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Anyone else doing Booker Shortlist this year?

96 replies

NotQuiteCockney · 08/10/2006 14:24

I don't know if DH has remembered to get me the shortlist for my birthday, or whether I'll have to sort it out myself, but is anyone else doing the shortlist again? I (finally) finished the 2005 list, and am somewhat eager to start the 2006 one ... I haven't read anything by any of the authors before, which is a nice change ...

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NotQuiteCockney · 04/11/2006 07:44

That was a really enjoyable book.

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poppadum · 03/11/2006 21:09

havent got around to reading this year's shortlist, but can really recommend "Arthur and George" by Julian Barnes, which was on last year's shortlist. It's about the relationship between Arthur Conan Doyle and a Parsi lawyer. A true story, and absolutely riveting in a very quiet way.

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NotQuiteCockney · 03/11/2006 18:32

Giving Carry Me Down another go, I don't want to start switching books all the time. Have motored through the horrific bit near the beginning, but am worried it will be horrific again later ... bink? hc?

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TuttiFrutti · 03/11/2006 18:16

What a great thread! I have been inspired to order the shortlist from the Book People, and now can't wait for the books to arrive so I can start reading. I usually pick a couple from the shortlist each year, but it's great to get the whole lot for a very reasonable price.

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NotQuiteCockney · 03/11/2006 10:35

Well, I liked the Secret River a lot more than I expected to. It didn't try to make these minor people into part of a Big Important Historical Event - they never saw the King or whatever. And it was somewhat morally ambiguous, which was a pleasant change.

I've started trying to read Carry Me Down, but have been rather put off. It seems well-written and engaging, but rather horrific, at least early in. And the horrific stuff isn't handled lightly, it's realistic and rather horrid. I might feel up for it in a few days, but I don't right now!

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NotQuiteCockney · 02/11/2006 09:28

Bink, bit alarming them doing bits that refer to each other. I get quite irate when books I'm reading starting talking to me about each other ... I remember once being midway through two books, and someone in one of the books started reading the other (it was something by Fitzerald, but not Gatsby, so not really famous, but hardly obscure, either) and I got so annoyed I threw the book in the corner.

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NotQuiteCockney · 02/11/2006 09:27

It's not bad, HC. Granted I'm coming to it with no great hopes, but it's pretty good so far. It's got a fair bit of that old "we live in Docklands, we eat mud, we all sleep in one bed and have bedbugs" schtick (yes, I know, historical reality blah blah blah, but it's been done a million times and I'm quite bored of it), but still, I'm finding it reasonably interesting, not least because the story has now decamped to Australia.

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Bink · 02/11/2006 09:19

Still enjoying Mother's Milk, though have decided it is patchy. The brilliant bits are truly brilliant though - chortling out loud v rare for me, & he can (though doesn't always - hence the patchiness) exactly nail an idea or feeling in just two or three words, which is very under-rated skill in contemp. writing.

For NQC, in particular: there is a lovely parody bit where the dad character tries to read an over-researched high-concept historical fiction & gives up because he thinks he is going mad.

hoxtonchick · 02/11/2006 07:56

i'm not keen on historical fiction either nqc, so i might let you read it for me .

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NotQuiteCockney · 01/11/2006 21:41

Finished Night Watch. The chronology thing is cute ... not that gimmicky. Reasonably interesting. But yeah, the characterisation is pathetic.

I've started The Secret River, on the principle that I don't expect to like it (not that big on historical fiction, the only recentish one I've read that really worked for me was that Stephenson monolith) ... I don't mind it so far, though.

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NotQuiteCockney · 01/11/2006 15:24

Which one should I do next? I'm tempted to not do Mothers Milk as it looks tempting, and I'd rather enjoy the last one, iywsim ...

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NotQuiteCockney · 01/11/2006 15:21

Ok, I'm most of the way through Night Watch, and enjoying it a bit more, but the characters really are completely indistinguishable, imo. And the themes are a bit heavy. I'm trying to enjoy the whole "literary London" thing, anyway ... and I do like the butch girls, but the sex scenes (both straight and gay) are a bit dull.

