Booker Prize Shortlist Announced

[ions]

CBC Link

The six books in the running for the $91,800 US prize are:

* The Sea, by John Banville
* Arthur & George, by Julian Barnes
* A Long Long Way, by Sebastian Barry
* Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro
* The Accidental, by Ali Smith
* On Beauty, by Zadie Smith

 

[Erica]

I'm reading 'Never Let Me Go' - Kazuo Ishiguro
Its very good! wonder if it will win?

Now I want to read the rest, just to see if I will agree with the judges

Looking at the short list again, won't as I don't think I would like some of them.

 

[ions]

Just from surfing around reviews I think Ishiguro is the favourite. It's the only one of the list currently on my TBR list if that means anything to the judges.

 

[Peder]

It's strange, but Ishiguro is the only one I have heard of, and mostly favorably. But when I browsed it and learned about the story it just didn't wiggle me. Nevertheless, from the amount of word-of-mouth, I would bet on it to win.
If I were a betting man that is,
Peders

 

[Stewart]

Julian Barnes is the favourite with Ishiguro second.

Unless, of course, you work for the Daily Mail where, er, neither made the list:

 

[ions]

Controversially the favourite Julian Barnes with his novel Arthur and George has not made the cut

 

[ions]

Man Booker Prize Official Link

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

I'm reading 'Never Let Me Go' - Kazuo Ishiguro
Its very good! wonder if it will win?

Will you tell me what you thought of it afterwards? I'm still 50/50 on weither I should read it or not.

 

[Erica]

Will you tell me what you thought of it afterwards? I'm still 50/50 on weither I should read it or not.

'Never Let Me Go' - Kazuo Ishiguro

Will do, Only about half way, but So far I'm really enjoying it.

Anyone else read any on the Short list?

 

[Shade]

I've read Barnes's Arthur & George, Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and Ali Smith's The Accidental. All three are worth reading, but I think the boys have the edge over Ali as their books have much greater narrative pull than hers (though she is a great stylist). Both Barnes and Ishiguro are truly excellent, assured, pretty much flawless novels, but if pushed I would go for the Ishiguro, which is a more daring concept.

I am currently about 70 pages into Zadie Smith's On Beauty, which on the evidence so far, most definitely should not win - and probably shouldn't even have made the shortlist over stuff like Marina Lewycka's playful and entertaining A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian and Ian McEwan's Saturday.

 

[Erica]

I've read Barnes's Arthur & George, Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and Ali Smith's The Accidental. All three are worth reading, but I think the boys have the edge over Ali as their books have much greater narrative pull than hers (though she is a great stylist). Both Barnes and Ishiguro are truly excellent, assured, pretty much flawless novels, but if pushed I would go for the Ishiguro, which is a more daring concept.

I am currently about 70 pages into Zadie Smith's On Beauty, which on the evidence so far, most definitely should not win - and probably shouldn't even have made the shortlist over stuff like Marina Lewycka's playful and entertaining A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian and Ian McEwan's Saturday.

I would have liked to have seen a 'Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian' and Ian McEwan's 'Saturday' in the running.
Hope to get 'Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian' this weekend, from what I have heard its very good

 

[Prairie_Girl]

I've not read any of them, though I've added several to my TBR list.