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March 28, 2024, 10:56:49 PM

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Booker Prize 2017

Started by Serge, October 07, 2017, 10:08:31 PM

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Serge

There's already been a lot of chat about this in the old book thread in Picture Box, but I thought as it's only ten days until the announcement, it deserved its own thread in here.

I was amazed when they announced the longlist that I'd actually already read four of the books on it (Auster, Roy, Whitehead and Smith), and have since managed to read two more (Shamsie and Ali Smith), though not all of these made it to the shortlist, which is:

4 3 2 1 Paul Auster
History Of Wolves Emily Fridlund
Exit West Moshin Hamid
Elmet Fiona Mozley
Lincoln In The Bardo George Saunders
Autumn Ali Smith

I wasn't the only one surprised to hear that neither Arundhati Roy or Colson Whitehead had made the shortlist, but possibly even more surprised that Paul Auster did. Don't get me wrong, I love Auster, and it's most definitely my favourite of any of the books nominated on either list (which practically guarantees that it won't win), but he just seemed too much of a heavyweight bruiser to be in with a chance. I absolutely fucking hated 'Autumn', so am hoping that piece of shit doesn't win. And I know there are others on here who weren't keen on either 'History Of Wolves' or 'Elmet', which has put me off reading either. Which leaves 'Lincoln In The Bardo', which I thought was good, if not quite the earth-shaking revolution that some reviewers thought it was, and 'Exit West', which I may check out when it comes out in paperback.

Will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

buttgammon

I've read three of those (Elmet, Lincoln in the Bardo and Autumn), and would definitely have picked Lincoln in the Bardo out of them all. Despite being an Auster fan, I haven't got round to reading 4 3 2 1 yet. The real disappointment for me was the fact that Solar Bones by Mike McCormack and Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor - two of the best books of the decade in my opinion - didn't even make the shortlist. Solar Bones came out of a great little Dublin publisher called Tramp Press and I read it at the end of last year, having just picked it up by chance in a bookshop; I'm happy the book and publisher have got some attention, but felt it deserved even more.

BritishHobo

It has to be Lincoln in the Bardo for me, there's nothing else on the shortlist comes close. I am enjoying 4 3 2 1 but it feels far more of a personal project for Auster than an incredible book which deserves to be labelled the best of the year. Like History of Wolves and Elmet it just doesn't seem to be doing anything all that fresh or interesting.

Autumn and Exit West certainly feel fresher and more unique, but while I had a good time reading the former I'm not sure it's the best book on the list, let alone of the year, and Exit West... again, doesn't feel quite... I don't know, special enough? It's hard to describe because I've realised I'm judging what should win based on whether or not it satisfies a vague, incomprehensible feeling in my brain-box of 'having it'. But Lincoln in the Bardo does have it, so that please.

Serge

I don't know if it's just me getting more intolerant as I get older - let's be honest, it is, isn't it? - but I've got very little time for most experimental fiction these days, which means every time I read anything about 'Solar Bones' I get a thundering headache and have to go and lie down for a while. Having said that, I suppose that 'Lincoln In The Bardo' is pretty experimental, and I had no problem getting through that. I haven't read 'Reservoir 13', but I did make a failed attempt at 'If No-One Speaks Of Remarkable Things' a few years ago, which hasn't really made me rush to check it out. Maybe when it comes out in paperback I might give it a go.

Anyway, Michael Chabon was robbed, he should have been on both lists.

nedthemumbler



I really enjoyed the Marley one, and The Narrow Road to the Deep North seemed to be a perfect book first time through.  Three times at least now and I do wonder a bit about Emperor's new clothes. 

The first pages of the Sellout were bracing, but evidently not enough to pull me further in.  Will have to dig it out.

Serge

The prologue of The Sellout is the weakest part of the book, he does get a bit carried away with the old stream of consciousness there, but it does settle down when the story actually goes back to the beginning, and is one of the funniest books I've ever read. His earlier book The White Boy Shuffle does almost seem like a dry run for The Sellout, having a similar structure, though the opening preamble is a lot shorter.

I have a horrible feeling that Elmet is going to win this year. I just think that they won't give it to an American writer two years running, which would rule out Auster and Saunders. I hope I'm wrong, but we'll see. A week to go!

BritishHobo

Finished 4 3 2 1. Really went off it after the halfway point. It just feels horribly self-indulgent to me, really far too overlong and bogged down in repetitive ideas.

BritishHobo

Two hours to go. Come on Lincoln, come on Lincoln.

