Marlon JamesAnmeldelser

Do not give up on this book until you reach Homer and give a portion with Homer a try. And if you are struggling with print, try the audio, Robin Miles is a gem of a narrator. This book is so well written and so loaded that I am still fully processing it after finishing it on the weekend. It is truly complex, and hardly any characters fit a neat category of truly good and truly bad. The novel focuses on the women of this community that is usually lead by men.

4.5 *
Exhausting read

But one of the reasons why it’s a big novel is almost for the same reason you have something like a double album. Because I think — I hope, and so far some critics seem to agree with me and some critics don’t — that a bigger novel is a wider canvas to experiment with... I’m not sure why ambition is looked upon as a bad thing. - Marlon James*

I really like thinking of this novel as a double album. That works. Because it's big, really big, and ambitious, and has two separate but obviously connected parts.

The first part is 5 stars for me all the way. Jamaican politics, and its associated gangs, and Bob Marley, and the CIA, and fascinating characters like Papa Lo and Weeper, and culminating in the attempted assassination of Marley by a gang of ghetto gunmen, whose leader is operating out of several motives, personal and political. Marley, always referred to as the Singer, his fame just that encompassing, is ever present just off-stage, working to create a peace which is not in the interests of certain elements.

His ultimate inability leads to the second album, post Marley's terribly early death from cancer, and we lose the politics and the Singer and gain the Medellin cartel, crack cocaine, drug empires in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and, a bit oddly, graphic gay sex ("I do actually believe in explicit violence. I believe in explicit sex... There’s something to be read in the explicit scene.*). This album didn't interest me so much though I recognize the quality.

* - Guernica interview, https://www.guernicamag.com/interviews/violently-wrought/

---- In-Reading Comment ---
Brethren, what the bombocloth you mean calling this a brief history? Could have been done a lot briefer, but that's cool, it's real good.

See raamat solgutas mentaaliselt ikka täiesti läbi :D
Alguses oli raske otsa peale saada - maailm oli nii läbini võõras ja kummaline nagu võõras kultuur ikka. Ja muidugi punnib vastu - angloameeerika ulme on ajju juba sügavad maanteed sisse tallanud, ja nüüd tuleb see Aafrika monstertruck ja arvab, et sõidab sealt kust tahab ...
Lõpuks muidugi sõitis ka, ja ma nautisin seda 100%.
See on kahtlemata üks kõige huvitavamaid asju, mida ma viimasel ajal olen lugenud, ja mida kaugemale ma jõudsin, seda rohkem hakkas meeldima. Aafrika mütoloogia(te) pentsikus ja võõrikus on tohutult värskendav ning selle täiesti teistsugused mõttemustrid ja arusaamised keerasid oma mõtteilmas ka mitmele asjale värske külje ette.
Üks väike lugu ka, maitseks.
Ka te teadsite, et teisena sündinud kaksik on tegelikult esimene? Aga nii vaat on, sest kui sünd algab, siis ütleb vanem kaksik nooremale: "Sina mine aas ja vaata, mis värk on." Ja noorem läheb, valmistab ette. Ja alles siis tuleb vanem :)

a poetic style of writing tells the fantasy saga of Tracker, a mercenary character in Africa beset by magic, his own unrelentingly brutal history, and the cost of the vengeance he insists on. a whole lot of the point of view boils down to a nihilist grimdark wonderland, albeit with a different sort of setting, so in spite of the often terrific writing and intriguing characters i found it a difficult read. the unrelenting character of the sex and violence got me down, and i barely survived the 8% mark, which i swear went on and on and on in a kind of a controlled loop that took two days to plough through. so in summary the work kinda boils down to a profane Pilgrim's Progress, with the progress part a question mark. so after a struggle with myself based on the author's considerable skills, and some curiosity about where he is planning to take this in volume 2, i decided life was short and i just wanted not to spend any more time in this world, regardless of the quality of the writing. so i've given it an excellent mark and just moved on.

(I started a book blog! Review originally posted here.)

My one-sentence review is that Black Leopard is a gift of a novel. This book is a gorgeous, unsettling dark fantasy about the monsters that pursue us, within and without, and the speculative canon is richer for its publication.

