Hello Gentle Reader
Once again, it is the Booker Prize longlist. These twelve books will be reduced in September to a six shortlisted books. This year’s longlist appears interesting. The judges chose works on their literary merits alone. They chose their work on literary merits, with no regards to the reputation of the authors, themselves. One of the key reasons for the selected twelve books, is that the judges of this year’s panel wanted something that inspired and improved with each time it was read. Not many books achieve such a goal. Some others will. There was no real public outcry (yet) from the literary establishment, Established authors have been pushed aside for now with these books. Martin Amis and his new novel “Lionel Asbo: State of England,” has been long listed, nor was Zadie Smith’s new novel “NW,” was also not shortlisted. Also surprisingly “The Chemistry of Tears,” was also not long listed. This lead to room for breathing for sure. However curiously enough Will Self has blown onto this year’s longlist with his new novel: “Umbrella,” which takes place in an old grand Victorian Mental Asylum after the Great War, where a curious psychiatrist tries to cure the patients of “Encephalitis lethargica,” (a sleeping sickness) with disastrous results. Told in a stream-of consciousness style, Will Self may achieve the intended goal, even though his short stories in “The Grey Area,” left me lost bored and rather unamused by what felt like a person writing a story for their own sophistic enjoyment. A private affair in which the author alone was invited. Another known name on the list is Hilary Mantel the former Booker Prize winning writer and her novel “Bringing up the Bodies,” has also been long listed.
The other novels for the Booker long list are as follows:
“The Yips,” by Nicola Barker – a novel set in two-thousand and six before the entire concept of instant communication was taken by storm with twitter, and is a vicious rump of a comic novel, that has some extravagant characters.
“The Teleportation Acciden,” – by Ned Beauman is a novel about a man who needs to get laid. At least that’s what the publishers are saying. Concerning itself with historical fiction L.A. Noir (James Elroy the demon dog of American Letters) with a hint of science fiction, and a lot of satire, leads to a comical novel, about a man needing to get laid.
“Philida,” by André Brink – the renowned and controversial South African’s novel is best described as a slave narrative. Yet it is also personal for the author. Considering that the slave owners last name is shared with the author himself. A sense of family redemption.
“The Garden of Evening Mists,” by Tan Twan Eng – caught my interests far before the Booker Longlist. Concerning the time after World War II about a lawyer who is on the case of persecuting Japanese war criminals, as she is herself a survivor of a Japanese camp. Interestingly enough she begins an apprenticeship with a gardener who is Japanese of the said garden, breaks down the political turmoil of both characters and their friendship.
“Skios,” by Michael Frayn – is one of those intellectual comedies that are not really all that funny (at least not in my opinion). Reminiscent of Kingsley Amis and Howard Jacobson this novel concerns the mistaken identity of Doctor Norman Wilfred is set to lecture on the scientific organization of science.
“The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry,” by Rachel Joyce – is a deeply personal one for the author. In nineteen-ninety six the work began as a radio play and eventually grew into the said novel. It concerns the adventure and journey of the said Harold Fry who receives a letter from a one-time colleague Queenie from a hospice. From there Harold writes a letter and sets out to deliver it – on foot.
“Swimming Home,” by Deborah Levy – About a young woman who stalks a poet during holidays with this family. She becomes friends with the writers daughter and spies on the wife who invites her to stay. It’s a interrogating novel about the secrets we all have and the ones keep even from ourselves.
“The Lighthouse,” by Allison Moore – is about a man trying to find himself, during a holiday in Germany where he is walking (a walking holiday). There it leads into deep introspection and melancholic realism the character becomes lost and adrift, and contemplates the realities of path not taken.
“Narcopolis,” by Jeet Thayli – concerns it’s with the opium dens of 70’s which lead to heroin addiction and a brutal rise in modernity. It’s a novel that is deeply personal with the author who spent twenty years drinking and getting drunk, battling with alcoholism and discussing writing and writers.
“Communion Town,” by Sam Thompson – Is the last and least of the novels long listed. One of the more interesting novels as well along with “The Lighthouse,.” “Narcopolis,” “The Garden of Evening Mists,” and “Philda.” It’s a novel about a dreamlike drifting city, and is written in ten interlinked tales of varying genres (reminding me of David Mitchell’s early work) it tips its hat off to Italo Calvino and Jorge Luis Borges.
There you have it Gentle Reader, the Long listed novels of two thousand twelve for the Booker Prize
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
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M. Mary
