I have seen this book described as a "landscape painting" but to me it is more of a series of snapshots of Mehring's life. You never see him in the ci...moreI have seen this book described as a "landscape painting" but to me it is more of a series of snapshots of Mehring's life. You never see him in the city, what he thinks of as his "real" life. And the themes of apartheid, country vs. city, the endless outsider, all are prevalent in the book. Plus Gordimer really likes to make up adverbs.(less)
From the Christmas pudding that changes everything to an increasing fear of mold, there were bits and pieces of this novel that made me laugh out loud...moreFrom the Christmas pudding that changes everything to an increasing fear of mold, there were bits and pieces of this novel that made me laugh out loud. I didn't care much about the plot or setting, and Carey rambles on a good 100 pages more than necessary, but the characters did remind me of Dickens as others have said. Everyone is flawed, nobody is a hero, and nothing really works out. A classic.(less)
Couldn't stand it, forced myself to finish because it was a Booker prize winner. Felt like the parallel narratives were forced and confusing, and I ju...moreCouldn't stand it, forced myself to finish because it was a Booker prize winner. Felt like the parallel narratives were forced and confusing, and I just don't enjoy war to begin with.(less)
I started this on a rainy weekend and had a hard time putting it down. I was immersed in Sammy's brain and there weren't any good places to stop! It t...moreI started this on a rainy weekend and had a hard time putting it down. I was immersed in Sammy's brain and there weren't any good places to stop! It takes a bit to get into the flow of his dialect but once you do, amazing.(less)
I read this on a cruise, but it is really more about a man mourning his wife (and life) than it is about the sea. More than having much of a plot, it...moreI read this on a cruise, but it is really more about a man mourning his wife (and life) than it is about the sea. More than having much of a plot, it is a descriptive reflection on his life and his memories of living by the sea. Melancholic and immersive.(less)
Townrow might be the most unreliable narrator I have come across - it is impossible to distinguish what is actually happening and what is fantasy in h...moreTownrow might be the most unreliable narrator I have come across - it is impossible to distinguish what is actually happening and what is fantasy in his head. I do think he might actually be in Egypt, but whether or not people are dead or alive, whether the British are attacking the Suez canal or not, and whether he is good or bad is a complete mystery. This is the first recipient of the Booker prize, and to be honest that is a bit of a mystery to me as well.(less)
This was an interesting story about a man struggling with mental issues and his family, a Jewish family not quite integrated into American culture. Th...moreThis was an interesting story about a man struggling with mental issues and his family, a Jewish family not quite integrated into American culture. The father speaks with a Yoda-like speech pattern and feels guilty about everything, and there are a lot of conflicts between tradition and trying to make people happy.
Next time I see a silverfish, I might start to worry.(less)
This was one of the easier Booker prize winners to read, despite (or maybe because of) its disjointed style. The protagonist is interesting but I almo...moreThis was one of the easier Booker prize winners to read, despite (or maybe because of) its disjointed style. The protagonist is interesting but I almost feel like the author connects the reader to him much better when he is a child than when he is an adult. There are interesting statements made on relationships, some silly and unnecessary drawings, and set before WWI in Europe.(less)
This was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2009. I found it to be entrancing, particularly the first section focusing on Viktor and Liesel. The sett...moreThis was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2009. I found it to be entrancing, particularly the first section focusing on Viktor and Liesel. The setting was interesting, you don't hear a lot about Czechoslovakia. Some of the most interesting elements could have been pursued for a more interesting story - the relationship between Liesel and the architect, Hana and women, and so on. It was a bit sentimental and a bit repetitive, but I still liked it.(less)
This is an intense novel, about a woman who has a child while held captive for seven years, and all the boy Jack knows is Room. Halfway through everyt...moreThis is an intense novel, about a woman who has a child while held captive for seven years, and all the boy Jack knows is Room. Halfway through everything I thought I knew got all twisted around, and I stayed up really late one night reading. That doesn't happen very often!(less)
Well, knowing this won the Man Booker Prize for 2010 didn't necessarily make me enjoy it more. It is kind of one of those books where you could jump i...moreWell, knowing this won the Man Booker Prize for 2010 didn't necessarily make me enjoy it more. It is kind of one of those books where you could jump in at any point and get the gist of it, and not really have to finish it, although I did. It is really the story of three men late in their lives, surrounding a theme of Jewishness. It wasn't that interesting to me, although there are spots of humor and surprise that I did enjoy. (less)
I could swear that this book is a tribute to other books. I haven't heard anyone say it, but I couldn't read the second section without thinking of Gr...moreI could swear that this book is a tribute to other books. I haven't heard anyone say it, but I couldn't read the second section without thinking of Gravity's Rainbow, and the fourth without thinking of Durrell. Serge is an interesting character who is traced from childhood through death, into the 20th century. I thought it was interesting, had some unique bits, but I wouldn't probably bother reading it again. (less)
This was longlisted for the Booker prize in 2010, but I just now finished listening to the audiobook. The audio is done by six voice actors and one na...moreThis was longlisted for the Booker prize in 2010, but I just now finished listening to the audiobook. The audio is done by six voice actors and one narrator, and they do a spectacular job (except for the guy whose Italian student Mario sounds more like the Looney Tunes Speedy Gonzales). Irish accents galore!
