The Booker Prize Shortlist

Hello Gentle Reader

This year’s Booker Prize with its ‘global reach,’ has turned out to be rather disappointing. Of the six shortlisted authors, two are American; two are female – which is surprising, taking how few female authors had made it onto the longlist; and the other four are men. What makes the list disappointing however is that David Mitchell and his new ambitious novel “The Bone Clocks,” did not get on the shortlist, despite being favoured to possibly win by many. It has been reported to have been his best novel since his groundbreaking novel “Cloud Atlas.” Once again however, the Booker Prize judges have decided to play it conservatively and safely; rather than award such a genre bending unique novel, with ambitions that is upsetting the literary establishment. In the end the shortlist as follows:

“To Rise Again At a Decent Hour,” by Joshua Ferris
“The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” by Richard Flanagan
“We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves,” by Karen Joy Fowler
“J,” by Howard Jacobson
“The Lives of Others,” by Neel Mukherjee
“How to Be Both,” by Ali Smith

In the end its another disappointing dud of a year, with no book that truly stands out as anything but the conventional, that screams the usual, of what to expect from English language prose.

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