Speaking to iNews, book historian Dr Elizabeth Savage said of the parts of the book she had seen: “It’s horrific: racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and more.”
And according to Jon Stone in the Independent:
‘Boris Johnson depicted Jews as controlling the media and being able to “fiddle” elections in a little-known 2004 novel written while he was a Tory MP, it has emerged.
The Conservative leader was branded “unfit to be prime minister” over passages from Seventy Two Virgins, which also includes numerous other questionable portrayals of ethnic minorities.
While telling the story of a fictional terror attack on Westminster Mr Johnson deploys descriptions of Kosovan Muslims as having “hook noses” and describes a mixed-race character as “half-caste”.
The now prime minister also repeatedly uses racial slurs in authorial voice, introducing a group of characters as “pikeys”, an ethnic slur for travellers, and another as a “Chinaman”.’
Amazon contributors are even more perceptive:
‘Puerile drivel, offensive stereotypes and language (spastic, n****r, coon). A12 year old (or even Bruce Dickinson) could do better. Simply embarrassing. Borisisms like “Christ on a Bike”, “girly swat” and “bien je jamais” all make appearances. The quality of the writing was summed up for me by the editor not noticing the word “fart” had replaced “fact”. Sloppy, simplistic nonsense.’
‘It was so bigoted and stereotypical even back then. Now it just feels crass.’
‘Johnson’s whole career has been based on fiction so he is no stranger to this genre. This book is about as funny as cancer. If you have the intellect of a challenged ten year old racist public schoolboy then this could be just the cheap chuckle you are looking for. If not don’t waste your money on this drivel.’
Red Flag offers an extremely pertinent contribution:
Having read the manuscript and decided to publish where does this leave their support for Black Lives Matter vis their Black Stories Matter?
Is it sincere or merely an attempt to profit from a world wide movement looking to challenge racist murders and violence…? Not to mention the explicit antisemitism and homophobia contained within ‘Seventy Two Virgins’.
There is only one way to solve this issue. A clear public condemnation of the book and of Boris Johnson and his ilk. Then an apology for any harm that people globally may have experienced due to the content of this book and others like it.
Over to you Harper Collins.
Douglas James
