Brenton Brown is 16 years old. A mixed race youth, Brenton has lived in a children's home all his life. Being reunited with his mother is the best thing that has happened to Brenton. But a strange series of events soon push him to the edge. This recording is unabridged. Typically abridged audiobooks are not more than 60% of the author's work and as low as 30% with characters and plotlines removed.
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Brixton Rock is Graham Greene for the hip hop generation. --Crime Time
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
From the Publisher
Wheatle is the winner of the 1999 New London Writers Award
NICKY MILSON, THE TIMES: ‘… a triumph …bears a striking resemblance to Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock… The main difference is that Brixton Rock is very funny. Brixton Rock is a pacey document of teenage angst…which is why the pockets of humour…prove to be such a triumph. This is a debut which ‘A great debut novel. Really, really exciting story… it has wonderful memories of the 80s.. Alex Wheatle will be a great writer…hints of great stuff to come. Look out for the next one but definitely read this narrative is pacey; witty; his characters real and recognisable. This is a very promising debut’. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
NICKY MILSON, THE TIMES: ‘… a triumph …bears a striking resemblance to Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock… The main difference is that Brixton Rock is very funny. Brixton Rock is a pacey document of teenage angst…which is why the pockets of humour…prove to be such a triumph. This is a debut which ‘A great debut novel. Really, really exciting story… it has wonderful memories of the 80s.. Alex Wheatle will be a great writer…hints of great stuff to come. Look out for the next one but definitely read this narrative is pacey; witty; his characters real and recognisable. This is a very promising debut’. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Brenton didn't get out of bed until the middle of the next day. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Brenton didn't get out of bed until the middle of the next day. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Mariana
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Such a boring book that it was painful for me to crawl from one page to another. The writing was poor and fail to build up momentum - but maybe because i could not appreciate the Brixton slang. But if the objective of the author was to reel readers into the world of Brixton (especially those readers not familiar with the culture or life in Brixton), then he had done a very poor job. I am actually puzzled by the good reviews by he other readers ....
By Mr Q
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Was extremely disappointed by this book and have given it (a generous) 2 star review based upon the fact that I really struggled to make myself see this book through to the bitter end. Ironically it finished on a marginally stronger note than it began, for this reason alone It gained an extra star!
Why so critical you may ask ??
Well - firstly the "plot" was so paper thin as to be transparent. It can be summarised in a few short sentences, as follows:
Mixed race kid is abadoned by his mother at an early age and spends his days in care, mostly smoking "herb" and latterly has a fight with a local toe rag.
Meets up with his estranged mother after many years and then falls in love and starts an incestuous relationship with his half sister.
Smokes more Herb.
Half sister falls pregnant and can't cope with the consequences of her actions.
He has a further (life threatening ?) fight with aforementioned low life.
Much soul searching done by all involved trying to justify their actions and life choices.
Do they all live happily after ??
I guess we'll never know.
The end
To aggravate matters the author has elected to make the gratuitous use of Jamican patois throughout in some sort of feeble attempt to give the book street cred.
This fails miserably it adds nothing.
Having blindly pursued this policy all he has achieved is making the text virtually unintelligible without the use of an interpreter. The least he could have done is provided a glossary, because no one but a bona fida rasta man will have a clue about much of the pointless dialogue that ensues following yet another session of smoking Herb.
This is a poor book in every respect and one that I would urge you to avoid unless like some of the 5 star reviewers that convinced me this was worth buying, you have remarkably low standards and are very easily pleased, in which case go for it.
Why so critical you may ask ??
Well - firstly the "plot" was so paper thin as to be transparent. It can be summarised in a few short sentences, as follows:
Mixed race kid is abadoned by his mother at an early age and spends his days in care, mostly smoking "herb" and latterly has a fight with a local toe rag.
Meets up with his estranged mother after many years and then falls in love and starts an incestuous relationship with his half sister.
Smokes more Herb.
Half sister falls pregnant and can't cope with the consequences of her actions.
He has a further (life threatening ?) fight with aforementioned low life.
Much soul searching done by all involved trying to justify their actions and life choices.
Do they all live happily after ??
I guess we'll never know.
The end
To aggravate matters the author has elected to make the gratuitous use of Jamican patois throughout in some sort of feeble attempt to give the book street cred.
This fails miserably it adds nothing.
Having blindly pursued this policy all he has achieved is making the text virtually unintelligible without the use of an interpreter. The least he could have done is provided a glossary, because no one but a bona fida rasta man will have a clue about much of the pointless dialogue that ensues following yet another session of smoking Herb.
This is a poor book in every respect and one that I would urge you to avoid unless like some of the 5 star reviewers that convinced me this was worth buying, you have remarkably low standards and are very easily pleased, in which case go for it.
By Goldie Horne
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
It was a strange occurrence how I got familiarized with this novel, it was by sheer accident I went into the local library. Partly because the weather was windy and down pouring with rain and an hour to spare. As I entered the library, I picked up the first book I clasped my eyes on (as I had an hour before my booked appointment) to 'past the time' I began reading, the first few pages really gripped my attention and I found myself engrossed with the aspects of the story and events within a harsh environment (a reality frame work of identity behind the closed walls of prison life). Although I have yet to finished the novel, I cannot give a full and true critical review on this novel, but what I have read so far, has a feel of raw, inner-city concrete jungle elements to this story. It burst at every seam of anger and harrowing feelings of neglect and isolation. A must to complete - but what I have read so far has kept my interest at bay,
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it!
A gritty hard look at relationships doomed to fail! Not for the faint hearted, it goes to places many of us would find uncomfortable... Read more
Published 4 months ago by N. Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars
Authentic and engaging
Some books achieve authenticity because their authors have carried out meticulous research, some achieve it because their author knows what they are writing about. Read more
Published 11 months ago by L. Bamfield Gee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant Read
I bought this on my kindle and enjoyed it so much that I downloaded another of Alex Wheatle's books as soon as i'd finished, The Dirty South (the only other one available on... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Willow Bark
2.0 out of 5 stars
Brixton in the 80s?
It was a good effort for a first novel. The writer's use of metaphor and language felt laboured throughout but the content was engaging. Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2010 by J. R. Palmer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jacobean Tragedy in Thatcher's Brixton
If you don't like working class teenagers and don't want to understand them, don't read this book. Sit back in your deck chair, turn up Classic FM and pour yourself a glass of... Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2009 by Edward Wilson
3.0 out of 5 stars
Don't be too harsh
A Ross's review is rather brutal on this first novel by Alex Wheatle. I personally enjoyed Brighton Rock and was intrigued by the parallels and similarities. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2008 by E. Barton
1.0 out of 5 stars
Plods Along to Inevitable End
Contrary to reviews, this book is neither "explosive", nor "very funny", nor " energetic", nor " witty", nor "heartwarming", nor "a real page turner. Read more
Published on 28 May 2005 by A. Ross
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alex's first novel indicated great things to come.
If you like hard-hitting drama, comedic skits on family life and nostalgic glaces back at the 80's then Brixton Rock is the book for you. Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2001 by mark@arkmast.co.uk
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic, thought-provoking account of life in 80's London
An un-put-downable catalogue of the events that befall 16 year old Brenton Brown. From the discovery of his estranged mother, to the illicit romance with his newly aquired... Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funny and explosive reminder of South London in the 1980's
I thoroughly enjoyed Brixton Rock. It was a riviting read which kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more! Read more
Published on 21 April 1999
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