September 6th, 2007
The Man Booker Shortlist… and getting around to reading them
Is it that time again already? These prizes are starting to roll around again far too quickly, at least from the point of trying to get the books from the previous year’s longlist/shortlist read before it’s time for the madness to kick off again. This year, The Man Booker Prize seems to have almost passed me by and I have to confess to having only read two of the books on the long list (On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan and What Was Lost). The shortlist has just been announced, and has no real surprises, except What Was Lost by Catherine O’Mahony and AN Wilson’s book - both ranked 9-1 by Ladbrokes - were edged out respectively by Anne Enright for The Gathering (11-1) and Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People at 10-1. Before the shortlist was even announced, the UK Independent declared that McEwan might lose out to an outsider.
Some people have engaged in a “Bookerthon” in a bid to read all the longlisted books and Dove Grey Reader’s overall consensus is that it’s a very readable selection.
“Arguments and cynicism rage about the standard and predictable range of the books with their token gestures towards all corners of life, but as a representative selection of what’s out there, and some of it less than obvious, perhaps this list ranks as the one that has spawned a new breed of Booker book. New breed? Well they are all readable for a start, except that memorable one for me and I think I’m probably off A.N.Wilson’s Christmas card list (but I don’t think I was ever on it) You wouldn’t be disappointed to find yourself stuck on a long train journey with these, in fact several make it worth going on one specially so that you could read them cover to cover.”
Well, that’s heartening. One of the reasons I have been lazy about reading most of the longlist is partly out of fear; fear that once again I’ll be gritting my teeth and cursing a new novel for time wasted reading it - something that’s happening to me more and more. Over on the Man Booker website, there’s an interesting discussion thread “Are all Booker winning novels now classics?”, to which I’d have to say a resounding “No” - just ask all the people who, unlike me, hated The Sea.
The Gathering has picked up largely positive reviews, even ones that point to its plethora of modern Irish writing clichés, but it’s one I want to read out of all this year’sposh bingo offerings.
Now, where did I put that spare year of reading time?
September 6th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Spare year? I think I need a spare few years. Hanging my head in shame at discovery I’ve not read any of this year’s long list and just one of last year’s (The Emperor’s Children - good but not great, to give a succinct review).
Did you like On Chesil Beach. Have *nearly* bought it a couple of times. Read Atonement relatively recently for the first time and thought it was outstanding.
Great to see you blogging again! At the rate I’ve slacked off, I’m not sure I count as a blogger any more
September 6th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Hi Sinead - I know lots of people who didn’t rate The Sea and thought it didn’t have a storyline. I thought the writing was amazing and disagree about the storyline.
The Gathering is a great read and well deserving of a place on the shortlist. Kathy - On Chesil Beach has provided fodder for many late night conversations in my parts. Bypass the “nearly” and buy it next time. (I know you didn’t ask for my opinion!)
September 6th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
To be honest i never try to read everything on a prize list or in fact anything! At least until the particular tome becomes less popular. I realised in the past 2 weeks that i might just, just be a little bit of a snobbish reader - last week i was reading atonement by ian mwewan - yes in the same week as ol pouty ma louty herself was plastered over the papers in the newsworthy story of ‘ is kiara knightlys frock a hit or a miss?’ it nearly killed me ( i was reading atonement as i have recently unpacked my books after months in crates, and it was one i planed on reading before they went in - before i knew their was a film
And this week - Lionel Shriver We need to talk about Kevin - very on the tube reading - yes i have spotted others reading it. And why am i reading it - because its the brixton book groups next read and i miss talking about books.
Yes i can stand up and say it
I am a Book snob and i am seeking company!
September 6th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Sinéad,
First of all: Welcome back - you’ve been much missed.
Second of all: I hate most of the what passes for Booker/Literary fiction these days. I find so much of it to be heavy-handed in the extreme - written by people who are far too self-conscious (and fashion-conscious?) to ever be great artists.
September 6th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Hi Kathy, feel no shame, I’m in the same boat. Babies are like time hoovers, believe me. Really liked On Chesil Beach, but then perhaps anything was an improvement after Saturday.
