2022 Booker Shortlist Discussion

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

I would be happy if it did - I am currently reading the Amgash series back to back and she is a great writer - but dies not feel like it fits on the main shortlist themes as the judges see them (humour/satire to examine genocide, very short but powerful novels)

[Robert]

Oh William is great! Especially in the context of the trilogy but I can’t see it winning because one reading is all one needs for it really

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

I think that’s also true of The Trees (for different reasons) and I say that also someone who both loved that book and has read it closely twice. The book’s lack of subtlety is an intrinsic feature of the way Everett had chosen to write the book so it’s hardlly a criticism that a second read reveals nothing new - but I think by a third read I would start to really tire. I would read Keegan and Garner a third or even fourth time without hesitation.

One thing I will say about Strout is that she writes both insecurity and class/economic difference so so well.

I would also say I have now read Lucy Barton four times and still enjoyed the fourth reading.

[WndyJW]

I think and hope Seven Moons wins, even though it took a minute for the novel to hit its stride for me, but once it did, I was impressed.

I too love Strout, it’s nice to have an American woman writer that I consider a completist.

In what time span did you read Lucy Barton 4 times, GY? I’m a rereader of a few titles, but re-reads are years apart.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

2016 for Booker
2017 when Anything is Possible came out
2021 Summer when I got an ARC of Oh, William
And now as back back read of all four (they really are one book)

[Gwendolyn]

I made the mistake of saving Glory and Seven Moons until last, and I’m reading them both right now. (Glory as an audiobook and Seven Moons in print). It’s way too much fantasy for me at one time. I’m a reader who generally avoids fantasy, and I don’t enjoy or appreciate it (my problem, not the genre’s problem). This is quite a slog. Hoping I somehow discover a love of fantasy buried deep inside…

[Joy D]

Interesting you are finding them fantasy. I see them more as social commentary. I don't care much for fantasy, either, but I loved both Seven Moons and Glory.

[WndyJW]

Good luck, Gwendolyn. I got through half of Glory by just ignoring the animal descriptions and picturing them as people in Africa.

I loved Seven Moons, but I think most of agree it didn’t really hit its stride until about 1/3-1/2 way through.

I feel your pain regarding fantasy. I so want to love reading fantasy, but I just don’t.

[Gwendolyn]

Joy D wrote: "Interesting you are finding them fantasy. I see them more as social commentary. I don't care much for fantasy, either, but I loved both Seven Moons and Glory."

I agree they are both social commentary novels as well, but the fantastical elements are distracting to me. Glad to hear you loved both novels. I’ll finish them because I always read the full longlist, so I’m holding out hope that I grow to like these more as they go on.

[Gwendolyn]

WndyJW wrote: "Good luck, Gwendolyn. I got through half of Glory by just ignoring the animal descriptions and picturing them as people in Africa.

I loved Seven Moons, but I think most of agree it didn’t really ..."

I’m using that tactic too—i.e. pretending the animals are people. I’ve spent quite a lot of time in Africa for work, so the humor about the politics and the corruption works for me too. And I’m glad to hear Seven Moons may get better for me halfway through.

[Debra]

I finally have my copy of Seven Moons. I couldn't figure out why it was taking so long to get to me, and then realized I had it shipped to my son's house.

[Paul]

Have to say the Booker judge I saw today didn’t seem terribly enthusiastic about the experience. Said he never wanted to read another contemporary novel again. And when asked which contemporary authors he liked, rather failed to point to the Booker ones.

That said he was likely playing to the crowd.

[Emmeline]

Paul wrote: "Have to say the Booker judge I saw today didn’t seem terribly enthusiastic about the experience. Said he never wanted to read another contemporary novel again. And when asked which contemporary aut..."

I don't necessarily disagree, but what was the specific problem with contemporary novels? And was this one of this year's judges?

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

It’s MJH - he was a brave choice as judge really

[Paul]

And he was talking to a crowd of Goldsmiths Prize groupies

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Series of videos of actors reading from the shortlist.

Videos seem to be low on visuals but I like the idea of Jarvis Cocker reading from Treacle Walker

I saw Pulp at the Reading Festival once (I would stress I was there for the heavier bands) and Jarvis Cocker came on stage asking why no one in the crowd had bought a book

https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...

[Susan]

Paul wrote: "Have to say the Booker judge I saw today didn’t seem terribly enthusiastic about the experience. Said he never wanted to read another contemporary novel again. And when asked which contemporary aut..."

Excuse my ignorance - but isn't contemporary literature defined as anything published since WWII? This would seem an odd comment for an author and judge of a prize for books only published in the last 12-18 months. Given his bio I suspect Oh William was not his pick for the short list!!

[Paul]

I think he most prefers modernism from pre WW2 so yes I think that's exactly what he'd mean by contemporary literature.

It was a throw away remark though and in practice a reaction to reading 169 books many of which weren't particularly good.

I'm a bit baffled whose pick Oh William was for the shortlist.

[Di]

Not sure if this has been shared already, but I think Paul especially will appreciate this piece from The Spectator:

Good riddance to long books
The Booker has put the short back into shortlist – and about time too
www.spectator.co.uk/article/good-ridd...

[Paul]

Yes it is well written indeed. Hopefully the 2020s will be a significant as the 1920s were for literature and looked back on in 100 years time as the decade of the death of the long novel.

