A violent, voicey Booker winner
Plus American reading habits and what The Great Gatsby means today
I’m out of town visiting family so no true prologue today, but I do have a fun announcement. I got a website refresh and the new look is so beautiful! I loved my old branding, but it didn’t really convey how I like to read or the type of books I enjoy. I think the new look feels so much like me and I hope communicates the academic, but approachable vibe I try to bring this space. One of my favorite things about it is the page breaking down the overlaps and differences between Substack and Patreon. Finally a place to direct people for answers to a frequently asked questions!
This week in books.
This week I read…
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. I didn’t read this all last week, but spread out over the last couple of months. I learned from this reading experience that I don’t do well with that drawn out sort of reading experience, especially when I’m reading through so many other books at the same time. And, for me, this novel felt particularly ill-suited for a long and leisurely read. There’s an urgency to the pacing of the novel, so even though the page count is epic and the content is challenging, it feels meant to be gulped down.
In spite of not reading it in the best flow for me, this book is truly incredible. It follows a large cast of characters leading up to and in the aftermath of the attempted murder of Bob Marley. But while this event is the cornerstone that holds the novel together, it’s the voices that bring it to life. In an interview reflecting on his Booker Prize win nearly 10 years later, James said that the characters’ voices are what drove the book as he was writing, and I could absolutely feel that as a reader. As the story meandered and came back together, as violent events made me want to look away, I could not get these characters’ voices out of my mind. This was a particularly interesting book to read while I’ve been struggling with POV and tense choices elsewhere in my reading because the book is alternating first person points of view and makes use of the present tense. Not only did I not mind in this book, I barely noticed as I was enamored with the tapestry of the story. It’s a reminder to me that my favorite novels make their craft choices feel seamless as I’m reading, but provide an opportunity for after-the-fact.
I don’t have a lot to say about this one. It’s extremely well done, but difficult to recommend. It’s difficult because of the violent contents of the book, but also because the novel as a whole can’t easily be distilled into an easily articulated plot. Still, if you are up for a challenge, if you love getting multiple perspectives in a book, if you enjoy novels that deepen your understanding of history, or you appreciate when an author can bring a character to life through their voice, this book is well worth checking out. I particularly enjoyed moving back and forth between the print and the audio. The print was ground and, as a visual learner, I liked having a character list and seeing some of the motifs developing on the page in front of me. But the audio is exceptional. There’s a full cast doing incredible accent work and skillfully bringing to life the voices Jame’s created so brilliantly.
Interestingly to me, I learned while reading about this book that it won the Booker over Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life. Both books are epic, highly stylized novels full of suffering, but I really dislike A Little Life and think Brief History is quite brilliant. James’ gives his characters so much more spirit and agency, refusing to luxuriate in their suffering while still celebrating their lives. I would love to know what took place during the judges’ deliberation and how they landed on James as the winner! If you do read Brief History, I highly recommend listening to James’ interview recorded 10 years after his win in which he shares the books he was reading as he was writing this novel and why he doesn’t consider his books difficult. Bookshop | Libro.fm
Now I’m reading…
I have two books left in Paradise Lost. I mean, I know what’s going to happen, but I find myself in disbelief that they’re actually going to eat the apple.
I just started Bibliolepsy for the FictionMatters Book Club, and I’m enjoying being back in Gina Apostol’s writing—it’s quite special.
New on my TBR…
Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies as recommended by
.Links I love.
The best books of 2025, so far. (Vulture)
Surprising no one, Americans don’t really read books. (NPR)
Fantasy novels for people who don’t read fantasy, as recommended by Leigh Bardugo. (NYT, gift link)
20 books you might have missed. (Kirkus)
Oh how I adored Beverly Cleary as a kid. (Book Riot)
8 books about girls growing up on the internet. (Electric Lit)
The Great Gatsby is 100 years old! What does it have to say to us today? (NPR)
A science fiction and fantasy review round-up. (The Guardian)
6 tales of mystery and mishap. (NPR)
Viet Thanh Nguyen on the literature of empire. (Lit Hub)
The American Library Association released its list of most frequently banned or challenged books. Also seeing the jump in challenged books between 2020 and 2021 is terrifying. (AMA)
I enjoyed this interview with Katie Kitamura, but I think it’s best read after reading Audition. (The Guardian)
End Notes.
What I’m watching, listening to, making, and loving this week.
Louise’s cousins introduced her to Sparkle Stories, and they are truly wonderful. The subscription is quite pricey at $15/month but they do have a 10 day free trial. If she continues to listen at the rate she has been the last few days, we’ll keep if for a while.
Critics at Large discussed Joe Rogan, Hasan Piker, and the growing political importance of casual conversational podcasts for me. It was surprisingly interesting.
For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or responding directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!
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Happy reading!
Sara
I'm reading Brief History of Seven Killings with a book club in a few weeks, loved your note on POV/tense shifts -- it drives me insane most of the time, but I barely notice it when it's well done!
I listened to A Brief History of Seven Killings on audio a few years ago. I still think about certain passages when driving through intersections around town. The audio narration was a fantastic layer to the feeling of the book, I know I couldn’t have imagined the accents and speech patterns as well.