The book is narrated by Tracker, a sort of paranormal detective for hire who ends up on a quest to locate a mysterious young boy. As the adventurers face off against dangerous magic and political conspiracy, Tracker reckons with his own history of personal trauma. There's enchantment, violence, sex, romance, worldbuilding that makes you go "ooh" and "ahh," and a gritty central vein of psychological drama that propels the whole project.

Let's get the setting out of the way. Black Leopard, Red Wolf conjures an African-inspired world that represents an amazing feat of imagination. It teems with magic and monsters and a polyphony of cultures. The prose is exquisite, incorporating oratory and poetry and proverbs, never missing a beat.

It feels as if James is rebuilding the fantasy genre from the ground up, asking us at every moment to rethink our cultural assumptions. I love, for instance, that in this tropical setting, night and darkness are associated with security and community rather than danger. And, absurdly, this is the first time I've read a book in which romantic kissing is described as an unfamiliar foreign custom (making Tracker's first kiss wholly novel to him and surely one of the top ten hottest kisses in English literature).

Ahem. The plot! For the first half of the novel, the story is more than a little unwieldy, crowded with characters and episodes. At times I was discouraged, because this book is long, and picaresque, and I wasn't quite sure where we were going. I had to trust James's vision.

I put my trust in the right author. All the loose threads do come together, weaving a complex tapestry of the personal and political. And then Marlon James sets the whole damn thing on fire.

I think a lot about what it means to trust an author, especially in the context of feminist / anti-racist storytelling. When I don't trust the author, I resort to a "bingo card" approach to judging a work's merits. Passes the Bechdel test? Check. More than one character with the same marginalized identity? Check. No female suffering that furthers the emotional arcs of men? Bingo, and you're done.

Black Leopard is a 620-page novel about toxic masculinity, and while James does okay by my "bingo card" metric, I don't think he's keeping score. The violence in this novel is frequent and graphic. Rape permeates the text. Bodies and body parts are commodities or even comestibles, giving a new dimension to body horror.

James tackles difficult subject matter by writing a book that is deeply reflective and tells the truth as he feels best able to tell it. One graceful way he does this is embodied in the character of Tracker. Tracker has a problem with women, but rather than following the time-honored tradition of Western novels - asking us to read about an antihero protagonist who is a sexual predator - James gives us a queer character whose primary relationships are with men. The book investigates how Tracker's familial and sexual trauma poisons his relationships and sense of self without resorting to the bodies of women as a medium for this narrative.

The violence in this novel is brought into relief by an immense tenderness. Tracker is a killer, but he's also a parent. He spends most of the book trying to rescue children, and he finds healing, of a partial sort, in his relationships. The romance arc is unconscionably sweet considering how brutal this novel is.

Now, the women. By refusing to write a book that centers on female victims, James frees himself to write female characters who are complicated and enigmatic and often quite unlikable. They have their own agendas, their own voices. They are also every bit as damaged as Tracker, and the novel has an interesting thread that reads to me like a critique of the thin revisionist histories produced by a second-wave feminism or old-school Afrocentrism. It's a cautionary tale of inventing a fairy tale history for your identity rather than giving your ancestors permission to be fully human.

Because this is a book about masculinity—or maybe because Tracker is regarding womanhood across so wide a gulf—the women of this book are a little unreal. They take on the character of a Greek chorus, airing their grievances toward men, then going off to be inscrutable. I think probably this is on purpose. On a first read I feel like I'm far from comprehending everything that's going on in this book.

I hope the next two books are a bit tighter, and that they give women a chance to tell their own story, although I can't say for sure that's what James has in mind. When I imagine the female answer to Black Leopard, I unaccountably think of Interview with a Vampire and The Vampire Lestat, Louis's yin energy followed by Lestat's yang brashness. And then it occurs to me that both Black Leopard and Interview are about queer monster-men who want to protect the innocent and are telling their stories in first person.

So there you go: Black Leopard, Red Wolf - it's Interview With A Vampire if Louis weren't such a wanker.

Slow start

The first two thirds of this book are great. Then it gets lost.

DNF @31%

I really wanted to like this, as I loved the idea of an African-inspired fantasy but the constant stream of explicit violence, child abuse and sexual content on basically every page was just too much for me.

