ManBookerGoldenPrize

Honoured to have been in the audience to see Michael Ondaatje awarded the #manbookergoldenprize !! One of the best books I‘ve read recently for definite. He gave a beautiful speech about all the wonderful novels which don‘t get remembered or awarded prizes like the booker. The only one I remember right now was Sam Selvin‘s the lonely Londoners, which I intend to read immediately

Aimeesue Wow! I love that he mentioned Pym, and Munro, and Trevor, horribly overlooked, all of them (edited) 6y

Emilymdxn @Aimeesue absolutely it was a perfect speech. I‘m gonna buy books by people he mentioned as soon as I can afford books again, it‘s great that he thought to use his platform to promote books like the Lonely Londoners! 6y

23 likes2 comments

Emilymdxn

Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders

pick

Really good! Not my pick for the #manbookergoldenprize but im glad I read it even after voting closed. So incredibly original (which I prize SO highly), sensitive and well written. Some bits of symbolism felt a little obvious but what writer isn‘t guilty of that, and the subject matter wasnt entirely to my taste. I‘d still recommend the book tho

26 likes

Emilymdxn

In a Free State | V.S. Naipaul

(Pic irrelevant, just a nice one of me reading in a cafe)

Just voted for In a Free State for the #manbookergoldenprize and wanted to say why! Would I say it was the shortlisted book that I enjoyed reading the most? No, English Patient and Moon Tiger were better reads for me, but IAFS was the one that had me thinking the most, and it felt to me like the one that most summed up what I want the Booker prize to stand for. How did other people vote???

BarbaraBB Maybe you are right, but I really didn‘t like it. I think Wolf Hall is a good candidate as well but in the end I voted for the one Iliked most, which was An English Patient (with Moon Tiger second)! 7y

Emilymdxn @BarbaraBB if I‘d been gonna vote for the one I personally enjoyed reading most it would have been the English Patient for sure - I did really like wolf hall when I read it but idk if it had as much to say as IAFS, and I guess that‘s what I prioritized. Didn‘t actually read Lincoln in the Bardo lol no time. At least they‘re all better than Flights!! 7y

Simona I voted today for Wolf Half, and my reasons are the same as yours for In a Free State ... @BarbaraBB Moon Tiger is on the second place for me too! 7y

28 likes3 comments

Emilymdxn

In a Free State | V.S. Naipaul

pick

3/5 for the #manbookergoldenprize

I thought it was immensely well written, well crafted, mature, thoughtful and the writer is clearly a genius. There was nothing about that that I thought was done badly or crudely, which is why I marked it as a pick. At the same time it was just so brutal and depressing I didn‘t really enjoy a second of reading it so it‘s hard to say I truly loved it. Would absolutely read more by this author tho

BarbaraBB I know what you mean. I had a hard time finishing this book. I did however really like some of his others. 7y

Emilymdxn @BarbaraBB I read it really fast but honestly felt I was trying to get through it rather than enjoying reading it. I have the enigma of arrival sitting in my kindle cause a friend recommended it highly, I think from the blurb it sounds more up my street 7y

BarbaraBB I have enjoyed his travel books, like A Turn in the South and Among Believers. Another non-travel book (A bend in the river) I bailed on. 7y

Emilymdxn @BarbaraBB ooh ill put those on my wishlist I love getting recommendations! 7y

27 likes4 comments

Emilymdxn

Moon Tiger | Penelope Lively

pick

Loved this book! In with a chance of being my pick for the #manbookergoldenprize though I‘m still sort of hoping to read one that‘s this mind blowing and less colonial. I was a bit uncomfortable with some of the descriptions of foreign countries, they felt quite dated. I loved the writing style and the protagonist though, it was a very complicated beautiful book.

BarbaraBB I liked this one a lot, just as An English Patient. But I read them long ago and wouldn‘t know if I‘d love them as much today. I am still not sure what book to vote for! 7y

Emilymdxn @BarbaraBB the only 2 I‘ve read so far are this one and Wolf Hall - id probably say this one was most to my taste but wolf hall was ‘better‘ if I‘m trying to be objective? Gonna be hard to make my mind up after I ram even more books in there! 7y

BarbaraBB I feel the same about Wolf Hall in relation to this one. And I must say I still often think about Wolf Hall. 7y

Emilymdxn @BarbaraBB I definitely enjoyed wolf hall more than I was expecting to! I don‘t tend to like anything set among Tudors but I did enjoy it enough to buy the sequel. I don‘t think it‘ll end up being my pick for this prize but then they all look so good 7y

30 likes4 comments

BarbaraBB

In a Free State | V.S. Naipaul

so-so

Two English people, Bobby and Linda, undertake a long car journey across an unnamed East African country (Uganda?) where a coup by the president has just displaced the king. Just freed of colonialism the president‘s men replicate the selfsame power structures, similar instruments of oppression of their own peoples as the whites did before.
During their road trip Bobby and Linda (both so white and racist) become aware of... (continued below 👇)

BarbaraBB ...how serious the situation has become.
While I write this summary I realize the plot is very good. Yet somehow I didn‘t enjoy reading it. It‘s Naipaul‘s style, the dialogues and the racism that botters me. My vote for the #ManBookerGoldenPrize won‘t go to this one. #1001books (edited) 7y

Cinfhen Great review and definitely NOT something I want to read any longer #BookerBabe 💕 7y

Simona Hmmm ... now I‘m worried... 7y

See All 6 Comments

emilyhaldi Sounds tough 🤔 7y

BarbaraBB @Simona You may like it, the thought behind it is really good. 7y

BarbaraBB @emilyhaldi Yes, a tough read. And disappointing in the end. No need to read it! @Cinfhen 7y

67 likes1 stack add6 comments

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books