'ssemi-autobiographical, but I'm guessing it is. So some parts feel slightly disjointed rather than just a normal chapter-by-chapter retelling. Which is cool because it's like an ode to nostalgia.

Loved this book

Loved this book even for the things in it that were disturbing and scary. Why do people do some horrible things? Well, walk about 10 miles in their shoes and you might get an idea. This is what great writing is for.

Krauze is the perfect narrator for his own story

Krauze lists this as autofiction because everything in the book occurred “in one way or another”. This reality brings an added intensity to the reading/listening experience. The man can write; his observations keen. With this work, he shows how an intelligent man, from a well-meaning, loving immigrant family can be drawn to a life of crime.

The story is written in slang which gives the story further authenticity. I chose to listen to the audio (which is narrated by Krauze) and read the pulp simultaneously. In full disclosure, I’m the person who watches Netflix with closed captions. I found that Krauze’s narration while I read what he was saying to be advantageous for me. The slang is abundant, almost a second language. Listening and reading(seeing) the slang made it easier to interpret/define the words. I’m not sure how I would have felt about the novel if I had just read it. I know for certain I couldn’t absorb the novel if I had just listened to the audio because I am so out-of-touch regarding his slang. The audio/book combo really worked for me.

The story takes place in South Kilburn, a suburb of London. His family immigrated from Poland. Krauze was enrolled in Queen Mary University working towards his English degree during the time of the novel. His observations of what he knew and experienced as an “at risk” immigrant was in deep contrast to the experiences of his university colleagues. An example:

“The professor talks about human suffering being a confirmation of our existence and I start rubbing my finger over the sharpness of the diamonds in one of my teeth, looking at the faces in the room, attentive, uninterested, thinking you don’t know what I know about myself and then I raise my arm. The professor says Gabriel. I say one of the points that Nietzsche makes is that morality is just a rule of behaviour relative to the level of danger in which individuals lived. If you’re living in dangerous times, you can’t afford to live according to the moral structures the way someone who lives in safety and peace can.”

Yes, this is raw, gritty and full of gang culture. Krauze pulls no punches, describing the substance abuse, violence and male toxicity. His life was full of vengeance-seeking gang rivalries. He gets graphic in the retelling of mugging wealthy citizens. I frequently cringed while reading.

Why read/listen to this amazing work? If you are curious as to how intelligent individuals, for whom one can see a wholesome future because of innate talent, can be drawn to a life of crime, Krauze shows how easy it is to fall into gang life. Krauze doesn’t show how to turn those lives around, nor does he provide simple solutions/remedies. He does none of that. He shows what is. He shows a culture in play. I think of him as a grittier Spike Lee.

Imagery and language are exquisite

A must read! A striking portrait of street violence, humanity in inhumane places and family bonds. Well done, blood.

just listen

The most compelling book I've listened to in a long time. a fabulous description of the modern London crime world.

Absolutely blown away by this book

Krauze’s voice, quiet and yet very powerful, made this book even better than it must have been on the page. Gabriel is one of the most relatable but alien characters I’ve read in a long time. Loved every minute despite also cringing in pain at some scenes, truly an emotionally charged book. And too real.

Well done Mylar Krauze.

Krause is an excellent writer pulling no punches in a straightforward telling of his trajectory into adulthood. Things were what they were, and I admire Krauze for his unapologetic memoir. Enlightenment isn’t always teddy bears and unicorns, but perhaps a clear-eyed view of how things are. That’s what this book relays.

a bad childhood

difficult to start
accent and vinacular speech
worth the effort
amazing recovery
would like to know the next