2024 Int Booker shortlist: What I'd Rather Not Think About

[Hugh, Active moderator]

What I’d Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey (Scribe), Dutch/Netherlands

[Rachel]

The premise of this sounds a lot like All My Puny Sorrows minus the twin aspect. I'm eager to read it!

[Ruben]

I almost finished this. The Jury calls it 'deeply moving' and I agree - not in a sentimental or dramatic way though, but in the cool, understated way that also Scandinavian novels can be moving.

[Ruben]

I suspect the same judge that fought for The Details may have pushed to have this on the longlist

[Paul]

Ruben wrote: "I suspect the same judge that fought for The Details may have pushed to have this on the longlist"

I had exactly same thought.

But I'm not a fan of either book!

[Ruben]

I know... they are short though!

[Paul]

This bit

The church had a tower, that was 16,153 metres tall, the tallest church tower in the world, which I’d read on Wikipedia before I visited it.

Leaving beside the decimal comma which really ought to become a decimal oint in translation, this is clearly an order of magnitude wrong. Common sense says the tallest tower is going to be more like 161 metres, not 16m (or 16km!).

Bad proofreading?

Or are we supposed to be taken this as a narrator who does tend to spout random “facts” from Wikipedia and has got this one wrong - in which case it is quite clever?

[Bookguide]

In Dutch it’s 161,53, which should have been translated as 161.53, i.e. 161 m, so I’d put it down to a slip of the translator’s finger on the keyboard.

[Bookguide]

If we’re looking at the bestseller potential of this, it might interest you to know that there are only three copies in the entire Dutch public library system. Compare this to Lucas Rijneveld’s My Heavenly Favourite, which has three copies in my small town library alone, and draw your own conclusions about how popular this has been in the Netherlands.

[Paul]

Bookguide wrote: "In Dutch it’s 161,53, which should have been translated as 161.53, i.e. 161 m, so I’d put it down to a slip of the translator’s finger on the keyboard."

That's pretty poor then - as it leaps off the page as obviously wrong. (as well as not changing the , to a .)

And your comment from the other thread:

Bookguide wrote: "The language is too straightforward and a good proportion of it seems to be a rehashing of facts from Wikipedia about NY, the twin towers and famous people who have committed suicide. I was underwhelmed"

Perfectly put

[Ruben]

I agree to some extent.

I think it's the quality of the metaphor that counts and not how deep into Wikipedia the author dove (all authors are heavy Wikipedia users, especially in Western Europe where in most lives nothing spectacular happens beyond personal dramas). I thought the analogy of the collapsing second twin tower worked ok. But it is just one of many.

Obviously this is not a novel you read to learn new facts. Its strength lies in the small episodes and memories of growing up together inseparably and then gradually growing apart.

I also found the brother a complex but very realistic character.

[Tommi]

I’m willing to overlook the editorial mistake there.

Ended up quite enjoying the melancholic, subdued tone of this one. I’m becoming allergic to the Wikipedia style of many contemporary novels, though, and wish it would stop – these fun little surface-level factoids derived from the internet, presented with some pseudo-deep significance. Here, at least, it’s sort of woven as part of the twins’ lives, and I wasn’t that annoyed by it.

Agreeing with Ruben’s thoughts above.

[Robert]

Another one I liked a lot. I'm drawn towards these types of novels though,

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Is it just me who laughs every time I read the title of this thread - as it seems to summarise a number of people’s (Paul’s in particular) views.

[Scott]

I read six, and this was the worst one yet. I expected a heartfelt and poignant tale of loss and recovery. But no, the narrator was just a spoiled, whiny bitch.

[Alwynne]

I wasn't particularly interested in this one but the fact that it prompted such an emphatically misogynistic response suggests it might be worth reconsidering.

[Scott]

Alwynne wrote: "I wasn't particularly interested in this one but the fact that it prompted such an emphatically misogynistic response suggests it might be worth reconsidering."

I meant no disrespect. I believed the narrator to be argumentative, defensive, selfish and ungrateful. Now that it's made the shortlist, perhaps it deserves a re-read.

[Ruben]

Scott wrote: "I believed the narrator to be argumentative, defensive, selfish and ungrateful..."

It's strange how we can respond differently to narrative voices. I listened to the audio version read by the author in my native Dutch and she actually seemed very caring for her brother, even if she admits she finds it increasingly difficult to get through to him (and in fact to some extent blames herself after his suicide).

That she is a bit of a know-it-all and not the warmest person, I agree (but still nothing compared to Veronica Raimo btw...)

[Rose]

Alwynne wrote: "I wasn't particularly interested in this one but the fact that it prompted such an emphatically misogynistic response suggests it might be worth reconsidering."

Same. I just ordered it.

[Paul]

While I still think this is an odd choice of shortlisted book, the author herself is very funny in person. And nice to hear another person who thinks characters in books shouldn't have names - hence the 'One' and 'Two' twins here (and even that she seems she'd have preferred to avoid). Obviously couldn't resist getting the book signed to me and my twin:

[Robert]

Haha at the poor you!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

She had just met Paul

[Paul]

Harsh but fair

[Bookguide]

Interesting! I watched Jenthe Posthuma’s interview with her translator and she seemed very dour. Perhaps she does better live than on a video call.

@Paul: You mean your brother’s real name isn’t Gumble?

[Robert]

Bookguide wrote: "Interesting! I watched Jenthe Posthuma’s interview with her translator and she seemed very dour. Perhaps she does better live than on a video call.

@Paul: You mean your brother’s real name isn’t G..."

Joking aside Gumble's Yard is the title of a Proto YA book

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Rather nicely the daughter of the author contacted me via Goodreads several years ago.

Its the first non classic, non children’s book I can remember reading and loving

[Paul]

Bookguide wrote: "Interesting! I watched Jenthe Posthuma’s interview with her translator and she seemed very dour. Perhaps she does better live than on a video call.."

I think the in-person interview - and interviewer - bought out her humour. I thought Shahidha Bari was very good as book hosts go - connected well with the authors, and so got them to open up.

[Bookguide]

I’ve only watched the intro so far and immediately thought how professional she was. Confident, clear and engaged. No shuffling of papers and umming and ahhing.

Re Gumble, are we talking Bottersnikes and Gumbles here? Because if so, I have been trying to get hold of an affordable copy on and off for donkey’s years. I have such fond memories of it. If not, ignore my blathering.

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Bookguide wrote: "I’ve only watched the intro so far and immediately thought how professional she was. Confident, clear and engaged. No shuffling of papers and umming and ahhing.

Re Gumble, are we talking Bottersni..."
Gumble's Yard

[Bookguide]

Aha! Not one I’ve ever come across.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Although at an early age than Gumble’s Yard I lived Bottersnikes and Gumbles. It looks available on Abe Books at reasonable price from a quick glance.

[Lesley]

Alwynne wrote: "I wasn't particularly interested in this one but the fact that it prompted such an emphatically misogynistic response suggests it might be worth reconsidering."
It’s definitely moved up my list.

[Bookguide]

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "Although at an early age than Gumble’s Yard I lived Bottersnikes and Gumbles. It looks available on Abe Books at reasonable price from a quick glance."

I have to admit I haven’t looked for a while. I might just have to treat myself.