This is a portrayal of kids at a boarding school in Ireland, so you should expect all the usual - boys with weird issues, bad family relationships, sexual discovery (add that to teenage boys and there are some... awkward moments), drugs, apathy, the usual. What I appreciated is that while you know that Skippy Dies, it isn't as if the book is trying to explain it. It still manages to, but that isn't the point.
I also liked how some of the chapters were more from the teachers' perspectives, with their own struggles and awkwardness.
I'm not sure how memorable any one moment is, but I definitely laughed out loud at some parts. I think listening to the audio solidified my enjoyment of the text.(less)
The writing in this is incredibly vivid (in an uncomfortable way, most of the time), and I was transported into the world of Balram Halwai as he descr...moreThe writing in this is incredibly vivid (in an uncomfortable way, most of the time), and I was transported into the world of Balram Halwai as he describes his journey from servant to entrepreneur, from the Darkness to the Light in Indian society. (less)
The Sense of an Ending is incredibly short, 150 pages, divided into two sections. The first part tells the story of Tony in his late childhood and int...moreThe Sense of an Ending is incredibly short, 150 pages, divided into two sections. The first part tells the story of Tony in his late childhood and into early adulthood. He has a close group of three other friends, and the narrator (also Tony) is constantly reflecting on the nature of time, and on how relationships change. In my vague intentions, I am not being very useful in telling you what the book is about, but saying too much would give it away.
The second part is no longer looking back but Tony has reached late adulthood, where he is friends with his ex-wife and volunteers at a care facility, and had thought the interesting part of his life had already passed by. His past comes back to his present and he has to figure it all out.
This was the last book from the Booker shortlist that I could access in this country. You can see my own picks here.(less)
This was longlisted for the Booker this year, but didn't make the shortlist. Too bad! This was definitely better than Snowdrops and Jamrach's Menageri...moreThis was longlisted for the Booker this year, but didn't make the shortlist. Too bad! This was definitely better than Snowdrops and Jamrach's Menagerie.
Lilly Bere writes about her life in the weeks following her grandson's death in Kuwait, following Ireland at the end of WWI through the present day. Well-written, engaging, and sad.
"Fear is a force like a seasickness, could you call it a lifesickness, a terrible nausea caused by dread, creeping dread, that seems to withdraw a little in dreams while you sleep, but then, just a few moments after waking, rushes back close to you, and begins again to gnaw at your simple requirement for human peace. Gnawing, gnawing, with long ratlike teeth. No one can live through that without changing."(less)
This is one of those books where I really would like to know what the judges for the Man Booker Prize were thinking when they picked it over 100 other...moreThis is one of those books where I really would like to know what the judges for the Man Booker Prize were thinking when they picked it over 100 other contenders to be longlisted for the prize for 2011. That's why I read it.
Parts of it have promise. The story starts with this young boy, Jaffy, who lives at the very edge of the Thames river, described uncomfortably well, in a way only rivaled by Stephen King. (Good but not good! It puts you there, in a way you would never want to be!) Jaffy has a run-in with a tiger and ends up working for Jamrach's Menagerie, thus the title of the book. To me, these were the interesting bits, unfortunately, they only took the first quarter of the book or so.
