I’ve now finished trying all the books on the longlist and thought it would be interesting to summarise my thoughts before the shortlist is announced on Tuesday 16th.
I haven’t posted about all the books yet, but rather than inundate the blog with lots of (mainly negative) reviews I thought it was best to focus on the positives and then move on to books that are more to my taste. So here are the books I most enjoyed reading:
As you can see I didn’t love many books from the longlist, but my taste isn’t everything. Many of the books were fantastic, just not for me. So here is the more important ranking:
The longlist by literary merit:
The Marlowe Papers by Ros Barber
Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Ignorance by Michèle Roberts
NW by Zadie Smith
The Forrests by Emily Perkins
Honour by Elif Shafak
Alif the Unseen by G Willow Wilson
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
May We Be Forgiven by AM Homes
Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam
Who will make the shortlist?
That question is almost impossible to answer as it is all down to the personal taste of the judges on the day, but I suspect their discussions will mainly involve the ten books I’ve listed above. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gone Girl on the shortlist, but if I had to stick my neck out I’d predict these six books will make the cut:
Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Ignorance by Michèle Roberts
NW by Zadie Smith
Alif the Unseen by G Willow Wilson
The Marlowe Papers by Ros Barber
Who will win?
Hilary Mantel is the most likely contender, but I think there is a strong chance Kate Atkinson will pip her at the post on this one. Shame as all my fingers are crossed for The Marlowe Papers – it hasn’t received the attention it deserves.
Who do you think will make the shortlist?
Which books on the longlist did you enjoy reading?
Five words from the blurb: father, died, guilt, unusual, understanding
Big Ray was a morbidly obese man who died alone in his home. His son, Daniel, is distressed that it took several days for anyone to discover his body and over the course of the book we see his grief and the turmoil that results from the difficult relationship he had with his father.
This book is written in an unusual style. It is made up of over 500 mini chapters. This gave the book a fast paced urgency, but also meant I could never become fully immersed in a scene. I found the continual flipping from one idea to another irritating and wished it had settled in a scene for more than half a page.
The writing was of a high quality and there were some lovely moments in the book, but overall the story was too ordinary.
I don’t understand my complicated feelings about my father. I hated him, but I wanted him to like me. I was ashamed of him, but I wanted him to be proud of me.
This is a compelling read, but I’m afraid I reached the end without any new insight.
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Longlisted for 2013 Women’s Fiction Prize
Alif the Unseen by G Willow Wilson
Five words from the blurb: Middle Eastern, mysterious, world, magic, djinn
Alif the Unseen is a unique book that combines computer science with fantasy. Alif is a Middle Eastern computer hacker who inhabits an almost familiar world. He falls in love with Intisar, royalty already promised to another man, but as a parting gift she gives him a special book that opens a door into another world.
This book is clearly genius, but I’m afraid it wasn’t to my taste. Fantasy is a genre I’ve never enjoyed and this book was too weird for me. I think my lack of knowledge of computer programming and Muslim mythology also contributed to my lack of appreciation for this book.
Alif heard Dina turn on music in her room-a cheerful debke dance song-as though she too, found the storm unsettling. He got out of his chair and curled up against the wall they shared. When his computer was on and connected to the grid, he never felt as though he was alone; there were millions of people in rooms like his, reaching toward each other in the same ways he did. Now that feeling of intimacy seemed fraudulent. He lived in an invented space, easily violated. He lived in his own mind.
I became increasingly confused until I eventually abandoned the book on page 75.
From the glowing comments from fantasy authors such as Neil Gaiman I’m sure this book pushes the boundaries for its genre and so I’d love to see it make the shortlist.
DNF
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The Sunshine Years by Afsaneh Knight
Five words from the blurb: Sydney, thirty-somethings, relationships, observations, truths
The Sunshine Years is set in Sydney, Australia and follows a group in their thirties as they come to realise that they haven’t achieved anything worthwhile in their lives and are unlikely to do so.
The book is wonderfully entertaining, contains well developed characters with realistic flaws, and gives an insight into the hopes and fears of a generation who have failed to live up to their childhood dreams.
The book could be described as chick-lit, but it has a maturity and depth that lifts it above the majority of books in this genre. I spent a happy weekend involved in the lives of this group and developed an emotional bond with most of them.
If you can’t be happy in Sydney, you can’t be happy anywhere. Sydney put joy in the water and forgetfulness in the sand, and as long as you drank water and stood on sand, happiness would curl up and stick like heat from a campfire.
It had the perfect blend of light-hearted banter and deeper emotional insight and I recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining read, especially if you are familiar with Sydney.
Five words from the blurb: Harvard, graduates, lives, twentieth, reunion
The Red Book was longlisted for the Women’s Fiction Prize last week. I hadn’t heard of it before, but it sounded as though it had the potential to be a good read. Unfortunately the plot was too gentle for me, but I can see it appealing to fans of quiet books that focus on relationships.