I liked the African mythology and the writing style was original and intriguing (it resembles the oral storytelling tradition), but the content was making it impossible for me to enjoy this.

I might give this another try in the future, but for now it’s a no.

Leopardo negro, lobo rojo
Marlon James
Publicado: 2019 | 563 páginas
Novela Aventuras Fantástico
Serie: Trilogía de la Estrella oscura #1

El Rastreador es conocido por sus habilidades como cazador: «Tiene un buen olfato», se dice de él. Contratado para encontrar a un misterioso niño que ha desaparecido, el Rastreador rompe su propia regla de no trabajar con nadie y se encuentra de pronto como parte de un grupo que debe colaborar y apoyarse para llevar su objetivo a buen puerto. Se trata de un grupo heterogéneo, formado por personajes inusuales, cada uno con sus propios secretos, incluido un hombre capaz de cambiar de forma a su antojo conocido como el Leopardo.Mientras el Rastreador sigue el olor del chico, el grupo se enfrenta a criaturas que intentan que no lleguen a su objetivo. Y mientras luchan para sobrevivir, el Rastreador empieza a preguntarse quién es realmente ese niño, por qué ha estado perdido durante tanto tiempo y por qué todos intentan evitar que sea encontrado. Y algo más importante: ¿quién está contando la verdad en esta historia y quién está mintiendo?Hundiendo su propia imaginación en la mitología y en la historia africana, Marlon James ha escrito una novela que no se parece a nada: una saga de aventuras capaz de cortar el aliento, tan ambiciosa como imposible de dejar de leer. Huyendo de las etiquetas y repleta de personajes inolvidables, Leopardo negro, lobo rojo es un ejercicio de literatura tan sorprendente como profundo que explora nuestra necesidad de entender cómo funcionan la verdad y el poder.

This book is about the politics of Jamaica, the attempted killing of Bob Marley,the drug wars in the 1990s in New York, and more. Told in many many voices with not much dialog. I made frequent use of the Cast of Characters list in the front of the book. Intelligently written. It felt like I was really inside the characters heads, more so than I have ever been in a book before. The Jamaican dialect was hard to get used to, but once I did I found myself thinking in that dialect, and almost trying to use some of the words in my own speech. The language in the book is rough, and there is a lot of violence. Considering the topic, it was all appropriate.
The book did bog down some in the middle, but I gave it 5 stars anyway because of how brilliantly it was written overall.This book will stay with me awhile. If you decide to read this, don't plan on reading it for long periods of time. I had to take breaks---focus and concentration are required!

I can honestly say I did not find this book enjoyable, but it was written in the most amazing format and the author has an amazing talent.

This book was very well written, and if I had to base my ratings on how well the book was written, it would be 10 out of 5. When I was reading the book, the descriptions were magical and took me away to another world, and I could not believe the amount of detail one person could put into one single page. I was taken away into another world and I truly enjoyed the form of description. I rarely find authors these days with this amount of talent.

But, the book was not a topic I was fond of. I picked up the book and decided to enter for the contest on Goodreads to get it because it sounded like an amazing topic to learn about, but it ended up being too boring of a topic for me.

While the book was well written, I found it very hard to follow the story or know what was going on. In the first 100 pages, I found myself even wondering what the book was about anymore. This book felt more along the lines of a book I would be forced to read in High School with explanations by the teacher of what was actually going on, since I couldn't follow it.

I give it one star out of five, mainly because I was to bored to continue reading it. It was a forced read and I was bored out of my mind trying to finish it.

The book did give powerful messages and themes, and anybody who likes books that have powerful themes and messages and like books following true events but are in a fictional universe would love this book! It was just not for me.

I still cannot praise the author enough for his talent, but the book wasn't for me!!

Amazing book, not my type of read, sadly.

My book was an uncorrected advance proof (which I adore these types of books, so I was very honored to receive an advanced copy).

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

What can you say about this book? Well, it is a stunning novel, brilliantly written, not easy on the reader, but no matter. I highly recommend it.