Then the author sends Jaffy off on a whale ship, partly to hunt down a "dragon" for the menagerie. Even this was okay, if a bit overdone. Quest! Whaling! The adventure of the sea! *yawn* (I sense that the Booker judges are craving adventure?) The hunt for the dragon was interesting, but I was starting to lose interest. And when (view spoiler)[the people on the boats start eating each other to survive, I started skimming and flipping through pages, hoping for it to end. I really think that when you have to resort to cannibalism for shock value, you should put down the pen, or turn off the computer. So did the judges pick this for shock value? Any adventure that ends in you eating your best friend is more than a little unnecessary in my book. (hide spoiler)] READER BEWARE.(less)
Not bad, just not my thing. A romp through Oregon and California during the Gold Rush, along with the Sisters brothers, who are ruthless killers. The...moreNot bad, just not my thing. A romp through Oregon and California during the Gold Rush, along with the Sisters brothers, who are ruthless killers. The cover art was my favorite part. That shouldn't keep you from trying it. I think others would like it more than I did.(less)
It took a long time to get to this book. When it was nominated for the Booker, and then for the Giller prize, it still wasn't available for purchase i...moreIt took a long time to get to this book. When it was nominated for the Booker, and then for the Giller prize, it still wasn't available for purchase in the USA. I even ranted about it in my blog.
Edugyan won the Giller prize for Half Blood Blues, and then was also included on the long list for the Orange Prize. I finally tracked a copy down, and I am so glad I did.
Half Blood Blues goes back and forth between 1939 in Berlin, 1940 in Paris, and 1992 in a handful of countries, circling around the world of jazz musicians from the Berlin scene and how their lives were impacted by World War II, particularly Nazi racial politics.
I don't usually gravitate towards war novels, but that is merely the background of the story. The way the author is able to combine dialects from Baltimore to the German-Africans to just the jazz culture - without it being grating - is laudable. More than anything, the characters are imperfect but incredibly likeable, and the ending was amazing.
Plus, it is about jazz in Berlin, which I simply don't know enough about. I would be completely shocked if this didn't end up on the Orange Prize shortlist, with its other accolades as well as my own positive experience.
This is the first book I read from the longlist for the 2011 Man Booker Prize.
I really enjoyed this. Harri, the eleven-year-old protagonist, is a (po...moreThis is the first book I read from the longlist for the 2011 Man Booker Prize.
I really enjoyed this. Harri, the eleven-year-old protagonist, is a (possibly illegal) immigrant from Ghana, living in the projects in London. The book is full of a mixture of slang and beliefs from Ghana and his new community. Like most children, he doesn't fully understand what is going on around him, and has no grasp of the danger and violence he is surrounded by. I think that makes the story more compelling than it would be if the author hit me over the head with it.
(view spoiler)[The one element of this novel that I can't decide about is the pigeon. All of the sudden, it starts telling his perspective, and I was definitely surprised by that. In fact, at first, I thought the italicized bits were his mother. When I figured it out, I started laughing.... (hide spoiler)](less)
I read this because it had been longlisted for the Booker Prize for 2011. It is the story of Nick, an American lawyer, and his four years working in M...moreI read this because it had been longlisted for the Booker Prize for 2011. It is the story of Nick, an American lawyer, and his four years working in Moscow, written in the form of a letter to someone he is in love with, I think we're supposed to assume a fiancee.
It is the Moscow of the 2000s, when capitalism has taken hold. The past has taught people not to ask questions and stay out of trouble, and the culture has morphed into one where if you have enough cash, you can buy anything you need. Nick sees the manifestations of this every day in his work, where they assist in business deals that are clearly at least ethically borderline.
The book starts and ends with a dead body, and in between involves a bunch of scam artists and frigid surroundings. Nick, why are you so stupid? Why don't you do anything?
I'm not much on the story, but I like the way it was told.
Little memorable bits:
"It somehow manages to be claustrophobic and lonely at the same time."
"Russia is like Lariam. You know, that malaria medicine that can make you have wild dreams and jump out of the window. You shouldn't do it if you're the kind of person who gets anxious or guilty. Because you'll crack."
"When the end of the world comes, it will come from Russia."