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NotQuiteCockney · 31/10/2006 12:04

Oh, I know that book wasn't the norm ... but I think a lot of British people would hesitate to describe anyone in that book as alcoholic!

There are always people coming on here describing their partners' horrific alcohol consumption, and someone very brave pops up eventually to ask ... "do you think he might have a problem with alcohol?" ... gah.

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Marina · 31/10/2006 11:59

Facile tosh - you are polite compared to what dh had to say about it . He has a bit of A Thing about Alan Hollinghurst's rise to literary fame.
I will definitely give Mother's Milk a shot from what you all say.
NQC - Woodward's experiences NOT the norm in the suburbs, I swear. Can see how it scared the Bejasus out of you though.

Bink · 31/10/2006 11:01

Dh and I thought The Line of Beauty such facile tosh we insinuated it into the bookshelf of the hotel we were in so as not to have to bring it home. You know that chap who does the Reduced Novels (can't remember exact name of column) in the Guardian? He did a redaction of it which lost completely nothing = conclusive proof of lack of substance.

Says Bink the Uncompromising.

CountessDracula · 31/10/2006 10:22

I have just finished The Secret River which I enjoyed a lot

hoxtonchick · 31/10/2006 10:19

probably best to read the actual books before this link

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NotQuiteCockney · 31/10/2006 10:00

Hmmm, you'd probably like The Sea. Actually, I think I liked The Sea better than I liked the Line of Beauty. I suspect, not having lived in the UK for the Thatcher years, a lot of the subtle details of The Line of Beauty were lost on me? Not sure.

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hoxtonchick · 31/10/2006 09:59

yes, it is funny isn't it bink.

hoxtonchick · 31/10/2006 09:59

loved the line of beauty. the sea is still waiting to be read...

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NotQuiteCockney · 31/10/2006 09:54

I know basically nothing about this years' nominees, which probably makes it interesting. Well, I'd heard of Sarah Waters (vaguely, as dykey literary porn, more or less).

I really took to The Accidental last year, got Ali Smith's earlier book (Hotel World? I think?) and really enjoyed it, although not as much as The Accidental.

I'll Go to Bed at Noon scared the shit out of me tbh. I'm generally freaked out by the British relationship with alcohol, though.

Oh, and I don't think I really "got" The Line of Beauty, or The Sea, so apparently winners do nothing for me ...

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Bink · 31/10/2006 09:40

Started Mother's Milk yesterday (because somehow I left my copy of Carry Me Down somewhere, which is only vaguely annoying) - and really enjoying it so far - I think he does humour-by-dialogue REALLY well - ghastly maternity nurse says "I had a mother once, an Arab lady actually, nice enough, called me at home [etc etc]" and there's a scene where people happily lazing about hear a "caring Irish voice" and their hearts sink.

Though nobody has ever had a five year old as precocious as the boy, have they? Anyway, only just started & like it best so far.

Dh says St Aubyn is generally quite clever & funny. Anyone know his other things?

hoxtonchick · 31/10/2006 09:38

well i enjoyed reading it marina, but the father is a fairly vile character. liked the very articulate baby though!

Marina · 31/10/2006 09:14

I am sort of skirting round Mother's Milk hoxty. He doesn't sound very qualified to dissect the mother-child relationship (Marina's raft of prejudices re male toff writers understanding female psychology drifts serenely into view )
So it is good then? He was my WTF Candidate this year I have to say...

Marina · 31/10/2006 09:12

I am a lone voice of real love for The Night Watch, clearly! I used to work in a library that people like Sarah Waters and Peter Ackroyd use for their research so am a pushover for erudite London history, however perfunctory the characterisation or over-worked the sex.
Finding it a bit hard to work up much enthusiasm for most of the rest of the list tbh, but will place my order (Night Watch was from the library).
My standout discovery over the past few years has been the original voice of Gerard Woodward (I'll Go to Bed at Noon, nominated, and August, the first of the series and not nominated but just as striking).