Eine kurze Geschichte ist dieser dicke Schinken wahrlich nicht und es sind auch nicht nur sieben Morde, die geschehen. Vielleicht zielt der Titel auf sieben der acht Männer ab, die 1976 in Bob Marleys Haus eindringen um ihn zu töten, denn sieben von ihnen sterben im Lauf des Buches. Als der letzte von ihnen 1991 im Gefängnis stirbt, endet das Buch.
Insgesamt ist diese Jamaica-Geschichte aus vielen Perspektiven erzählt und man tut gut daran, sich einzuprägen, wer wer ist und zu welcher Seite gehört. Jamaica in diesem Buch ist korrupt, brutal, Menschen sind Freiwild, haben eigentlich keine Chance. Es gibt zwei politische Parteien, die konservative Jamaican Labour JLP und die People's National PNP, die sich 1976 im Wahlkampf befinden. Bob Marley plant auf Initiative der sozialdemokratischen PNP ein Friedenskonzert. Zwei Tage vorher findet das beschriebene Attentat statt, das Marley aber überlebt, so dass er dennoch auftreten kann.
Das Buch ist anstrengend zu lesen, aufgrund der oft gelobten, aber recht wilden Sprache und auch aufgrund der brutalen, sehr selten positiven Ereignisse. Und lang ist es auch.½

Stunned. Breathless. Enraged. Hurt. Overwhelmed.

One of the most brutal stories I have ever encountered. I was physically shaking by the end.

This review requires some preface: I picked up this novel with a bit of trepidation in my anticipation. The first volume was deeply engaging and brutal at the same time, blood and/or sex appearing on virtually every page. It surprises me that I endured its surface elements as well as I did, given my weak stomach, and I still cannot really explain it, but I was ready to see if it worked again. I'm also intrigued in general with revisiting a story I know from a different perspective (when it's not a transparent cash cow.) That was Marlon James' plan for this trilogy from the start and part of why I first jumped in. But the primary attraction is its basis in African myths, and to witness the result of a serious literary author tackling the fantasy genre seriously while owning what he's doing.

Sogolon's narrative is a straightforward chronology beginning in her childhood, in a world we readers are now familiar with, and winning quick sympathy with her plight and fighting spirit. The power we know her to possess begins to show itself in slow increments. I like Sogolon more than Tracker. More sympathetic, more relatable? I'm not sure. Less angry, maybe. Wiser. It's easier to understand her story, appreciate where she's coming from and the chip on her shoulder that drives her.

This novel's story doesn't begin to overlap with the first until the last hundred pages, but what leads up to that is all the background that the first was shady about sharing. Now we don't just know who the child is, we know his significance and can feel what finding him will mean - if he's not already beyond saving. This second book also provides a stronger, clearer picture of the world this series takes place in, making it feel more alive and lived in rather than just a setting for a point-to-point adventure among unusual attractions. Where the first book hammered me with violent imagery, this one creates a growing sense of earthy menace. I felt that especially about the Sangomin, who are some of the creepiest critters I've encountered in fantasy and defy all the tropes I know.

This series demands a lot, but it makes a good return on the investment. Can't wait to see what the third novel has in store.½

This book isn't one of the usual genres that I tend to read, but I did quite enjoy it. Wikipedia was my friend since I didn't know anything about Jamaica's political parties, rastas, or Bob Marley even.

I just finished reading "Black Leopard, Red Wolf" by Marlon James, and I couldn't wait to share my thoughts on this extraordinary book with all of you. Strap yourselves in because this is going to be one wild ride!

First and foremost, I have to commend James for his masterful storytelling. The narrative is unlike anything I've ever encountered. It's a mesmerizing blend of fantasy, myth, and African folklore that transports you to a vivid and enchanting world. From the very first page, I was completely immersed in the rich tapestry of this fictional realm, and I found it impossible to put the book down.

One aspect that truly sets this book apart is the protagonist, Tracker. He is not your typical hero but rather a complex and morally ambiguous character. Tracker's voice is raw, unfiltered, and often unpredictable, which adds an intriguing layer of depth to the story. I appreciated how James wasn't afraid to delve into the darker aspects of Tracker's personality, making him a flawed and compelling protagonist.

Furthermore, the supporting cast is equally captivating. From the enigmatic Leopard to the mysterious and seductive Sogolon, each character has a distinct voice and a captivating backstory. The interactions between them are fraught with tension, alliances, and betrayals, keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire journey.

