A Brief History of Seven Killings

This is an amazing work of fiction that I highly recommend. The author weaves together an epic yet very personal story that spans decades and two countries, telling a story that begins with the failed 1976 assassination of singer Bob Marley and ends up with the 1980s crack epidemic in Brooklyn. The narrative connective tissue joining these two points is articulated by a shifting cast of characters from Jamaica, America and Cuba, among others. The plot is so well constructed and interwoven through the various characters' perspectives that the alternating voices never confuse, and always propel the story forward. And the voices are distinctive. I listened to the audiobook (with excellent narration by at least 5 voice actors) and I found myself frequently repeating pieces of the often musical dialogue. This book recently won the Man Booker prize and a host of praise. It is well deserved. This is a dense story that seems compact and tight, populated by three dimensional characters so rich and colorful that I feel like I know them. As I passed the halfway point of the book I found myself both wanting to hurry up to reach the end and see what happens and to slow down so that I could enjoy the pleasure of reading this book longer.
Now, off to read James' other work.