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Brenton Brown
"A rich layering of motive and emotion . . . robust dialogue, streetwise humour and muscular, mischievous vernaculour" Independent
Set on the streets of Brixton, south London, BRENTON BROWN is a fatal love story about a man who never got over his first love, a perfect love with his half-sister Juliet that has left him unable to form any real relationships since they both decided it must end.
"Wheatle's dialogue sings" Guardian
Juliet is consumed by guilt because she knows that her half-brother, Brenton, grew up in children's homes with no family to speak of, while she received all her mother's love. She has a career with good prospects in politics, and has married Clayton, a successful banker, to please her mother. He treats her daughter, Breanna, like his own - but secretly he has always suspected that there has been something going on between Juliet and Brenton.
Unable to let go physically or emotionally, Brenton takes the advice of his longstanding friend Floyd, and decides to start a new life in another country. When their good intentions fail, Juliet and Brenton must pay the ultimate price.
A story about family ties, forbidden love and life, BRENTON BROWN is shot through with robust humour, unforgettable characters, unerringly pitched dialogue and towering emotion.
Set on the streets of Brixton, south London, BRENTON BROWN is a fatal love story about a man who never got over his first love, a perfect love with his half-sister Juliet that has left him unable to form any real relationships since they both decided it must end.
"Wheatle's dialogue sings" Guardian
Juliet is consumed by guilt because she knows that her half-brother, Brenton, grew up in children's homes with no family to speak of, while she received all her mother's love. She has a career with good prospects in politics, and has married Clayton, a successful banker, to please her mother. He treats her daughter, Breanna, like his own - but secretly he has always suspected that there has been something going on between Juliet and Brenton.
Unable to let go physically or emotionally, Brenton takes the advice of his longstanding friend Floyd, and decides to start a new life in another country. When their good intentions fail, Juliet and Brenton must pay the ultimate price.
A story about family ties, forbidden love and life, BRENTON BROWN is shot through with robust humour, unforgettable characters, unerringly pitched dialogue and towering emotion.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
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121 people want to read
About the author
Alex Wheatle
41 books198 followersAlex Alphonso Wheatle was a British novelist, who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment after the 1981 Brixton riot in London.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 2, 2011
Brenton Brown is a follow-up to Alex Wheatle’s famous debut Brixton Rock, which was set in the early 1980s. We catch up with the characters of that book about 25 years later in contemporary Britain, and those who read the first book will enjoy seeing how things turned out, especially with the title character Brenton, who fell in love with his half-sister Juliet. Things get a lot messier in this book, despite their best efforts to avoid it, as the child they had together is now grown-up and wants to know who her real father is (they never told her), and Juliet’s husband begins to suspect, and meanwhile Juliet is running for government and can’t have any scandal coming out in public. There’s a lot of tension, and I wouldn’t say you need to have read Brixton Rock to enjoy this story. The passages with old friends like Biscuit and Coffin Head won’t mean as much to new readers, but that’s a small point.
Coming back to the same characters at different points in history is something Alex Wheatle has done before, with characters from East of Acre Lane appearing both in an earlier time (in the book Island Songs) and a later one (The Dirty South). It’s a strategy that works well as it allows the reader not only to follow familiar characters but also to see what’s changed more broadly in Brixton and indeed Britain. In this book many of the features of the older Brixton have been replaced with swanky bars and cool cafes, but still beneath the surface a lot of the problems remain – young people with nowhere to turn, a government that doesn’t care, an undercurrent of violence and tension. As Brenton’s daughter Breanna puts it, talking to wannabe gangster Sean, “The only thing you have to offer is to show your crew how bad you are. Show them how street you are. Show them how much of a fucking soldier you are. That’s all you live for, innit?” Later Brenton himself comes into contact with Sean and sees that for him, it’s easier to pretend to be “bad” than to do the right thing, with all the obstacles to overcome.