The plot revolves around the special book that graduates of Harvard University receive every five years. This book details the private lives and accomplishments of each graduate, showing how their lives have progressed since they received the last installment. The Red Book concentrates on four women who were roommates when they studied, twenty years ago. It focuses on their relationships; detailing numerous affairs, the grief of lost loved ones, and the problems of motherhood. It was basically chick-lit for the slighter older woman.
The initial section of the book was fantastic. Each character was developed fully, with an interesting back story and a range of flaws. Unfortunately as the book progressed I began to lose interest. The plot was too ordinary and I failed to form an emotional connection to the characters. If I’d been to Harvard University then I might have enjoyed some aspects of the book more, but as a UK graduate the details left me cold:
Traffic in front of the Microbus has halted, an admixture of the normal clogged arteries at the Charles River crossings during rush hour compounded by the arterial plaque of reunion weekend attendees, those thousand of additional vehicles that appear every June like clockwork, loaded up with alumni families and faded memories, the later triggered out of dormancy by the sight of the crimson cupola of Dunster House or the golden dome of Adams House or the Eliot House clock tower, such that any one of the drivers blocking Addison’s path to Harvard Square might be thinking, as Addison is right now (catching a glimpse of a nondescript window on the sixth floor of that disaster of a modernist building that is Mather House), There, right there: That is where I first fucked her.
This sort of story has been told many times before and I’m afraid that other authors have done a better job. It lacked the depth and insight required to raise this book to the next level. I read the first 200 pages, but in the end I couldn’t force myself to read the remaining third.
The longlist for the 2013 Women’s Fiction Prize was announced this morning. I was very pleased to see a few genre books selected and it was nice to be introduced to some books I hadn’t come across before.
Overall the list seems to be very balanced, with a nice mix of literary and mainstream fiction.
I’ve already tried/read half of the longlist and have taken the time to look at the other books selected. I’ve summarised my thoughts below:
The 2013 Women’s Fiction Prize Longlist
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Five words from the blurb: genius, Microsoft, child, charismatic, comic
I listened to a dramatic production of this book on Radio 4 (hence the reason that there is no review on this blog). I found it wonderfully entertaining and am very pleased to see it on the longlist.
Five words from the blurb: funeral home, death, mother, deaf, brother This chatty, compelling read had lots of interesting facts about the work of an undertaker, but I’m afraid I found it lacked that special spark.
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NW by Zadie Smith
Five words from the blurb: Londoners, estate, moved, different, lives. The writing in this book is fantastic, but its disjointed nature means that I am struggling to connect with it. I’ve abandoned it two times already, but, given its prize longlisting today, I’ll persevere a little longer and see if it can win me over.
Five words from the blurb: Australia, lighthouse, childless, baby, keep The Light Between Oceans is a book of two halves. Most people seem to enjoy one half, but not the other. I fell into the “loved the beginning” camp, but if you enjoy lighter, faster paced books then you’ll probably prefer the end. I’m surprised to see this on the longlist and can’t see it progressing any further.
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The Marlowe Papers by Ros Barber DNF
Five words from the blurb: playwright, killed, Stratford, Marlowe, exile, Shakespeare I don’t enjoy Shakepeare, but anyone who does will love this ambitious story written entirely in verse. It wasn’t for me, but the skill and originality of the text mean that I am rooting for it in this prize. It deserves to be the 2013 winner.
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The People of Forever are Not Afraid by Shani Boianjiu
Five words from the blurb: Israel, army, guarding, refugees, danger I hadn’t heard of this book until today, but it sounds like an important work of fiction and I’m pleased that the prize has brought it to my attention.
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May We Be Forgiven by AM Homes DNF
Five words from the blurb: quiet, life, family, strange, finding I’m afraid the satirical elements of this book were lost on me and without the humour this book was just a strange string of outrageous consequences. It deserves its place on the longlist, but it wasn’t for me.
Five words from the blurb: kid, reckless, heart, beautifully, idea Lamb is fast paced, gripping and thought provoking. I’m very pleased to see it on the longlist.
Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel DNF
Five words from the blurb: Thomas Cromwell, rise, destruction, Anne Boleyn, Catholic Over the years I’ve come to realise that Mantel isn’t for me, but it is no surprise to see her on this longlist.
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Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany
Five words from the blurb: country, lonely, farmer, observes, life I hadn’t heard of this book until today. It doesn’t sound that exciting, but hopefully it will prove me wrong.
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Honour by Elif Shafak
Five words from the blurb: mother, died, Turkey, betrayal, past Elif Shafak is an author I’ve heard mentioned a lot, but I’ve not read any of her books before. This one sounds as though it could be emotional and so I look forward to trying it.
Five words from the blurb: wife, disappears, police, suspect, secrets It is great to see a fast paced thriller on the longlist – its inclusion will hopefully bring a new audience to the prize. I’m afraid that the irritating characters and the large number of coincidences didn’t appeal to me, but the majority of the population disagree with my point-of-view!
