The Disappearers by Marlon James is truly a masterpiece.
Set primarily in Jamaica beginning in 1988, the novel follows a group of gay men who respond to an ad for actors to audition for a gay play. Just to note it was not a group of men coming together to rehearse for a "regular" play, it was a group or a group of men joining a co-ed cast. Many will find this book difficult to read because the themes are uncomfortable or disturbing especially the extremely graphic violence and sexual content is because Jamaica according to Time Magazine in 2006 was the most homophobic country in the world*.
The novel is centered around an event that was not proven to be factual. The alleged incident was allegedly based on hearsay, rumor and gossip and Jamaicans do not care about fact checking before they "investigate" and unleash justice. I should know, I am Jamaican. In a recent interview James said "..in Jamaica we trust rumours more than facts, so the fact that people kept whispering about it meant it was true."** The only event I can remember from 1988 is Hurricane Gilbert. I found myself taking mental breaks at times, it is a lot to process and digest so the faint of heart or very sensitive readers are duly warned.
James came back to the literary world with a true tour de force. The Disappears was longlisted for the Booker Prize before it was even published, something that literally never happens. That's how good this book is and left a lasting mark on the selection committee and I agree. I cannot wait for my preordered copy to arrive. Everyone needs to read this book and approach it with an open mind and really think about how people are labeled by society and mistreated accordingly.
The only issues I had were (1) more patois was needed, (2) a few grammatical issues (granted this is a review of the uncorrected proof) that caused me to reread a number of sentences multiple times to understand what was being conveyed and for the love of [insert your higher being person] enough of Kurt Cobain. One other this is they focus of Jamaica's university English lit courses, very white American and British and void of regional works. I was in primary school in the 80's so I can't verify this.
The Disappearers is many things brutal, angry, unflinching, queer, complex, haunting, · provocative, funny (yes, I laughed many times), ambitious and unforgettable. And apart for being a Booker Prize worthy 5star masterpiece, The Disappearers is unapologetically Jamaican.
Riverhead | Riverhead Books for a digital copy (ebook) of #TheDisappearers in exchange for my honest opinion. #TheDisappearers will be published on September 1, 2026.
P.S. Note to Mr. James, your fans have not forgotten that we are due the last book in The Dark Star Trilogy.
* https://time.com/archive/6939331/the-most-homophobic-place-on-earth/
**This quote was taken from a Booker Prize longlisted author interview published on August 16, 2026 https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/marlon-james-interview.
