Booker Prize shortlist announced

[elkiedee]

The titles are:

The Children's Book by A S Byatt (Random House, Chatto and Windus)

Summertime by J M Coetzee (Random House, Harvill Secker)

The Quickening Maze by Adam Fould (Random House, Jonathan Cape)

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (HarperCollins, Fourth Estate)

The Glass Room by Simon Mawer (Little, Brown)

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Little, Brown, Virago)

Have you read any of them, do you want to, do you have any opinions on them or on books that have been left off the shortlist from the longlist? Who would you like to see win, and why?

I didn't like the Children's Book too much

JM Coetzee is always nominated, isn't he?

I nearly bought The Quickening Maze, although dovegreyreader didn't rate it much

Yes he is - but for a reason.

Thank you for the transcript Lady P.

Am a bit at talentless tripe. I don't think she's talentless, not by a long chalk. I think Janeite you need to read some work by truly talentless work to see just what talentless writing looks like! - though do see that you might not have liked the book.

Am going now to find out The Glass Room which is the only one I haven't heard of I think.

some work by truly talentless writers

too many writers, too much talentlessness, too much work - all in one sentence

Pielight - I teach English so have read lots of talentless tripe - and lots of bloody good stuff too!

Couldn't get on with Hilary M at all - it was the one about the fat medium - forget what it was called.

I HAVE got the right person haven't I?

No idea. I've only read the french revolution one - A Place of Greater Safety, and an early novel about a convent, I think it was, or a convent school.

Have just googled: it was called 'Beyond Black' - but I see that she comes from Derbyshire, so I will forgive her a little.

We're doing the Booker shortlist for the next Mumsnet Bookclub - the page and poll will be up a week today, Monday 21 Sep. I'll post here again when its live.

The chat will be on Tuesday 20 Oct, 8-9.30pm. Hope you can join us...

Janeite, am sorry you had such a low opinion of Beyond Black, I thought it was brilliant, and have hugely enjoyed other fiction by H Mantel. Hoping to read Wolf Hall soon. I'm gunning for her or Sarah Waters for Booker.

I really really really really want to read the Byatt - but not until it's out in paperback. Hardbacks are too heavy for me to hold.

Oooh, THAT Hilary Mantell. Hated Beyond Black, thought it an utter waste of words and altogether a book without point, sorry. Won't be reading hers.

Jux - phew. I was beginning to think it was just me.

I love Coetze, thought Disgrace was fantastic. Found Sarah Waters 'Affinity' a bit of slog but may try again with this one. Haven't read Hilary Mantel for years but Fludd sticks in my mind...must have read this about 20 years ago and thought it was fab!
No Indian authors or settings this year which disappoints me. Why on earth has Rohinton Mistry never won the Booker?? (Now someone will put me right and tell me he has!!) I must try to get through one of them before the winner is announced.

Bit late to this thread - just to say that Wolf Hall is an entirely different proposition to Beyond Black (the latter - I didn't manage to complete either)