[Alwynne]

Di wrote: "Not sure if this has been shared already, but I think Paul especially will appreciate this piece from The Spectator:

Good riddance to long books
The Booker has put the short back into shortlist – ..."

After wading through Laurent Mauvignier's 500 pages of rural French angst, which could easily have been cut to 300, I am starting to see things from Paul's point of view.

[Paul]

It's 500 pages! Fitzcarraldo are dead to me.

Now wait for Mauvignier to win the Nobel in 2025.

[Roman Clodia]

I'm reading the Mauvigner now and am loving it! But I'm at p.285 and am not sure how he's going to sustain the story for another 200+ pages. It's nail-bitingly tense at some points but self-indulgently baggy at others.

[WndyJW]

I think we determined long ago that the perfect novel for Paul would be avant-garde, flash fiction in translation. At some point he’ll be solely focused on haikus in translation.

[David]

Specifically Korean haikus from the island of Jeju.

[Paul]

Can’t argue with that

[Paul]

Though if you don’t mind me saying so it is a bit colonialist to assume that Koreans would write poetry in the style of their former occupiers, rather than their own ancient forms.

So if you could edit your post to sijo that would be more appropriate.

Here’s an example from 500 years ago (rendered in more modern Korean):

내 벗이 몇인가하니 수석과 송죽이라
동산에 달오르니 그 더욱 반갑도다
두어라, 이 다섯 밖에 또 더해야 무엇하리

You ask how many friends I have? Water and stone, bamboo and pine.
The moon rising over the eastern hill is a joyful comrade.
Besides these five companions, what other pleasure should I ask

[WndyJW]

I like that.

[Lee]

That whole poem is pretty great! Thanks for introducing me to it.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Guardians annual interview with the shortlisted authors on what inspired their novels

https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...

[Alwynne]

Thanks GY

[David]

That is great all around. The Everett passage is bone chilling.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

That was an eye opener for me. Most of these have been told several times in other interviews but that detail was new to me.

I was also very interested to read his many drafts Keegan went through - although not surprised, for me there is barely a word out of place.

It’s interesting that four of the writers effectively had to work out what their response as a fiction author should be to some historical injustice

[Debra]

I love reading voices from the past.

edit: regarding the 500 year old poem Paul posted above. (I replied from my phone before seeing more recent comments)

[WndyJW]

The Everett passage explains what concerned me: the comic nature of a book about this awful subject. He played it cool because he was taught not to show your hand, be an activist, but don’t be an a obvious activist. I’m very glad I read that, thanks for posting it, GY.

[Debra]

Oh wow. Just read the Everett interview. What a terrifying (and enraging) experience.

I'm also glad I read that.

[Gwendolyn]

I’m fascinated by the fact that Keegan has 2 boxes of drafts for her very short novel (I actually argue it’s a novella over on the thread for the book, but I won’t revisit that here). I do think the book is very precisely written; every word is perfectly placed.

As for Everett’s story, I wasn’t surprised to read it. Horrified but not surprised. Just last month, a Black friend of mine arrived late at a weekend gathering because she “doesn’t feel comfortable driving after dark in Texas.” This makes me very sad, but I know she was being prudent. It’s times like that that I feel there’s something very wrong with the world today.

Very interesting article overall. Thanks for sharing, GY.

[WndyJW]

I’m surprised to see Treacle Walker in 4th place. I thought it was more popular in this group.

[Emmeline]

I’m surprised it isn’t in sixth by some of the rankings I’ve seen recently. It seems to be a big divider…

[Paul]

Opinions do seem very split between those who love it and those that are wrong :-)

[WndyJW]

😂

[Mohamed]

I am not sure if this happened before or does mean anything at all, but I noticed that The Booker prize pinned a tweet of Sharon Horgan reading an extract from 'Small Things Like These' by Claire Keegan.
Have you noticed that?
https://twitter.com/TheBookerPrizes/s...

[Alwynne]

Mohamed wrote: "I am not sure if this happened before or does mean anything at all, but I noticed that The Booker prize pinned a tweet of Sharon Horgan reading an extract from 'Small Things Like These' by Claire K..."

There're supposed to be readings for all shortlisted titles inc ones by David Harewood and Jarvis Cocker, not sure if they're all released yet but all organised via same production company.

[Mohamed]

Alwynne wrote: "Mohamed wrote: "I am not sure if this happened before or does mean anything at all, but I noticed that The Booker prize pinned a tweet of Sharon Horgan reading an extract from 'Small Things Like Th..."

Indeed, they are all released, in fact they released 2 readings for each shortlisted book, but only the first expert (reading) of Small thing like these is pinned (they usually pin the winner/shortlist and longlist announcements)

[Alwynne]

Mohamed wrote: "Alwynne wrote: "Mohamed wrote: "I am not sure if this happened before or does mean anything at all, but I noticed that The Booker prize pinned a tweet of Sharon Horgan reading an extract from 'Smal..."

Maybe they'll rotate?

[David]

Mohamed is the best sleuth in the group. It seems like a sign but perhaps too early. Do the Booker judges usually make their decision right before the announcement?

[WndyJW]

The woman that did the reading for Oh, William was excellent.

[Emmeline]

WndyJW wrote: "The woman that did the reading for Oh, William was excellent."

Anna Friel, sporting an American accent!

[Stephen]

Wndy wrote : The woman that did the reading for Oh, William was excellent .
Much more dramatic than when I read this.

[Stephen]

I loved Jarvis Cocker reading from Treacle Walker