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The Red Book by Deborah Copaken Kogan
Five words from the blurb: power, burden, privilege, reality, woman I hadn’t heard of this book until today, but I’m looking forward to reminiscing about the last few decades. It sounds like an entertaining read.
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How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti
Five words from the blurb: self-help, confessional, shameless, conversations, life I had heard of this book and seen the way it divides opinion, but I assumed it was a self-help guide, not a novel. I’ve never been a fan of self-help guides so I’m pretty sure it will annoy me, but I’ll try to keep an open mind and hope I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
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Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver
Five words from the blurb: Appalachian Mountains, mother, discovers, nature, miracle I’ve had my eye on this book for a long time. It is next on the TBR pile and I’m hoping it is just as good (or even better than!) The Poisonwood Bible.
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Alif the Unseen by G Willow Wilson
Five words from the blurb: magic, adventure, beasts, Arab, censor I hadn’t heard of this book until today, but I love the fact that a fantasy novel is on the list. This book sounds wonderfully original and I’m looking forward to trying it.
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The Innocents by Francesca Segal
Five words from the blurb: sweethearts, family, intertwined, unexpected, trouble I’d heard of this book, but the troubled family premise didn’t excite me. I’m hoping that the writing will be good enough to win me over.
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The Forrests by Emily Perkins DNF
Five words from the blurb: sensory, flickering, moment, odd, family I’m pleased to see The Forrests on the longlist. I found the meandering, dreamlike prose frustrating, but the quality of the writing was obvious from the start. Recommended to fans of Virginia Woolf.
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Ignorance by Michèle Roberts
Five words from the blurb: society, Jew, war, village, hero I’d not heard of this book and I’m a bit worried that I’ve heard the story of Jews hidden during the war too many times before. Hopefully this book will contain some special spark that enables it to compete with all the other books on a similar subject already out there.
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Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Five words from the blurb: turbulent, events, chances, past, moments I’ve not had much success with Atkinson’s previous books, but this one is receiving rave reviews. Hopefully the originality of the premise with be enough to entertain me.
Five words from the blurb: witchcraft, book, ancient, dishes, love
The book started well, with a wonderfully atmospheric scene in which a young boy and his mother are persecuted as witches.
Oily-smelling tallow-smoke laced the warm night air. The banging of pots and pans mixed with the villagers’ shouts. John felt his mother’s hand tighten, pulling him along. He heard the bag knock awkwardly against her legs, the breath rasp in her throat. His own heart pounded. Reaching the edge of the meadow they clawed their way up the first bank.
The pair escape and seek refuge in a forest, but child ends up working in the kitchens of a large manor house. Unfortunately the book became less gripping as it continued. There was lots of interesting information about cooking in a busy 17th century kitchen, but I failed to bond to any of the characters. Although individual scenes were vivid there was no forward momentum and I frequently found it difficult to pick up the book after a break. Many people love this novel, but I found it patchy and I’m afraid that even the snippets of historic cookery weren’t enough to hold my attention. I started skim reading after about 100 pages and abandoned the book shortly after that.
DNF
Translated from the Norwegian by Sverre Lyngstad
Hunger by Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1920
Five words from the blurb: mind, writer, starvation, fluctuating, insight
Hunger had been on my wishlist for a very long time. It had been recommended to me on numerous occasions, is cited as a modern masterpiece, and Paul Auster describes it as “one of the most disturbing novels in existence”. On seeing it named on yet another “must-read” list I decided to buy a copy. I was worried that it would be too disturbing, but was disappointed to discover that the book had a light hearted tone and lacked any real darkness.
The book centres on a young writer who is so poor he can no longer afford to buy food. He desperately tries to get articles published in the hope of receiving enough money to buy his next meal. Unfortunately the book contained almost no plot – instead it meandered from one non-event to another. The stream-of-consciousness writing style was almost bearable, but the light-hearted tone annoyed me.
As I lie there in this position, letting my eyes wander down my breast and legs, I notice the twitching motion made by my foot at each beat of my pulse. I sit up halfway and look down at my feet, and at this moment I experience a fantastic, alien state I’d never felt before; a delicate, mysterious thrill spreads through my nerves, as though they were flooded by surges of light. When I looked at my shoes, it was as though I had met a good friend or got back a torn-off part of me: a feeling of recognition trembles through all my sense, tears spring to my eyes, and I perceive my shoes as a softly murmuring tune coming toward me.
I appreciate that it may be an accurate description of a person on the verge of despair, but I’m afraid I couldn’t connect with it. I abandoned it after about 80 pages.
On Wednesday 13th March the longlist for the 2013 Women’s Fiction Prize will be announced. Previously known as the Orange Prize, it is awarded to the best full length novel, written by a women, that has been published in the UK between 1st April 2012 and 31st March 2013. I’ve been researching the possible candidates and predict that the following books will make the longlist:
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