The main focus of the story, though, is on Brenton and Juliet and their forbidden love for each other. Wheatle takes us inside the head of each character so that we know exactly what they’re feeling and thinking. It seems inevitable, then, that Brenton and Juliet will end up giving in to their passions (especially as the back cover tells us they will), but it takes a long time, and the tension builds up very effectively. There’s also some back story on Brenton’s time in children’s homes, and a good exploration of the question of how long someone can be ruled by a childhood tragedy. Several of the characters tell him to grow up and move on, get over it and stop using it as an excuse for his emotional failures, etc., but it’s clear that it’s not that simple, that his childhood has a great effect on him as a forty-something man. Brenton tries to get away from his past, both his painful childhood memories and his doomed love for Juliet, but even moving to Florida doesn’t really enable him to “start a new life” – he’s still ruled by the old.
I’ve read all of Wheatle’s books and this one didn’t disappoint. I’d still say East of Acre Lane is my favourite, mostly because of the fantastic dialogue (in this book, in fact, the dialogue sparked to life most for me in the banter between Brenton and his friends remembering the old days of the 1980s). But this one is also a good story well told, and I’d definitely recommend it.
Coming back to the same characters at different points in history is something Alex Wheatle has done before, with characters from East of Acre Lane appearing both in an earlier time (in the book Island Songs) and a later one (The Dirty South). It’s a strategy that works well as it allows the reader not only to follow familiar characters but also to see what’s changed more broadly in Brixton and indeed Britain. In this book many of the features of the older Brixton have been replaced with swanky bars and cool cafes, but still beneath the surface a lot of the problems remain – young people with nowhere to turn, a government that doesn’t care, an undercurrent of violence and tension. As Brenton’s daughter Breanna puts it, talking to wannabe gangster Sean, “The only thing you have to offer is to show your crew how bad you are. Show them how street you are. Show them how much of a fucking soldier you are. That’s all you live for, innit?” Later Brenton himself comes into contact with Sean and sees that for him, it’s easier to pretend to be “bad” than to do the right thing, with all the obstacles to overcome.
The main focus of the story, though, is on Brenton and Juliet and their forbidden love for each other. Wheatle takes us inside the head of each character so that we know exactly what they’re feeling and thinking. It seems inevitable, then, that Brenton and Juliet will end up giving in to their passions (especially as the back cover tells us they will), but it takes a long time, and the tension builds up very effectively. There’s also some back story on Brenton’s time in children’s homes, and a good exploration of the question of how long someone can be ruled by a childhood tragedy. Several of the characters tell him to grow up and move on, get over it and stop using it as an excuse for his emotional failures, etc., but it’s clear that it’s not that simple, that his childhood has a great effect on him as a forty-something man. Brenton tries to get away from his past, both his painful childhood memories and his doomed love for Juliet, but even moving to Florida doesn’t really enable him to “start a new life” – he’s still ruled by the old.
I’ve read all of Wheatle’s books and this one didn’t disappoint. I’d still say East of Acre Lane is my favourite, mostly because of the fantastic dialogue (in this book, in fact, the dialogue sparked to life most for me in the banter between Brenton and his friends remembering the old days of the 1980s). But this one is also a good story well told, and I’d definitely recommend it.
August 10, 2020
I read the entire book in a state anx. Difficulty in understanding how one can love the child but find the man difficult to empathise with. Speaks greatly on how we perceive the black boy versus the black man.
July 20, 2025
I don’t usually jump straight into sequels or follow-up books, but there was something about Wheatle’s writing in Brenton Brown that got me hooked. The way he tells Brenton’s story now as an adult dealing with the fallout from his past feels real and raw. It kept pulling me in, and I found myself needing to read the next chapter, the next part of his journey.
Even without reading Brixton Rock first, the book stands on its own with strong characters and honest emotions. It’s a deeper look at how Brenton’s experiences have shaped him and the complexities he faces in adulthood. Wheatle’s storytelling makes you feel the weight of those struggles but also the hope that comes with trying to move forward.
If you’re interested in layered stories about identity, family, and resilience in London, this one’s worth the read.
Even without reading Brixton Rock first, the book stands on its own with strong characters and honest emotions. It’s a deeper look at how Brenton’s experiences have shaped him and the complexities he faces in adulthood. Wheatle’s storytelling makes you feel the weight of those struggles but also the hope that comes with trying to move forward.
