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Best Of The Booker - 40th Anniversary

Stewart

Stewart

Active Member
In honour of forty years of the Booker Prize, the Best Of The Booker shortlist has been announced. A panel of judges has whittled down all the winners (forty-one, I think) to six, which are:
  • The Ghost Road, Pat Barker
  • Oscar And Lucinda, Peter Carey
  • Disgrace, J.M. Coetzee
  • The Siege Of Krishnapur, J.G. Farrell
  • The Conservationist, Nadine Gordimer
  • Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie
Given that Midnight's Children won a similar celebratory award in 1993 for the prize's 25th anniversary, I suppose that makes Midnight's Children the favourite to win. I'm disappointed not to see The Remains Of The Day there but, although it's a fantastic book, I can't compare it's merits with any of those six as I've read none but Disgrace, which I can barely remember.
 
Of the books you list, I have read Disgrace and Midnight's Children, plus Remains of the Day. I think Remains of the Day is the best of the seven. The books are so different in tone that comparisons are difficult. Disgrace did not appeal to me, but it is a powerful book.
 
Damn; there goes my hope of Banville's The Sea (by some miracle) making the cut.

Oh well: not an entirely bad list. I hope Rushdie or Coetzee take the title.
 
Like Stewart and Silverseason, I'm surprised that The Remains of the Day isn't included.

I haven't read that particular Rushdie – although it's frequently raved about, by readers and critics alike (if you'll forgive the differentiation) – but I did enjoy Oscar and Lucinda.
 
I vote for The Remains of the Day, too, it's a wonderful book and I love the film.
Was Oscar and Lucinda filmed with Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett?
 
As with all things, if you put together a different panel, they'll come up with a different list. No one can convince me "The Remains of the Day" doesn't belong on that shortlist.
 
Vote for Gordimer.
It will be nice for her to get a vote cast her way as I don't see her being a dark horse in this competition.
 
This is probably mean but, I wonder which of the past winners would make the shortlist of works-that-should-NOT-have-won?

Here's the Booker list: Man Booker Prize - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I will only say that I read Brookner's "Hotel du Lac" several times (it's a short book, so that helped!) and confess to "not getting it." In her defense, the writing is fine but everything else...well...I don't know. Honestly though, I guess I'd be happy to walk in her shoes. LOL!
 
I've read Midnight's Children and loved it. It's not an easy nor leisurely read, and those not familiar with India or Pakistan may struggle in places. Nonetheless, a very worthwhile read. And, yes, very likely it will win out by the law of induction alone.
 
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