"...When a relationship ends... It isn't your lover that you learn about. You learn about yourself."(less)
I read this because it was on the long list for the Man Booker Prize in 2011. If I was voting, I'd pick this as one of the books for the short list. I...moreI read this because it was on the long list for the Man Booker Prize in 2011. If I was voting, I'd pick this as one of the books for the short list. It tells a compelling story of secular Jews in Czechoslovakia, from the perspective of their "gentile" nanny, Marta. It covers Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia, the kindertransport, and focuses on themes of religious identity and betrayal.
Interspersed are brief chapters from the perspective of a retired academic who is doing interviews with grown-up children who took the kindertransport. Quite a bit of this is loosely based off information the author came across in researching her own family history, and of stories told to her. I feel like this is a part of the WWII and Holocaust story we are not as familiar with, and the characters here are much less cold than those in The Glass Room, which was shortlisted for the Booker in 2009. (less)
When I saw the Booker Longlist for 2011, I was most excited about this book. It took a while to track it down since not many libraries in the states h...moreWhen I saw the Booker Longlist for 2011, I was most excited about this book. It took a while to track it down since not many libraries in the states had purchased it yet!
I love a good dystopian novel, but I think this one is a little less than good. The premise is interesting - every human has been infected with MDS, a disease which lies dormant in the body until a woman becomes pregnant, and she dies soon after. Humanity is having to face the idea of becoming extinct, and it doesn't take long for one solution to present itself - 15-16 year olds who sacrifice their lives to become Sleeping Beauties, basically zombie-incubators for embryos that are still experimental within the time of the narration. (Zombies because the women still end up dying from the disease, not *actual* zombies).
The entire novel is somewhat of a journal written by Jessie Lamb, interspersed with accounts of her being held hostage in a room.
The story is compelling. The Handmaid's Tale meets Never Let Me Go meets, I don't know, Uglies? It does have an underlying YA feel to it, because of the emphasis on the teenage characters and their continuing interpersonal dramas, while the adults fade into the background. The way the parents are characterized is confusing, as the mother in particular seems unresponsive and untraumatized by events.
My biggest issue with the novel is how preachy it is. In the beginning you find 15 year olds waxing eloquently about how the earth will thrive after humans have died off, and mourning the devastation and pollution, which of course is unrealistic, and of course is just used for the author to make us understand how Truly Terrible this disease is. Just not necessary! A little more subtlety would have been greatly appreciated.
It happens again when the Sleeping Beauties come up, the comparison that the author draws between these young women entering into this arrangement knowing they will die and (mostly) men who do the same in entering a war. It is her argument, I'm not going to weigh in on it, but was another moment where I was taken completely out of the story because of how heavy-handed it was. (less)
This book won the Booker Prize in 1997, so it was not surprising that it had something to do with the former British empire, this time set in Kerala,...moreThis book won the Booker Prize in 1997, so it was not surprising that it had something to do with the former British empire, this time set in Kerala, India. It circles around a set of fraternal twins and a tragedy that happened in their childhood.
The story is told in time circles, where the details are filled in gradually, but once I got into the pattern of it, that didn't bother me much. The characterizations remind me of Rushdie quite a bit, with a lot of really quirky and disturbing people with strange habits that all still seem to make a living. Roy describes the setting with such clarity that you can almost smell it... this is not necessarily a good thing. The only other author with this ability has been Stephen King, describing corpses in The Stand. So you can imagine.
Part of it is set when parts of India are embracing Marxism, and the chaos that brings to the pre-set class system.
There is a lot about history, particularly what the parents and grandparents try to impress on the twins:
"He explained to them that history was like an old house at night. With all the lamps lit. And ancestors whispering inside. 'To understand history,' Chacko said, 'we have to go inside and listen to what they're saying. And look at the books and the pictures on the wall. And smell the smells."
"...And we cannot understand the whispering, because our minds have been invaded by a war. A war that we have won and lost. The very worst sort of war. A war that captures dreams and re-dreams them. A war that has made us adore our conquerors and despise ourselves."
I really enjoyed the family dynamics, particularly between Chacko and his ex-wife, and of course between the twins:
"He was used to their sometimes strangeness."
And isn't it nice when an author explicitly explains the title of their novel:
"And the Air was full of Thoughts and Things to Say. But at times like these, only the Small Things are ever said. The Big Things lurk unsaid inside."(less)
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