If you’re interested in layered stories about identity, family, and resilience in London, this one’s worth the read.
July 12, 2021
Main point is that whilst 'Brenton Brown' stands on its own narratively, I am assuming that it doesn't on an emotional level. I haven't read 'Brixton Rock', and am curious to check it out after this. However, this book felt so disappointingly vain and surface-level. This isn't helped by how every character's exact thoughts and emotions are always exactly articulated by themselves in terms of thought-quotes or mumbles. The dialogue was also weirdly grating and unnatural, in particular when characters were speaking almost in written English. The book's main positive were in the dynamics between the characters, but even then they're somewhat ruined by their totally explicit detailing. However, it does set up a read of 'Brixton Rock' quite nicely.
August 6, 2021
Superb
20 years after Brixton Rock, we follow Brenton and Juliet and the development of their lives and secrets. Some great highlights in here and at other times less impactful. However, Alex Wheatley is outrageously good and everyone should read his books. Bloody love these novels
20 years after Brixton Rock, we follow Brenton and Juliet and the development of their lives and secrets. Some great highlights in here and at other times less impactful. However, Alex Wheatley is outrageously good and everyone should read his books. Bloody love these novels
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January 14, 2015Brenton Brown is a sequel to Wheatle’s debut novel, Brixton Rock.
It’s 2002 and Brenton Brown, the Stepping Volcano, is pushing forty. He has a good business as a carpenter/builder, a roof over his head, a steady girlfriend. Life ought to be good.
But Brenton has never got over his brief affair with his half-sister. Juliet is married to a successful banker and is making her way in the world of politics. Their daughter, Breanna, is turning twenty-one and knows Brenton only as her uncle. Brenton knows he should leave well enough alone and move on. But when their mother, whom he met first in his late teens, dies, it seems it is harder than ever to let go of his perfect love.
South London may have changed beyond recognition in the late 1970s. But Wheatle reminds us that, if you are young and black, like Breanna and her mates, you may face a world no less brutal than the one Brenton, Floyd and Coffinhead had to negotiate thirty years earlier.
Wheatle’s dialogue is as rich with Jamaican and South London slang as ever. But this is not just a slice of inner city life in the 21st Century. Brenton and Juliet’s story moves onward with the remorselessness of a Greek tragedy.
It’s 2002 and Brenton Brown, the Stepping Volcano, is pushing forty. He has a good business as a carpenter/builder, a roof over his head, a steady girlfriend. Life ought to be good.
But Brenton has never got over his brief affair with his half-sister. Juliet is married to a successful banker and is making her way in the world of politics. Their daughter, Breanna, is turning twenty-one and knows Brenton only as her uncle. Brenton knows he should leave well enough alone and move on. But when their mother, whom he met first in his late teens, dies, it seems it is harder than ever to let go of his perfect love.
South London may have changed beyond recognition in the late 1970s. But Wheatle reminds us that, if you are young and black, like Breanna and her mates, you may face a world no less brutal than the one Brenton, Floyd and Coffinhead had to negotiate thirty years earlier.
Wheatle’s dialogue is as rich with Jamaican and South London slang as ever. But this is not just a slice of inner city life in the 21st Century. Brenton and Juliet’s story moves onward with the remorselessness of a Greek tragedy.
December 31, 2021
It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I enjoy the way he uses dialogue to tell the story, and actually incorporates all the places around Brixton so I can fully visualise the scenes.
I hated the way it ended and would have preferred a scenario of Breanna finding out the truth of who Brenton was.
I hated the way it ended and would have preferred a scenario of Breanna finding out the truth of who Brenton was.
September 28, 2013
Absolutely brilliant, funny, sad, perfect!
September 6, 2016
Good read
I rated the book because its a good book to read. Slow to start but picked up and different twists
I rated the book because its a good book to read. Slow to start but picked up and different twists
September 3, 2012
Unusual plot line but a very memorable book with strong characters.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews