Brixton Rock

The story follows Brenton as he mopes around, bumming cigarettes, cashing his giro, listening to tunes, smoking herb, and generally being mad at the world. Following an incident in which Brenton is knifed quite badly by a neighborhood guy whom he has a beef with, a social worker tracks down his mother and reintroduces him. This attempt to bring some measure of love and psychological comfort to his life has the unfortunate side-effect of also bringing his beautiful half-sister into his life. And let's just say that the familial love he was seeking comes in a rather taboo form... Indeed, I don't think I've ever come across a piece of literature or film that treats incest so off-handedly. It's treated as little more than a particularly vexing impediment to love, a sort of uber Romeo and Juliet situation. Very strange.

Things end pretty much as one might expect, as Brenton takes baby steps to self-improvement, only to have society push him back. The title appears to be a play on the well-known (and overrated in my mind) early Graham Greene novel Brighton Rock. Both feature troubled 17-year old males, but whereas Brighton Rock's Pinkie is a sociopath and real gangster, Brenton is merely a confused boy posing as a man. His story is not particularly interesting or compelling, and the writing is so simple I kept thinking it was a book intended for children. However, if you've never been exposed to Jamaican patois, it's not a bad introduction. The dialogue is littered with terms like bredren, iretion, suitcase, beast, spar, batty, seen, ram, mash up, and the like. (If you don't know what these mean, you may need to read the book next to a computer with an internet Jamaican/English dictionary on screen.)

Wheatle does do a decent job of capturing the vibe of the times, as racist cops harass black kids, sound systems clash at all-night discos, and there's a lot of tension on the street. Brenton's forever popping the roots music in the suitcase and people like Denis Brown, Barrington Levy, and Johnny Osbourne all get namechecked frequently, with chapter titles riffing on song titles and lyrics of the day. Ultimately, however, as a portrait of multicultural London, it's all surface and no depth. One might be better off reading other fiction, such as Colin MacInnes' City of Spades (about the first wave of Caribbean immigrants), or Victor Headley's Yardie (basically "Scarface" in early '90s Jamaican London), or even Zadie Smith's White Teeth (which I grudgingly have to admit is pretty good).

PS. Two peripheral characters from this book (Biscuit and Coffinhead) are the protagonists of Wheatle's next book, East of Acre Lane, set in the same time and place.


Alex's first novel indicated great things to come.   October 11, 2001
mark@arkmast.co.uk (London)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

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.
Alex's punchy style coupled with his Chandleresque turns of phrase make every page a pleasure to read.


Fantastic, thought-provoking account of life in 80's London   June 4, 2000
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

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 stepsister.

This book bulldozes it's way through every emotion, tragic, ironic and at times hilariously funny. This is a brilliant debut from an excellent writer.


Funny and explosive reminder of South London in the 1980's   April 21, 1999
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

I thoroughly enjoyed Brixton Rock. It was a riviting read which kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more! The protaganist was adorable and I just wanted him to come out on top. Highly recommended.