Reading guide: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

The Singer 

Described as ‘the Reggae superstar of the world,’ the Singer is based on real-life musical icon Bob Marley, yet only referred to by this name once in the novel. He is a pioneer of reggae music, known for spreading his message of peace and love. As he tries to ease tensions ahead of Jamaica’s 1976 general election, he quickly becomes a target for political and gang-related violence.  

Papa-Lo

Papa-Lo is a gang leader of the Copenhagen City ghetto, an area in Kingston, Jamaica. He has a close relationship with the Singer. Papa-Lo is both feared and respected, and is renowned for transformational work in the area, successfully eliminating sexual violence from the neighbourhood. 

Josey Wales

Josey is Papa-Lo’s right-hand man, initially helping him to enforce rules in Copenhagen City. He is tough and intelligent, yet betrays Papa-Lo by plotting to kill the Singer behind his back, due to his belief that peace is an impossible concept – coupled with his dislike of the Rastafarian movement. After Papa-Lo’s death, Josey starts a drug trafficking operation and eventually becomes the new don of Copenhagen City.

Julian Lucas, The New York Review of Books

‘If A Brief History of Seven Killings can be said to have a main idea, it’s that nobody escapes, at least not entirely, from violence. Because violence isn’t an event, but a kind of potential – a force, like gravity, that lurks in every curve of space […] It has less in common with most recent literary fiction than it does with Breaking Bad and The Wire.’

Kei Miller, The Guardian

‘If the scope of James’s talent has grown from book to book, his imagination is more consistent – that tendency to inhabit the dark and gory places, and to shine a light on them. Despite its title, this isn’t a brief novel and neither are there a mere seven killings. Readers will flinch many more times than that. When reading reviews of Night Women, James apparently became bored with comparisons to Toni Morrison; and with A Brief History, he’s got bored with comparisons to Quentin Tarantino. But it is hard not to see the strength of that comparison. This is a novel that explores the aesthetics of cacophony and also the aesthetics of violence.’

Zachary Lazar, The New York Times

‘The further I read, the more the book’s increasing sense of absurdity, its pop culture references, its compulsive ventriloquism and its range of tones — comic, surreal, nightmarish, parodic — began to remind me uncannily of David Foster Wallace’s all-or-nothing Infinite Jest. (I even began to wonder if the book’s title, obviously ironic given its length, was a homage to Wallace’s Brief Interviews With Hideous Men.) This eclecticism sometimes had the odd effect of distracting me from the courage of James’s book, which is after all an exploration of real-life acts of violence.’

Kevin Power, Literary Review

‘From the events of 3 December, Marlon James has spun his sprawling, passionate, diffuse third novel, offering a conspiracy theory somewhat after the manner of James Ellroy’s LA Quartet, in which fictional characters step in to illuminate the shadowy corners of history. A Brief History of Seven Killings exuberantly hybridises the gangland thriller, the spy story, the emigrant saga and the national epic, with a large dose of self-conscious myth-making thrown in.’

Tyrone Beason, The Seattle Times

‘Marlon James’ epic novel about what he refers to as ‘post-post-colonial’ Jamaica is so thick with characters and voices that it induces feelings of disorientation similar to traveling to a foreign country for the first time […] Switching narrators at a furious pace, Marlon uses this incendiary backdrop to explore the lives of the colorful street criminals and gang lords who had a hand in the assassination attempt on Marley.’

A Brief History of Seven Killings is divided into five major sections, spanning over 30 years, and explores a period of political and social instability in Jamaican history. How does the novel’s structure deepen your understanding of the historical context of the plot? In what ways do the transitions highlight the long-lasting effects of the events depicted?

The novel is nearly 700 pages long, and contains a vast number of characters – around 75 in total. How successful do you think James is at using such a range of perspectives to tell the story at the heart of A Brief History? What impact do these perspectives have on your understanding of the events in the novel? 

‘The Singer’ is based on renowned Jamaican reggae artist Bob Marley, yet rarely named as so. How might this choice by James affect the portrayal of the character in the novel? What does he symbolise within the wider story, especially since, as James told the New York Times, Marley ‘hovers over the book as opposed to being in the middle of it’?

A Brief History is peppered with cultural references from the eras within the book, from pivotal events to politicians, TV shows and musicians. How does James use these real-world references to anchor the fictional narrative? Do they contribute to the authenticity of the novel, and if so, how?

James incorporates a mix of dialects and language throughout the novel, including Jamaican patois. How does this use of language develop character and create atmosphere, and what impact does this have on the reading experience? 

James frequently uses stream-of-consciousness narration throughout the novel. In the acknowledgments, he references the influence of William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, which also employs this technique. Do you think this narrative style deepens the novel’s exploration of memory, trauma, and history?

Violence plays a significant role in A Brief History, both on a personal and societal level, depicting brutal acts stemming from the political and social instability of 1970s Jamaica. Discuss James’s use of violence as a way of drawing attention to the wider societal conditions in Jamaica during this time. Do you think these graphic portrayals are justified within the context of the novel’s themes and setting?

The CIA’s involvement in Jamaica during the Cold War is represented by the character Barry Diflorio. What does his presence reveal about the hidden impact of foreign intervention on local politics and international power dynamics? How does James use Diflorio to comment on the nature of foreign interference in Jamaica during this period?

To what extent would you agree with James’s assertion that he seems himself as a Dickensian when it comes to storytelling? Do you see similarities between A Brief History and the works of Charles Dickens?

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