The Disappearers by Marlon James (2026), 640 pages
This
book is A LOT. It is not an easy read. The novel follows several men after they
are brutally attacked in 1980s Jamaica. I have not read Marlon James before,
but have heard this is his writing style - incessant, gritty, and a no-holds
barred look on life as a gay man. James definitely conveys what it feels like
to be a gay man in 80s Jamaica; from the homophobia, hatred, moral struggle, ostracization,
and violence to the very real fear of contracting AIDs and what it means to be
HIV+. He does not hold back in describing all of it in very intimate
details. The novel explorers the different ways the men handled the brutal attack
and how they moved forward (or not) in processing it. My one small quibble is
the ending. I won't spoil it, but I don't believe it would have happened like
that. He meant too much to him.
