Ann Patchett and the Man Booker Long List
By Kristen on Aug 7, 2008 in Future Classics...?, Literary News
Since we are still travelling about, I can’t write my usual Booking Through Thursday post today! So, I will just pass along two tidbits from last week that have caught many a reader’s eye…
First, Run by Ann Patchett is now out in paperback! This is truly one of my very favorite novels of the year, and if you haven’t read it yet, please do so! (Check out this lovely trailer for Run, too…)
Second, the long list for the Man Booker Prize is out. Past winners have included The Gathering by Ann Enright, The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, and Disgrace by Coetzee. Here is the list of this year’s hopefuls:
- The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
- Girl in a Blue Dress by Gaynor Arnold (out here and in the UK in November)
- The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
- From A to X by John Berger
- The Lost Dog by Michelle de Kretser
- Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
- The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant (available in Canada and the UK)
- A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
- The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher (UK edition; out in the US in February)
- Netherland by Joseph O’Neill
- The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie
- Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
- A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
My money is on Netherland — haven’t read it yet, but is sure is getting a ton of positive press…
Has anyone read any of these?
Welcome back!
I have not read ANY on the list! I’ll be adding the Patchett book to my TBR list…
smallworld | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
I liked “Run” but I was hoping it would be at the “Bel Canto” level. I just felt that Patchett kind of “ran out of steam” at the end of Run. So I was disappointed. But I made a Schubert soundtrack for our bookclub meeting and it was nice with the wine and music.
Anyway – back to the list – I am about halfway through Salman Rushdie’s “Enchantress of Florence” and am totally loving it!
Child 44 is in the mail on its way and so is Secret Scripture.
Cynthia | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
Please do! I loved Bel Canto, too!
Kristen | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
@Cynthia — You are right about the ending of Run… but I still loved it
Thanks for the recommendation for Enchantress — I’ve been meaning to check out all the buzz about Rushdie…
Thanks for stopping by!
Kristen | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
*The Life of Pi* and *Run* are on my wish list; I haven’t read –anything– on “the long list”
Dawn | Aug 8, 2008 | Reply