Welcome Liz, I really liked The Sea, but the amount of people who told me they really hated it surprised me.
Neva, I’m not afraid to say I’m a book snob. Reading is time consuming, and you have to exercise a certain amount of
Fustar, thank you!
Well, I wouldn’t equate all Booker fiction with literary fiction, but I know what you’re saying. It taps in to what I said in my post that I’m sick of reading supposedly worthy, new literary fiction only to find myself annoyed at the all the failings and general sub-standardness of it.
September 6th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
That’s two recommendations for On Chesil Beach so I will pick it up next time I’m in a bookstore. No excuse for me, Sinead - no babies unless you count my dearly beloved Facebook
Have to say I don’t think I can face The Sea. I shouldn’t be so close-minded but I really believe I would hate it too.
September 7th, 2007 at 12:18 am
The book trade, like the art trade, is first about selling. I suspect a lot of these publicised international book prizes are heavily sponsored by the book trade and that literary standards (whatever they are capriciously taken to be by judging panels)play second fiddle to the hard sell of short list publicity. I am cynical but sometimes surprised. I really admired the multinarrative skills of Ian McEwan’s Atonement, and got a great kick out of that gem by another writer, The Life of Pi. Banville’s The Sea left me cold - his Mitteleuropa novels of twenty+ years ago are his lasting accomplishment, maybe with The Book of Evidence well up there too. But hype hype hype in the mass media about short lists, bookies’ odds and surprise winners makes book publishers, and the lucky prizewinners, smile all the way to the bank.
September 7th, 2007 at 8:12 am
Hi Sinead
Welcome back
I hated The Sea and so did most of the people I know who read it. On the other hand I adored On Chesil Beach and pretty much anything that McEwan writess - I hope he scoops it.
September 10th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Hi Sinead and welcome back! I LOVE Booker time. I’ve read Anne Enright and Ian McEwan’s selections, and loved both. Very different books, but both great. I would highly recommend the McEwan one. I always enjoy the booker list, if I can get around to reading them. My favourite of recent times was Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go’. Maybe a suitably out-of-fashion potential for Neva the book snob ;). Anyone interested in starting a Booker book club to get them all read in time for the prize?
September 10th, 2007 at 10:04 am
I read The Gathering in one sitting over the weekend (as I wasn’t really up to much else!). I’d approached it with the fear of the Oirish clichés that you mentioned (I hated Angela’s Ashes so much I nearly exploded), but thought it was really well written. Very funny and poignant. Fancy doing a swap with the McEwan? I want to read Mister Pip next. Not so keen on the others on the list although I like Edel’s proposal of reading them all and having a chat about it.
September 10th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Martina - Let’s do it!
September 10th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Garreth, you’re so right but then I’m of the opinion that anything that gets people reading - even tawdry PR overshadowing the books and writing themselves - is a good thing.
That girl, thank you, where’s your own blog gone?
Edel and Martina - I really like the sound of that. However, I hear that one of the books (Darkmans, I think?) is a bit of a hefty doorstopper. Martina, you’re welcome to my copy of On Chesil Beach, I really want to read The Gathering.
September 11th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
I found The Reluctant Fundamentalist wasn’t bad, but it was pretty unremarkable to be honest. It didn’t really stay with me at all. I think it was probably picked because it’s the most ‘fashionable’ book on the longlist. ‘Tis better than McEwan’s effort though. Great to see you back Sinead.
September 11th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
I had been going through a fairly bored period of starting and not finishing books but I am completely hooked on Robert Musil’s “The Man Without Qualities” now.
I had never heard of it before despite the fact that it seems to be a major classic, it’s been compared to Ulysses and stuff though it’s nowhere near as difficult to read.
It’s very long and can be a mental effort at times but I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that made me think so much about so many different aspects of life and art, even science, it’s also quite funny. Every page or chapter yields these mindblowing dissections of life that leave you re-reading them again and marvelling.
It’s definitely worth picking it up at some point, I can’t praise it enough.
September 13th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
In a related thread here about the Irish Independent’s Women writers book series, I found the series list online and book number 4 is The Pleasure of Eliza Lynch by Anne Enright.