2019 Booker Prize Longlist

pennyt
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2019 Booker Prize Longlist Jul 24, 2019 7:16:10 GMT

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Post by pennyt on Jul 24, 2019 7:16:10 GMT

The longlist was announced last night:

Margaret Atwood (Canada) - The Testaments (Vintage, Chatto & Windus)

Kevin Barry (Ireland) - Night Boat to Tangier (Canongate Books)

Oyinkan Braithwaite (UK/Nigeria) - My Sister, The Serial Killer (Atlantic Books)

Lucy Ellmann (USA/UK) - Ducks, Newburyport (Galley Beggar Press)

Bernardine Evaristo (UK) - Girl, Woman, Other (Hamish Hamilton)

John Lanchester (UK) - The Wall (Faber & Faber)

Deborah Levy (UK) - The Man Who Saw Everything (Hamish Hamilton)

Valeria Luiselli (Mexico/Italy) - Lost Children Archive (4th Estate)

Chigozie Obioma (Nigeria) - An Orchestra of Minorities (Little Brown)

Max Porter (UK) - Lanny (Faber & Faber)

Salman Rushdie (UK/India) - Quichotte (Jonathan Cape)

Elif Shafak (UK/Turkey) - 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (Viking)

Jeanette Winterson (UK) - Frankissstein (Jonathan Cape)

More details on the Waterstone's website here

Of these, the only one I've read is Lanny - which I have to say I loved, but I'm not sure it's a Booker Prize winner. Of the others, there are one or two I want to explore but at first sight I'm not particularly inspired by the list, personally. And I shall probably steer a very wide berth around Ducks, Newburyport - 1000 pages and just one sentence... Sounds an experimental step too far, perhaps (though I'm always happy to be persuaded otherwise if any of you recommend it!!)

Last Edit: Jul 24, 2019 7:17:20 GMT by pennyt

adelynechan Epic Fantasy Series Posts: 4,328	2019 Booker Prize Longlist Jul 24, 2019 8:04:04 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by adelynechan on Jul 24, 2019 8:04:04 GMT Ooh, haven't read any of these although I was thinking of getting My Sister the Serial Killer. The idea of 1000 pages and just one sentence is an interesting one though... how do you ever stop reading?
	Currently Reading (F): The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein Currently Reading (NF): Post Corona by Scott Galloway Currently Reading (buddy reads): Currently Listening To: Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson GR: www.goodreads.com/user/show/18840302-adelyne-chan

janetandjohn
Complete Works of Shakespeare

MODeration in all things (except books!)

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2019 Booker Prize Longlist Jul 24, 2019 8:42:00 GMT

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Post by janetandjohn on Jul 24, 2019 8:42:00 GMT

None on here I am longing to read.... but then I don't often pick up a prize winner (unless it's several years later!).

mandyj has read this one though. You can see her comments on GRs. Jeanette Winterson (UK) - Frankissstein (Jonathan Cape)

mac-adventureswithbooks.blogspot.co.uk is my blog. Do drop in from time to time.

pennyt
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2019 Booker Prize Longlist Jul 24, 2019 8:57:27 GMT

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Post by pennyt on Jul 24, 2019 8:57:27 GMT

Jul 24, 2019 8:04:04 GMT adelynechan said:

Ooh, haven't read any of these although I was thinking of getting My Sister the Serial Killer. The idea of 1000 pages and just one sentence is an interesting one though... how do you ever stop reading?

Funnily enough after doing some reading of reviews and stuff after posting the list above, I've already been tempted to buy My Sister the Serial Killer as it gets terrific reviews and (more importantly!) is only £2.52 on Kindle at the moment.

As for the 1000 page sentence, I read that the only way to tackle it is "to read until you've had enough", then put it aside, read something else for a bit, and go back to it... Doesn't sound terribly satisfactory to me. And another review (it may even be on the jacket!) says Ellman's writing is like finding bits of broken glass in your lollipop.... really not sure that's a good or a desirable thing!!

