Author: Jackie

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2010 Booker Prize

C – Tom McCarthy

Short listed for 2010 Booker Prize

C begins in 1898 with the birth of Serge Carrefax on an estate in Southern England. Serge’s father runs a school for deaf children, but also has a passion for radio communication. This leads Serge to become a wireless radio operator, initially working on spotter planes in WWI and after the war on an archaeological dig in Egypt.

The book initially felt like a piece of historical fiction, but it quickly became much more than that. The text contained layers of philosophy and symbolism that added to the richness of the story, but also left me feeling as though I was constantly missing out on relevant snippets of information.

The book was packed with fascinating details about everything from radio communication to silk production:

The transmitter itself is made of standard brass, a four inch tapper arm keeping Serge’s finger a safe distance from the spark gap. The spark gap flashes blue each time he taps; it makes a spitting noise, so loud he’s had to build a silence box around his desk to isolate his little RX station from the sleeping household – or, as it becomes more obvious to him with every session, to maintain the household’s fantasy of isolation from the vast sea of transmission roaring all around it.

I loved most of these details, but there were times when I felt that too many were included and the book lost its emotional connection to me.

The plot was quite simple and easy to read on a sentence-by-sentence level, but there were points when I completely lost interest – it was a real chore to read some of the chapters. Luckily the book always seemed to pick up again and I was especially impressed by the WWI section – the descriptions of life in a spotter plane were particularly vivid.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but I think fans of literary fiction who like re-reading/studying books will love discovering all those extra layers of symbolism. For this reason I think it has a very high chance of winning the Booker prize, but then yesterday I was saying David Mitchell would win – so what do I know?!!

Literary blogs love this book:

C is the best novel I’ve read in a long time… Biblioklept

It teems with relevance and reference… Asylum

….but I could not help feeling that academics would be paying a lot more attention to this novel than most readers do. Kevin From Canada

…the multiple ideas and the play go on throughout the book and tie together with satisfying insights. The Mookse and the Gripes

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Booker Prize Other

The 2010 Man Booker Prize Short List

The 2010 Booker Prize short list has been announced.

The six books are:

Room – Emma Donoghue

The Long Song – Andrea Levy stars41

C – Tom McCarthy

In a Strange Room – Damon Galgut

Parrot and Olivier in America – Peter Carey (DNF)

The Finkler Question – Howard Jacobson (DNF)

I successfully predicted four out of six books , but am kicking myself for not predicting that the two books I didn’t manage to finish would both be short listed – that is a trend I should have spotted years ago!

My first thought when looking at the short list was: NO MITCHELL!?!

There was a lot of confusion on Twitter in the first few minutes as Amazon revealed the short list before the official Man Booker website and no one was entirely sure whether or not the list was accurate. After they eventually confirmed it was true my second thought was: NO MITCHELL!?! It seems unbelievable that he didn’t make it, but I guess it just didn’t stand up to multiple re-readings.

I am really pleased that Room made the short list as it was my favourite book on the long list. I honestly believe that it is a classic which will be enjoyed for generations to come. I really hope that it will win, but I suspect it will be beaten by a more literary book.

I think it is impossible to predict a winner from this short list and suspect the judges will have a lot of arguing/discussion before they can agree on a single book. None of the others stand out for me – I’d say anyone has a chance this year.

What do you think of the short list?

Who do you think will win?

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Booker Prize Other

My thoughts on the 2010 Booker Long List

I have now read all 13 books on the 2010 Booker long list (apart from the two I had to abandon due to boredom/annoyance!) and I am very impressed with the judges this year. I think that every single book deserves its place on the list. I didn’t enjoy reading them all, but found the quality of the writing to be very high. Which of the books you’ll enjoy is all down to personal taste and I think that everyone will find a selection of books on the list that they’ll love along with quite a few that won’t excite them at all.

Here is the long list ranked by how much I enjoyed reading them:

All links lead to my review of the book.

Room – Emma Donoghue 

Skippy Dies – Paul Murray 

The Slap – Christos Tsiolkas stars41

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet – David Mitchell stars41

The Betrayal – Helen Dunmore 

C – Tom McCarthy  

The Long Song – Andrea Levy stars41

The Trespass – Rose Tremain 

February – Lisa Moore 

The Stars in the Bright Sky – Alan Warner 

In a Strange Room – Damon Galgut 

Parrot and Olivier in America – Peter Carey  (DNF)

The Finkler Question – Howard Jacobson    (DNF)

Who will make the short list?

I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of the books on the short list and I think the judges will have a very hard job narrowing it down to six books, but if I had to guess then I think The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell will be the first to make the cut. It isn’t the most readable book, but I think the quality of the writing and the ambitiousness of the plot will lead to unanimous agreement about its inclusion on the list.

I wasn’t a fan, but those who enjoy quiet, thoughtful books are raving about In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut. It is the sort of book that seems to do well on Booker lists, so I’d bet on its inclusion.

I stayed up late last night in order to finish C by Tom McCarthy so I’m afraid I haven’t written a review for it yet (Edited 8th September, C review now posted) , but its intelligence and originality make it stand out from the crowd. I think it has a very high chance of making the cut.

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray also grabbed my attention. I think that its universal appeal gives it a strong chance of making it onto the short list.

Room by Emma Donoghue was my favourite book on the long list. It does seem to divide opinion, but one of those judges brought this book into consideration and I think that same judge will still be championing it. I really hope that it makes it into the final six.

