Poll

Well, here we are in a match I would not have predicted coming into this tournament. I wouldn't have predicted it a few days ago, either, for that matter!

I do love The Remains of the Day. I find it quiet, disturbing, and there's a lulling quality to the end that takes me to Sebald's The Rings of Saturn.

But surely this is going to be another blow-out by To the Lighthouse, right? I mean, it just has to be. Without To the Lighthouse, we don't get The Remains of the Day, as different as they may be. And while that doesn't necessarily mean the former should always win over the latter, in this case To the Lighthouse is simply leagues ahead.

The real question I find myself asking is this: if Middlemarch beats 2666 on the other side of the bracket, which great British novel do I vote for in the championship?

And the answer, of course, is To the Lighthouse!

Trevor wrote: "if Middlemarch beats 2666 on the other side of the bracket, which great British novel do I vote for in the championship"

Well given there is only one great British novel left in that scenario, To The Lighthouse of course.

That's easy - a little harder to decide which great British novel you vote for in this round.

By the way, because GR has been giving me fits with the start times*, this particular match is only up for three days.

*I have to set them up to start 2 days before I actually want them to (which makes no sense) at midnight in Abu Dhabi. But if I go back in to edit the poll, it changes the date! If I go in again, it changes it again!

Paul wrote: "Well given there is only one great British novel left in that scenario, To The Lighthouse of course."

I'm probably showing some ignorance, but is Middlemarch not a British novel?

Trevor wrote: "Paul wrote: "Well given there is only one great British novel left in that scenario, To The Lighthouse of course."

I'm probably showing some ignorance, but is Middlemarch not a British novel?"

Ah I see

You meant Great British novel as in a book from the country Great Britain.

I thought for one minute you were keeping up the pretence that Middlemarch is a great novel (from Britain).

Fair enough - it is a "Great British" novel - I will concede that.

:-)

Ah ha! Now I follow!

So you concede the point and will be switching to 2666? Well played.

Bad choice of words on my part! I do not follow!

I've been waiting to click "To the Lighthouse" in this match up for so long. It's the book I knew from the get-go none of the others could touch for me.

Sara, it looks like you'll get a chance to vote for it again in the championship round!

Almost done with these rather lackluster semi-finals. I'm excited to move on to the Championship: Middlemarch v. To the Lighthouse!