Another aspect that impressed me was James' remarkable prose. His writing style is poetic, almost lyrical, with vivid descriptions that paint a vivid picture of the world and its inhabitants. He effortlessly weaves together elements of fantasy, mythology, and history to create a unique and immersive reading experience.

However, I should mention that "Black Leopard, Red Wolf" is not a book for the faint of heart. It delves into some dark and unsettling themes, including violence, brutality, and sexuality. James doesn't shy away from depicting the harsh realities of this world, and it can be quite intense at times. But for those willing to embark on this gritty and unapologetic journey, the rewards are plentiful.

Overall, "Black Leopard, Red Wolf" is a remarkable and ambitious novel that pushes the boundaries of traditional fantasy. Marlon James has crafted an epic and unforgettable tale that demands to be savored. It's a book that challenges conventions, embraces the power of storytelling, and invites readers to explore the shadows lurking within themselves.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys immersive world-building, morally complex characters, and narratives that defy expectations. Just be prepared for a wild, unpredictable, and utterly captivating adventure.

Interesting. Something of a slog at times.

just not my bag of tea

So, I listened to the audio book version narrated by Dion Graham, and I gotta say I think my entire perception of this book is colored by his work. Since it's written in first person, and as a sequence of stories Tracker (the focus character) is telling to an inquisitor, it's the perfect vehicle for feeling like you're actually listening to this guy tell you these stories over a campfire (but damn 24 hours is a lot to listen to.

The writing itself is rather gruesome and detailed, and at times weighed me down, but was completely appropriate for the flavor of the tales told. The crudeness with which actions were described accurately added gravity to events.

This is a hard book to read, not least because of the Jamaican patois and the numerous point-of-views. Reading the last chapter, it's like playing 'who is the one speaking' game. And there is so much verbal violence, I find myself cursing more when reading the book. Nina Burgess also gets reinvented three times. Marlon never explicitly tells you it's the same person but you can guess with the clues littered around. Finally, she gets to the U.S. and finds a stable employment. Her story is an interesting interlude amidst the crime-fest and gangsterism.

wow, what a punch in the guts. a visceral, wrenching glimpse into the Jamaican ghetto world and how it impacts and follows those that meet it

Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
I almost always give books 100 pages to hook me, but I couldn't stomach any more than 60. Almost every page, of what I read, mentioned the rape of men, women, children, or animals and I couldn't do it. I also wasn't prepared for it; a lot of the positive reviews about this book seem to skim over this aspect and I'm not sure why. It is also incredibly slow and made me feel like I was reading the first draft ramblings of a man who wants you to think he's smarter than you. Every piece of dialogue was a riddle that felt like it was only written to be quoted in some literary circle jerk about all the ways you can describe genitals and gore. I'm sure his writing style is for someone, but it's not for me.

I thought the premise was interesting, but it's lost in the long-winded, tedious prose that would have really benefitted from a good editor.

This novel is anything but brief, but instead an epic story told from multiple points-of-view sprawling over three decades and spilling out of Kingston to New York City. There also a lot more than seven killings depicted. The title of novel is sort-of explained later in the narrative as a kind of story-within-the-story.

The action of the story takes place over five days. The first two are in December 1976 and detail the attempted assassination on Bob Marley (referred to throughout the novel as "The Singer"). Later sections of the novel are set on single dates in 1979, 1985, and 1991 and deal with the ongoing personal and political ramifications of the assassination attempt as well as the rising crack epidemic. The narrators include gang members and dons of Jamaica's political party-aligned gangs, a CIA agent, an American music writer originally from Rolling Stone, the ghost of a murdered politician, and a young woman desperate to leave Jamaica for the USA who changes her identity several times throughout the novel.

This is a challenging book to read due to its sprawling narrative and dozens of characters. It's hard to keep track of the whole story and honestly I think some of the chapters may just as well be self-contained short stories. The Jamaican patois used by many of the characters can also be difficult although I enjoyed listening to the voice actors on the audiobook. But the hardest part of the book is that is just so brutal, violent, and unceasingly grim. That doesn't make it a bad book, of course, and I do like to be challenged. But it was a hard book to read nonetheless.