The Man Booker International Prize

Hello Gentle Reader

It certainly does look like spring is finally here. The tree's have finally budded their leaf's, and a few have already opened their leaves up. The sound of lawn mowers in the evenings, and weekends can fill the air. Children no longer run outside with their coats on. Most of the time they are in shorts and tee shirts, riding their bikes, or rolling bladeing. A few times, a skateboarder can be seen. People are taking their dogs for a walk more frequently, and it can certainly tell that life of spring and soon summer, has become more and more apparent in the last few weeks and certainly in the coming days. After a cold long winter it is nice to see people, shed their winter coats, and welcome the sun, and all that comes with it. Though that is not all that is coming out of this new season, and the warm weather that the sun has bestowed upon, the world. Mosquitoes, the blood sucking parasites have already shown themselves. I am sure that the infestation of the summer pest will become more and more intense, as summer becomes more and more closer. Yet I look forward to seeing the flowers blooming. The rainbows of life, that has waited through the long winter months to show themselves. After the long winter monochromic months, of white, greys and dark black nights; and then the transition period of winter to spring, with all the melting white snow, and the barren brown landscape that is left over after winter, has finally receded, the spring and the summer is able to shine through. It certainly does feel like when spring and summer come, that the time of winter never lasts as long as it feels like, then when summer’s heat finally gets tiring one can only wish for winter to come faster and faster, because the heat has grown old -- and so has the sounds of children with nothing to do over their summer break. Yet for this glorious time when it’s nice to see some sun, and it is nice to see some green in the world, winter can wait until its appropriate time.

But this blog is not about spring and summer. No, this blog is about the Man Booker International Prize! A prize that is awarded biannually to: "a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language."

Past winners of this prize include:

2005 - Ismail Kadare

2007 - Chinua Achebe

2009 - Alice Munro

The nominee's of this international prize, have included some interesting authors such as: Naguib Mahfouz (1988 Nobel Prize Laureate of Literature), Milan Kundera, Margaret Atwood, Don DeLillo, Kenzaburo Oe (1996 Nobel Prize Laureate of Literature), Joyce Carol Oates, Peter Carey (winner of the booker prize twice), Dubravka Ugrešić, Lyudmila Ulitskaya, V. S. Naipaul (2001 Nobel Prize Laureate of Literature), and even Phillip Pullman.

As one can see from list of nominee's that the prize is awarded to some big name authors, some of which have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and others who have also been whispered about being contenders for the Nobel Prize for Literature.

This year's winner of the Man Booker International Prize, is one of America's most prominent, well read, and enjoyed author; but also controversial author. Philip Roth is the one who won this prize. Congratulations to Philip Roth of course. Congratulations are of course always do when an author of course deserves them.

Now it is time for me rain on dear Philip Roth’s parade in my lovely way -- that sounds rather pompous and assholish does it not? Oh well can't say that I am much of a person that truly cares. I have not read a book by Philip Roth. However reading an article titled "Philip Roth Blows Up," by Jennifer Senior that, that might change. However something certainly did catch my eye with this lovely quote in the article:

""Whether I will ever persuade the Nobel Prize people -- and I have tried -- I don't know," sighs Harold Bloom. "He's not terribly politically correct, you know. And they are.""

Harold Bloom is a literary critic that I do not have much respect for. He certainly does appear to be a person that does not to know when to stop the sentence where it should be stopped. He continues on and on and on, until he says something just absolutely uncalled for. Truly if Mr. Bloom wanted Philip Roth to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, he should be using more tact in persuasion then just walking around and saying such remarks, and insults towards the Swedish Academy. No matter what anyone says, the Swedish Academy is run by human beings, and human beings feel insults. Such an insult that Harold Bloom felt was necessary to use, could anger the Swedish Academy, and in retribution award the Prize to another deserving author. However Harold Blooms comments, always do seem like something that American's usually say -- at least their critic's anyway; they have that sense of "Well we are just wasting our time with this, might as well make an ass of one's self, and find enjoyment of everyone else cheering me on, because I am speaking the 'truth.'" Perhaps I feel somewhat bitter over Harold Blooms comment about Doris Lessing the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature of 2007, as bemoaning of once again the political correctness of the award and how it was awarded to a writer "fourth-rate science fiction." Truly such comments make me laugh. It does certainly appear that, when an author (other then American) wins the Nobel Prize for Literature, Harold Bloom, along with his companions and friends, scoff at the award because it was awarded to other authors like Herta Muller or Mario Vargas Llosa among others.

Yet many authors and people should recognize the beauty of the award being awarded to authors, who are not as popular as Philip Roth but other lesser known authors like Herta Muller. The Nobel Prize for Literature I consider myself to be an award that recognizes authors known and unknown in the international community, and living in North America often that leaves me to discover these authors by pure chance, or by the Nobel Prize being Awarded to one of them. I still cannot thank the Swedish Academy for Awarding the Nobel Prize for Literature to Herta Muller.

Perhaps Mr. Philip Roth should not feel bad for not being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Its not something that he should be aiming to achieve like his friends, appear to be aiming for him to achieve. Personally I think Philip Roth should be doing what he is doing, and keep writing. To keep working, and producing new works. If an American writer deserves the Nobel Prize for Literature I would certainly say that it is Philip Roth or Joyce Carol Oats respectively. Though I have not read works by either one of these authors I do confess. Yet I do certainly see these authors as more deserving then Thomas Pynchon -- who once again I do confess I have not read. I guess I am a poor Canadian for not reading more works from my neighbours, down to the south.

Either way though hopefully The Man Booker International Prize of 2011 will hopefully fill that void of not winning the Nobel Prize for Literature for a while. It should be noticed that Philip Roth beat out these author finalists:

Wang Anyi
Juan Goytisolo
James Kelman
John le Carré
Amin Maalouf
David Malouf
Dacia Maraini
Rohinton Mistry
Philip Pullman
Marilynne Robinson
Su Tong
Anne Tyler

I mean personally when I read the list of the finalists I wanted:

James Kelman
John le Carré
Dacia Maraini
Philip Pullman

To win. So Philip Roth beat out my favourites -- not that, that counts for much, but he should be happy that he won the award. Hopefully he can produce more works for his avid readers, and growing international readership.

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
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M. Mary