The final book on the short list is almost impossible for me to decide as none of the other books are leaping out at me. I’m guessing that this means it will be filled by a book that has no appeal to me at all. Assuming that any book provoking a very negative reaction will also produce an opposite positive reaction in some readers I’m going to add The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson as the final book in my short list prediction.

My Prediction for the Booker Short list:

 

What do you think of my prediction?

Which books do you think will make the Booker short list?

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2010 Book Prizes

In a Strange Room – Damon Galgut

  Long listed for 2010 Booker Prize

In a Strange Room is made up of three short stories, each describing a journey taken by a South African man called Damon. There is so little plot that it is almost impossible to write a review without letting you know exactly what happens and so I won’t explain any more than that. If you’d like to know these details in advance then I recommend that you read this glowing review from The Guardian. I prefer to know as little as possible before starting a book and so instead of filling you in on the tiny amount of plot I’ll let you know my thoughts on the book.

As you might have guessed I wasn’t a big fan of In a Strange Room. The writing had a cold, almost clinical feel to it and this meant that I failed to engage with Damon (is it just me that gets annoyed when authors name their central character after themselves?). There was also a lack of punctuation, which added to the stilted feel.

What’s the matter.

Don’t you think we should get bigger maps. With more detail. Four or five of them for the whole country.

But what for.

Then we can plan every part of the walk.

But we can plan with this.

But not enough.

They look at each other, this is the first time they’re out of step.

There was a lot of thoughtful wisdom in this book, but there was almost no plot and therefore no forward momentum. Luckily the book was quite short (180 pages of well spaced type) and so I read it in one sitting.

I’m afraid that this one wasn’t for me, but if you enjoy literary novels with more theme than emotion then this may be for you.

Opinion is divided on this one:

….a deeply understood — and equally deeply troubling — narrative of what might happen if you choose to “travel” to escape your demons. Kevin from Canada

I did not care for it very much. Paperback Reader

I thoroughly enjoyed this intellectually engaging novel…. Nomad Reader

 Have you read anything written by Damon Galgut?

Which was your favourite?

 

Categories
2010 Booker Prize

The Finkler Question – Howard Jacobson

 Long listed for 2010 Booker Prize

I’m not a fan of books about religion and so wasn’t sure how I’d get on with The Finkler Question. I was right to be concerned as the religious debate took precedence over the plot and I couldn’t bring myself to finish this book.

The book started off reasonably well, with a former BBC radio producer paying to see a fortune-teller in Spain.  You can check Radio Waves to know updates with respect to radio. She tells him to watch out for a woman called Juno. Unfortunately the book went downhill quickly as Sam Finkler, a popular Jewish philosopher, entered the book. I found the repetitive mention of Juno and its derivatives increasingly irritating.

Treslove and Finkler were sharing a room. ‘Do you know any one called Juno?’ Treslove asked.

‘J’you know Juno?’ Finkler replied, making inexplicable J noises between his teeth.

Treslove didn’t get it.

J’you know Juno? Is that what your asking me?

Treslove still didn’t get it. So Finkler wrote it down. D’Jew know Jewno?

Treslove shrugged. ‘Is that supposed to be funny?’

‘It is to me,’ Finkler said. ‘But please yourself.’

The book then deteriorated further into bizarre Jewish philosophising. At about p60 I lost any interest I originally had and started to skim read.

At page 107 I came across this passage and decided I couldn’t tolerate it any more – my reading time is too precious to persevere with a book that irritates me so much.

‘You can’t just get up one morning and decide you’re a Jew – or can you?’

‘I’ve worked with a lot of people at BH who got up one morning and decided they were not a Jew.’ Josephine said.

‘But it can’t work the other way, surely?’

‘Search me,’ said Alfredo. ‘But I don’t think Dad’s planning to become a Jew. If I understood Uncle Sam he’s got this bee in his bonnet that he already is a Jew.’

‘Christ,’ Roldolfo said, ‘what does that make us?’

‘Not Jewish,’ Josephine said. ‘Don’t worry about it. Jews don’t trust their women in the sack, so you can only be Jewish through the vagina. And I don’t have a Jewish vagina.’

I’m sure this is supposed to be funny, but I just didn’t get it.

The only good news is that this abandonment gives me more chance of finishing my final two books from the long list!

 (DNF)

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Other Richard and Judy Book Club

The 2010 Richard and Judy Book Club Selection Revealed….

UPDATE: I have now read all of these books – read my thoughts here.

Richard and Judy have revealed the eight books to make it into their new book club:


The Wilding – Maria McCann


The Snowman – Jo Nesbo

Operation Mincemeat – Ben Macintyre


Sister – Rosamund Lupton


A Place of Secrets – Rachel Hore


Waiting for Columbus – Thomas Trofimuk


The Crying Tree – Naseem Rakha


No and Me – Delphine de Vigan

My initial thoughts are that this is a fantastic selection of books!

I’m a bit sad that I haven’t read any yet, but half are already in my sights. I was very impressed by the sounds of The Snowman, but decided that I wanted to start the series at the beginning. I even had The Redbreast out of the library earlier this year, but didn’t get round to starting it. Now I’m torn over whether I should just start with The Snowman. What do you think?

I’m also gutted that I haven’t already read The Wilding. It was one of only three books from the Orange long list that I didn’t read. I’m kicking myself for not completing the list now!

I have heard wonderful things about The Crying Tree and Waiting for Columbus. These two books appeal to me most, so I think I’ll grab copies as soon as I can.

I haven’t heard of the others before, but look forward to finding out more about them.

What do you think of the list?

Have you read any of the books?

For more information about the Book Club visit Richard and Judy’s website.