Booker Prize 2019 Longlist - what do you think?

[MyReadingChallenge]

Who will be working their way through the longlist? And any guesses for winner?

The winner to be announced on 14 October, so a good bit of time for reading.

Margaret Atwood - The Testaments
Kevin Barry - Night Boat To Tangier
Oyinkan Braithwaite - My Sister, The Serial Killer
Lucy Ellmann - Ducks, Newburyport
Bernardine Evaristo - Girl, Woman, Other
John Lanchester - The Wall
Deborah Levy - The Man Who Saw Everything
Valeria Luiselli - Lost Children Archive
Chigozie Obioma - An Orchestra Of Minorities
Max Porter - Lanny
Salman Rushdie - Quichotte
Elif Shafak - 10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World
Jeanette Winterson - Frankissstein

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.

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?

Good to hear you enjoyed Lanny too @bsquared, I was close to tears at the end too, it really got me.

Finished Lost Children Archive - it wasn’t for me at all, was really trying too hard to be intellectual for my liking. I also don’t think the topic of the children detention centres at the US border was covered nearly enough.

I’m away from tomorrow and have Night Boat to Tangier and 10 Seconds amongst my holiday reads...

So the shortlist is out and it’s not very surprising, I’m thinking they are gearing up for Ducks to win...

Margaret Atwood - The Testaments
Lucy Ellmann - Ducks, Newburyport
Bernardine Evaristo - Girl, Woman, Other
Chigozie Obioma - An Orchestra of Minorities
Salman Rushdie - Quichotte
Elif Shafak - 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

Which is basically the half of the longlist I haven’t read!

Recently finished Night Boat to Tangier and a little disappointed with it to be honest, think I’m too young and too female to engage with it really.

Think I’m the only person left on here, but in case I’m not...

Just finished 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World and thought Part One was fantastic and for me would have been a much more moving book if it finished there. I did enjoy the book as a whole and having an insight into a different side of Istanbul but I wasn’t expecting the book to go black comedy half way through.

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'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.