Last Edit: Jul 24, 2019 8:57:50 GMT by pennyt

froglady Epic Fantasy Series Posts: 2,338	2019 Booker Prize Longlist Jul 24, 2019 9:10:05 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by froglady on Jul 24, 2019 9:10:05 GMT Okay just treated myself to My sister the serial killer and Lanny. Not sure about finding broken glass in my lollipop! I'll let you know about that eventually. Sal

sarita Epic Fantasy Series Posts: 3,492	2019 Booker Prize Longlist Jul 24, 2019 10:02:51 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by sarita on Jul 24, 2019 10:02:51 GMT Broken glass anybody? Thanks but no thanks. I like the sound of Serial Killer but it's expensive here so it'll sit on the wishlist for a while. I'm also tempted by Elif Shafak's book. Has anybody read any of her books?

froglady
Epic Fantasy Series

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2019 Booker Prize Longlist Jul 24, 2019 15:21:04 GMT

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Post by froglady on Jul 24, 2019 15:21:04 GMT

pennyt - how easy is Lanny to read as I've just tried to start reading it and found the first 2 pages very strange! Does it get easier please? When you read books on kindle, it's.not as easy to flick through as a book book would be!
Sal

Last Edit: Jul 24, 2019 15:22:27 GMT by froglady

pennyt
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2019 Booker Prize Longlist Jul 24, 2019 16:32:47 GMT

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Post by pennyt on Jul 24, 2019 16:32:47 GMT

Jul 24, 2019 15:21:04 GMT froglady said:

pennyt - how easy is Lanny to read as I've just tried to start reading it and found the first 2 pages very strange! Does it get easier please? When you read books on kindle, it's.not as easy to flick through as a book book would be!
Sal

I can't remember exactly how it starts, but it might help you if you know that, as well as the main story involving Lanny and his parents, there's also a sort of "chorus" (in the Ancient Greek style) of voices who flit in and out of the narrative with a sort of commentary on all sorts of stuff. These are the bits done in a different layout and font. At points I just skimmed these as I found some better/more interesting than others. To be honest you could ignore them altogether and just read the main Lanny bits.

Here's the summary of my thoughts on it from my April reading notes:
Another short book with some big themes, this time childhood, friendship, and a mother’s love. It's a sort of prose poem, written in lots of different voices (some of them anonymous so that the reader never knows who they are). It's mystical and lyrical, a simple story told in a highly original way. In some ways it reminded me a little of the effect of Under Milk Wood with a chorus of voices commenting on events. Very cleverly done and I loved it.

froglady Epic Fantasy Series Posts: 2,338	2019 Booker Prize Longlist Jul 24, 2019 18:13:31 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by froglady on Jul 24, 2019 18:13:31 GMT Okay, thanks for this; I'll give it another try. Cheers Sal

mandyj Dickens Novel Posts: 426	2019 Booker Prize Longlist Jul 25, 2019 12:03:14 GMT sarita likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by mandyj on Jul 25, 2019 12:03:14 GMT I’ve read the Elif Shafak - excellent - and the John Lanchester - poor. And, as Susan said, the Winterson - equally poor! Overall an interesting list, I thought, some original work

Post by pennyt on Jul 24, 2019 7:16:10 GMT

Post by adelynechan on Jul 24, 2019 8:04:04 GMT

Post by janetandjohn on Jul 24, 2019 8:42:00 GMT

Post by pennyt on Jul 24, 2019 8:57:27 GMT

Post by froglady on Jul 24, 2019 9:10:05 GMT

Post by sarita on Jul 24, 2019 10:02:51 GMT

Post by froglady on Jul 24, 2019 15:21:04 GMT

Post by pennyt on Jul 24, 2019 16:32:47 GMT

Post by froglady on Jul 24, 2019 18:13:31 GMT

Post by mandyj on Jul 25, 2019 12:03:14 GMT

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