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Booker books, bonkers?

jaybe

jaybe

Member
I've tried reading a few but failed on most. I think 'Life of Pi' and 'White Tiger' are the only two I've enjoyed.

I fell asleep reading 'Amsterdam' yesterday - although it started well.

What is it all about?

'White Tiger' was poo-poo'ed by the snobby judges. No doubt because it's readable enough for us commoners. It's the best selling Booker winner.

Surely it's better to chose a book with something important to say which says it in an accessible and interesting way. Then more people will enjoy and learn.
 
Actually I haven't been motivated to read Life of Pi, but of course that is neither here nor there since there are lots of books with noted titles that I bypass. However, it is one I bypassed. Some books just don't sound like they will grab me -- the Peder subjective non-scientific book-rejecting algorithm in action, protecting me 24/7. :cool:
 
I've tried to read books which were highly praised, including that nobel thingey, but wasn't too impressed overall I suppose. What are YOU interested in.
 
I hated the sound of 'Life of Pi' but was given a copy as an present. It hung around for almost a year. I picked it up and never put it down until I'd finished - absolutely loved it.
 
And so did i,with some reserves.

I just look at the booker list, there is plenty there that are far from "artsy fartsy".
Paddy Clarke ha ha ha by Roddy Doyle is nice like most of his stuff.
The true history of Kelly gang by Peter Carey is good simple story.
The Remain of the day by Ishiguro is excellent.

I did not read Ghost road by Pat Barker or the Blind assassin but i think both are worth a read and are not inaccessible books.

I didn't like Amsterdam and i hated Last order by Graham Swift but i don't think they were pompous read.Just not what i like,is all.

The closest to difficult writing i see there is the Banville and Coetzee, but sometime it's good to try something else.

As for "What are YOU interested in" sure,but i'm never certain of where my interest start or stop.
Until a try.
 
Perhaps Life of Pi is a wonderful book, after all, as people say -- just one that I overlooked. Accident's do happen.

Right now I'm reading Roberto Bolano's 2666 -- slow, but getting interesting -- and I would gladly read anything by John Banville. Samuel Beckett and William Faulkner are on my list, too. As well as Obsession by A. S. Byatt, which is partly read.

But a very interesting futuristic novel that I just finished is Genesis by Bernard Beckett. An intriguing plot, new to me!
 
I have read quite a few of the Booker Prize winners:

1988 Peter Carey - Oscar and Lucinda
1993 Roddy Doyle - Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1997 Arundhati Roy - The God of Small Things
1998 Ian McEwan - Amsterdam
1999 J. M. Coetzee - Disgrace
2000 Margaret Atwood - The Blind Assassin
2001 Peter Carey - True History of the Kelly Gang
2002 Yann Martel - Life of Pi
2003 DBC Pierre - Vernon God Little

Of the nine I've read, I would highly recommend "Life Of Pi".

I would recommend all the others but not as highly, with special mentions for "The God Of Small Things" and "The Blind Assassin".

"Disgrace" is a good book but very depressing - makes "The Road" seem like chick lit!

I have also started several of the other winners but not persevered with them.

I do agree that they are often difficult books to read. I have questioned how they decide on which books are shortlisted and the eventual winner.
 
eldog_oz_2008 that's interesting and well done for completing so many.

What did you think of 'The God of Small Things.' I know a few folk who say it's their favourite book. I've tried three times and given up. Haven't binned the book yet, should I persevere?

'Amsterdam' is caused me to start this thread - did you enjoy it?
 
jaybe said:
eldog_oz_2008 that's interesting and well done for completing so many.

What did you think of 'The God of Small Things.' I know a few folk who say it's their favourite book. I've tried three times and given up. Haven't binned the book yet, should I persevere?

'Amsterdam' is caused me to start this thread - did you enjoy it?
Click to expand...

I really enjoyed The God Of Small Things and would suggest that you do persevere however if you've tried three times unsuccessfully, maybe it's just not for you!

Amsterdam and Atonement are the only Ian McEwan books that I have read. I thought that they both were cleverly written. "Amsterdam" was short which I think was a blessing because if it had been any longer, I probably would not have persevered with it. I enjoyed "Atonement" more and think it deserved a Booker much more than "Amsterdam" did.
 
I didn't enjoy Life of Pi, it bored me to death. I still can't figure out what all the fuss was about.

As for Amsterdam, I hated Atonement so much that I have never bothered to try anything else by that man.

I haven't read most of the books mentioned in this thread, except for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, which I enjoyed (as I have everything by Roddy Doyle I have read) and The Blind Assassin, which I didn't (gave up halfway through).
 
jaybe said:
eldog_oz_2008 that's interesting and well done for completing so many.

What did you think of 'The God of Small Things.' I know a few folk who say it's their favourite book. I've tried three times and given up. Haven't binned the book yet, should I persevere?

'Amsterdam' is caused me to start this thread - did you enjoy it?
Click to expand...

I did not enjoy God of Small Things and nor did another person I know who read it expecting great things. The review I wrote for it on my blog says it all:

BOOK REVIEW : Now I know this won the Booker Prize and it received rave reviews, but I was really disappointed by it - perhaps I'd expected too much. It was as many said, compelling, emotive and deeply complex, but I found the relationships between the characters perplexing, and in particular the interaction between the twins Estha and Rahel quite disturbing at times. This story certainly did make me think, but unfortunately about things I'd really prefer not to! Not one I'd read again.

Booklover Book Reviews
 
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