Booker Prize 2019 Longlist - what do you think?

I've just finished Girl, Women, Other and I absolutely loved it. Heartbreaking in places and immensely readable.

Have ordered 10 minutes 38 seconds and An Orchestra of Minorities to read next. I saw Ducks in a bookshop and it looks weighty but I'm really intrigued by it.

I was sad that Lanny didn't make it on the longlist, as it sounded really interesting. Might have to hunt that out next.

I’m still following. Got a bit stuck on The Wall!

Am going to see Margaret Atwood (although not live but streamed to a cinema!).

Please keep posting!

I read Lanny, inspired by this thread - great recommendation and a really quick read. Beautifully written - even though I had to stop for a few days halfway through because I found it too anxiety-making! I finished it this morning and had tears in my eyes.

Not the sort of book I would normally read which is absolutely why reading the Booker Longlist is always so worthwhile... but what next?

I’ve now read Frankisstein, which I really enjoyed. I loved the Mary Shelley storyline and enjoyed the other half of the book too, but not as much. There are so many ideas and so much philosophy in it - I like books that make me think without telling me what to think.
Then I read 10 minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world. I was disappointed. The hook is that the character is dead and is still conscious for a period of time after her death. Sounds great, but it’s merely used as a vehicle for retelling the story of her life. Her life story is predictable. I could guess what was going to happen.
She has a group of friends. In the second half of the novel, they get together. The author struggles to define some of these characters. In a crowd of five three of the characters become one dimensional. One character is defined mainly by her religion. Another is defined primarily by the fact she is overweight and takes too many pills. The author shoves another character out of the way -she hardly even gets to speak. It feels very rushed at the end.
I’m sure a lot of people would enjoy it though. It’s just not for me.

ElleMcFearson I would say pretty much from the beginning, it doesn't really change as you read on so i reckon that if you dont love it by now you might not come round to it.

Springfern, how long before Ducks got you hooked? I'm 12% through (according to my kindle) and I'm really struggling. I want to love it but I'm just irritated by it right now!

OP I would definitely say open your mind to Ducks. It's really sad and funny and subtle and surprisingly readable. It's one woman's 'inner monologue' but it's written in such a clever way that you really feel like you know her, it sounds mad but when I stop reading it I start to miss her, that's how intimate the writing feels!

I quite enjoyed Frankisstein. The Mary Shelley storyline made for delightful reading, the main character was likeable and the sexbots / Wales for the Welsh bits were quite funny.

I read it quickly, really liked the Babbage / Ada Lovelace moment and thought the interweaving of trans, AI, Shelley and Brexit all made sense enough.

Not the greatest novel ever, but I would particularly recommend it to fans of Frankenstein (obviously) - her writing from Mary Shelley’s point of view is a real joy.

I take back my previous post re Ducks, NBP looking unreadable. I've been reading it all week and am addicted

And I love the wiggly crests of text. It made me think about how you hear people’s conversations wafting out of the window on a hot still summer’s day. I think of that as how Papa Toothwort hears them.
I’ve just started getting into Nicola Barker, who does a lot of stuff like that. I love all that arty farty nonsense.

myreadingchallenge I’m halfway through ‘Lanny’ and I don’t want it to end. It’s so good- the language is so rich. I keep re-reading paragraphs just to enjoy them again. The characters are brilliantly drawn, particularly the artist. I hope it gets on the shortlist.
I’ve also read ‘My sister, the serial killer’, which I enjoyed very much. It’s very well written but I don’t know why it’s on the Booker longlist. It’s a good, enjoyable novel that explores some pertinent issues in an unusual way. But it’s not amazing.

Was just about to start a thread about the longlist after reading this The Guardians cheat's guide (hopefully link works)

www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/24/not-read-them-yet-a-cheats-guide-to-the-2019-booker-prize-longlist

Have read The Wall by John Lanchester and was completely underwhelmed - extremely predictable and brings nothing new to the table. And based on her previous books I'm not a big fan Lucy Ellmann's writing.

I was a bit baffled by Lanny. The language was beautiful but the whole thing seemed a bit more trite and sentimental the more I thought about it. It all seemed a bit "artists, fey little special children and close-to-nature mothers good; commuters and narrow-minded villagefolk bad". Which isn't the worst message in the world but it's a bit... obvious. I think I may have missed something though!!

I'm looking forward to the Deborah Levy.

I hope Deborah Levy wins. But I reckon it will be Atwood or Evaristo. Also curious to know if anyone's read Ducks, Newburyport?...I ordered it on Amazon but hadn't quite thought through what 1000 pages and 8 sentences would look like until it arrived! (Answer-utter madness)

I have already read Lanny and My Sister the Serial Killer, neither of which I can see as winners, although Lanny was good. I love Deborah Levy and very much hope she wins this year. She has been shortlisted a number of times. I've reserved her latest at the library but it's not out yet.

I’m pleased The Testements is up there - hope it speaks to its actual quality and not just its high profile.

I don’t want to read Ducks, Newburyport. 1000 pages of one sentence? Those streams of consciousness type books that keep coming out lately tend to be depressing.
I will force myself if it’s on the shortlist though. Has anyone read it?