Serge

Oh shit, I forgot it was today. Good thing I didn't start any threads about it recently. 'Mon the Auster!

holyzombiejesus

Gimme an A!
Gimme a U!
Gimme a T!
Gimme a U!
Gimme an M!
Gimme an N!



Serge

What time do they actually announce this, then?

Cursus

Any minute now, though the BBC just lost the live feed.


Serge

Well, BritishHobo will be happy!

BritishHobo

Bloody BBC! I'm always frustrated by them wittering on on the balcony instead of just fucking showing us the ceremony, let alone losing the bloody picture right when they're actually gonna cut to it!

That said, fuckin' YESSSSSSSSSS. Love it. So happy for Saunders. I start my new job tomorrow (almost as if the world of employment was waiting for me to finish my stupid blog) and I'm hoping to spend some of me first paycheck on that lovely new Waterstones edition. I better be quick though, I bet some fucker'll be nipping in tomorrow to nab Wrexham's only copy now it's won.

Serge

Well, they'll be sending out extra copies tout de suite now it's won. I've got a proof copy which merely says GEORGE SAUNDERS down the side in big letters, with no hint of the title. But yes, I expect we'll sell out quickly tomorrow and then spend the rest of the day fending off enquiries.


Kishi the Bad Lampshade

Would people recommend I start with Lincoln in the Bardo, or one of the short stories collections?

G.C.

I'd start with Tenth of December with George Saunders. It's much more accessible than Bardo, I think, and more enjoyable.

I liked Lincoln in the Bardo, but it had the slightly starchy feeling of some of those older postmodern books like the White Hotel. So unless that very formal experimentation is your thing, then I would go for December, which will make you both laugh and cry, while also messing about.

Serge

I found 'Tenth Of December' patchy, though it does contain one absolute classic in 'My Chivalric Fiasco'. The UK version of 'The Brief And Frightening Reign Of Phil' contains the title novella (which was published on its own in the States) and (if I remember rightly) all of the stories from 'In Persuasion Nation', so you're effectively getting two books for one there.

I liked 'Lincoln In The Bardo', but never got the feeling I was reading some epoch-defining classic, as many of the reviews made out. Some of the chapters which are supposedly made up of clippings from journals/writings/newspapers, etc really do drag, and it's a very slight book - the format it's in really does pad out a 170 page book to a 340 page one.

Cursus

Quote from: Serge on October 07, 2017, 10:08:31 PM
I absolutely fucking hated 'Autumn', so am hoping that piece of shit doesn't win.

Some bad news for you from last week's Guardian Review:

Quote from: Ali SmithIn 2015 I asked my editor, Simon Prosser, if I might try to write a series of books, discrete but linked novels, named after the seasons, and which each reach print as close to their own time of writing as possible. He checked the publishing possibilities. Yes, he said.

Serge

Oh, I know all about that. (I work in a bookshop.)

Cursus

Yeah, sorry, I should have guessed you'd be well aware of the horrors in store.

Kishi the Bad Lampshade


Serge

It seems as if everybody but me did!

BritishHobo

I did wonder if a motive in giving someone else the win was that she's got three more chances with the rest of the... quartet(?)

I'm intrigued to give it a crack, I did enjoy Autumn. Plus it'll mean I'll probably be one up on next year's list.

Serge

Weirdly, we've not really sold many copies of 'Lincoln In The Bardo' since the announcement - I wonder if the fact it's still in hardback is what puts people off?

Van Dammage

Quote from: Serge on October 08, 2017, 01:39:32 PM
'Solar Bones'

Completely useless post but Mike Mccormack lectures at my college and he's quite a nice man.

BritishHobo

Quote from: Serge on October 21, 2017, 08:50:22 PM
Weirdly, we've not really sold many copies of 'Lincoln In The Bardo' since the announcement - I wonder if the fact it's still in hardback is what puts people off?

The two copies in my local are still there. That exclusive edition better still be there come payday this week.

Serge

We've got plenty of copies of that (we had a top-up delivery yesterday, as they were obviously expecting us to have sold a lot more), so if it has sold out in your local, just say, "Oh, the Derby shop has loads" and they can get one transferred over, and it'll make you look like some kind of psychic savant in their eyes.

Gregory Torso

I haven't read Lincoln In The Bardo yet but I'm a huge George Saunders fan (fallen behind when it comes to reading books in general actually). I can recommend Civilwarland In Bad Decline and Pastoralia both as good starting points.