Man booker longlist announced at midday today

[Cherrypi]

Anyone else interested in this? I'm still not best pleased about them letting the yanks in but hopefully will just be the goldfinch. I also loved The Circle but don't think that will be included. Hope David Mitchell and Sarah Waters feature.

Watching with interest :) Last year's list was a good one and I read several of them.

Well one out of three isn't bad. Mitchell's on there. Four Americans sigh. Though I do like Hustevedt.
www.thebookseller.com/news/mitchell-nicholls-and-smith-man-booker-longlist.html

I was surprised The Goldfinch wasn't on there... I've not finished it yet but I really thought it would be.

Not sure why they have to open up the criteria to non-British and Commonwealth countries. Why don't they just have separate prizes? I suppose it draws attention to books that some people might not always hear about. But I'm not sure it doesn't make it harder for writers to get on these prestigious lists. There's probably loads of very good writers getting side-lined because there simply isn't enough room on high-profile long lists. I wonder if the publishing industry will shot itself in the foot with this. Self-publishing and word-of-mouth will take over.

Donna Tartt's not on the list because she takes too long to write a book (ten years on average); there's not enough money to be made out of her [cynical]

I've just started 'we are completely beside ourselves' and it's good so far.

I'm a bit though at some of the book descriptions.

Just reading the blurb about 'the dog' and wtf does

"The Dog is led by a brilliantly entertaining anti-hero. Imprisoned by his endless powers of reasoning, hemmed in by the ethical demands of globalized life, he is fatefully drawn towards the only logical response to our confounding epoch"

even mean?? Will I like it or not??!

I guess I just answered my own question ;)

re:Goldfinch - I thought books on this list have to be published in the last 12 months (or so) and Goldfinch was released 18 months ago

I didn't really like the Goldfinch. I appreciate I may be completely alone in this but it was a real struggle to get to the end.

Quite like the sound of History of the Rain by Niall Williams, Us by David Nicholls, The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedt and The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth.

As always, no idea what will make it to shortlist or win, though.

I am on the second page of The Wake
unusual...

Oh, I was just going to ask if anyone was reading/has read The Wake.

How are you getting on with it, Antimatter ? Looked at it today and thought WTF when I saw it was written in 'Old English' but I AM intrigued by it.

Sorry, but I can't get on with The Wake

I think i am going to ask for refund from Amazon...

for those brave enough:

"the night was clere though i slept i seen it. though i slept i seen the calm hierde naht only the still. when i gan down to sleep all was clere in the land and my dreams was full of stillness but my dreams did not cepe me still
when i woc in the mergen all was blaec though the night had gan and all wolde be blaec after and for all time. a great wind had cum in the night and all was blown then and broc. none had thought a wind lic this colde cum for all was blithe lifan as they always had and who will hiere the gleoman when the tales he tells is blaec who locs at the heofon if it brings him regn who locs in the mere when there seems no end to its deopness
none will loc but the wind will cum. the wind cares not for the hopes of men
the times after will be for them who seen the cuman
the times after will be for the waecend

who is thu
who is thu i can not cnaw
what is angland to thu what is left of angland
i spec i spec i spec
no man lystans"

My DP says it sounds like north-east English made sound old

Just struck that one off my tbr list, antimatter. Looks like too much hard work. I like to stretch my brain a bit but that's too much . It will win, won't it?

If it wins I would loose all respect for them!
I won't read it regardless - I can read in more than one language, but to struggle and sweat just for one book & try to learn it's language?

Took one look at The Wake and consigned it to the same bin as A Girl is a Half Formed Thing!

Currently reading We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and wish work wasn't interfering as I don't particularly want to put it down.

I need to carry on with A Girl is a Half Formed Thing!, IMHO it is a voice in someone's head. Once I got that voice on I was able to feel a lot of emotions going through my head and my heart.

Thanks for the feedback. It's bound to win