Hello
Gentle Reader,
The
International Booker Prize has recently announced their longlist for 2022. Thirteen
titles from across the geographical and the linguistic world. Since its
inception (post-2015), the International Booker Prize has made a conscious effort
to promote translated literature within the English language. Previous winners are:
Han Kang – 2016 – “The Vegetarian,”
David Grossman – 2017 – “A Horse Walks
into a Bar,”
Olga Tokarczuk – 2018 – “Flights,”
Jokha Alharthi – 2019 – “Celestial Bodies,”
Marieke Lucas Rijneveld – 2020 – “The
Discomfort of Evening,”
David Diop – 2021 – “At Night All Blood is
Black,”
Han
Kang was the first winner in its new format, with her gracefully penetrating
violent psychological novel “The Vegetarian,” which has since sealed her fate
as one of the most important literary writers of South Korea, whose graceful
and emotionally impact novels are renowned for their subtle lyricism and
elegance. In the case of 2018, Olga Tokarczuk had quite the year, her reputation
sone of Poland’s most innovative and important writers of the late 20th
Century and early 21st Century had finally secured its foothold in
the English language. The following year, Tokarczuk was named the retroactive
Nobel Laureate in Literature for 2018.
The
International Booker Prize is not without controversy. Personally for 2019 and
2020, there appeared to be far more deserving candidates for the prize on the
shortlist. The favourite writer to receive the prize in 2019 was Annie Ernaux
with her masterpiece of social cartography and memoir, “The Years,” a true
masterpiece of autofiction, showing the forms ability to move beyond the
personal recollection and reflection, and in turn, become an encompassing
social critique through the personal perspective, as one moves through the ages.
“The Years,” was a time capsule of melding memories, thoughts, perspectives,
and noted changes within society between the 1940’s and late 2000’s.
In
2020, the debut novel of Marieke Lucas Rijneveld won the International Booker Prize,
which was followed by jovial praise, though stalked with a muted reception and
disinterest. One can see how Rijneveld’s novel “The Discomfort of Evening,”
could be considered a striking contender for the prize, yet it seemed to still
show the hallmark of growing pains and a writer still coming into their own. Personally,
I thought Yoko Ogawa’s recently translated (and long waited for) novel: “The Memory
Place,” was by far the more deserving the book. I suspected as the COVID-19
pandemic had only just begun, and the novel was a dystopian parable of memory
and absence as they impact reality, became to be seen as a topical treatise on
the amendments of perceived normal structures of reality, as the pandemic raged
on. In this sense, the novel may have been considered too topical, too
immediate; even though it was written more than two decades prior and was
inspired more by Anne Frank’s experience then any societal changes caused by a public
health crisis.
In
short, the International Booker Prize doesn’t always get it right; but the goal
to spotlight and highlight translated literature into English is admirable and
should not be dismissed on the grounds of conflicting literary taste.
This
years International Booker Prize includes 13 titles from across the linguistic world,
it includes both returning writers and winners, as well as welcomes new first-time
nominees. This year’s longlist consists of the following writers:
Olga Tokarczuk – Poland – “The Book of
Jacob,”
David Grossman – Israel – “More Than I Love
My Life,”
Mieko Kawakami – Japan – “Heaven,”
Jonas Eika – Denmark – “After the Sun,”
Bora Chung – (South) Korea – “Cursed Bunny,”
Jon Fosse – Norway – “A New Name:
Septology VI-VII,”
Geetanjali Shree – India (Hindi Language) –
“Tomb of Sand,”
Paulo Scott – Brazil – “Phenotypes,”
Violaine Huisman – France – “The Book of
Mother,”
Sang Young Park – (South Korea) – “Love in
the Big City,”
Claudia Piñeiro – Argentinian – “Elena
Knows,”
Norman Erikson Pasaribu – Indonesia – “Happy
Stories, Mostly,”
Fernanda Melchor – Mexico – “Paradis,”
It
not a Booker Prize if Previous winners are not included on the longlist and
more then likely inducted onto the shortlist, as in the case of both Olga Tokarczuk
and David Grossman. In the case of Olga Tokarczuk, “The Book of Jacob,” has
been called her crowning achievement, her magnum opus in her bibliography. “The
Book of Jacob,” is massive as it is ambitious, an encyclopedic novel as it traces
the life and discourse of Jacob Frank, in a fashion that is all Tokarczuk, the
novel is a kaleidoscope of constellations, fragmentations, and perspectives. David
Grossman in turn finds himself nominated for his novel: “More Than I Love My
Life,” recalls three generations (told through the perspective of three
different women) who must account and disclose the personal within the context
of the political. Its unfortunate to state, but Israeli writers are inevitably thrust
within a political context when writing, and their work is always framed within
this context. David Grossman embraces this context and skillfully melds both
the political and the personal with ease, providing a panoramic perspective of
the Israeli condition and the complications this experience has on the
individual. “More Than I Love My Life,” is a Matryoshka doll, where secrets
within secrets are unfolded, unpacked, and pulled back. Its an onion marriage
of personal tragedy within the nuptials of the political. David Grossman
embraces and understands the situation of being a Israeli writer, where
political allegiances or statements are expected to be declared or made, and
ironically even in avoiding such affairs becomes in itself a political
decision. Grossman’s ability to embrace and work within this context is
admirable and respectable. “More Than I Love My Life,” appears to be praised as
expected of any Grossman novel.
Geetanjali
Shree has been singled out on the longlist for being the first Hindi language
writers to be included on an International Booker Prize nomination list. Her novel
“Tomb of Sand,” has been described as a marvelous treatise on changing course
and confronting the past, both personal, historical, and of course political. Through
sly humour and gentle wordplay, Geetanjali Shree brings to life the colourful land
of India and brings to light the trauma of partition but also the reconciliation
undertaken in a post-partition political landscape. Mieko Kawakami has also made
it onto this year’s longlist. Mieko Kawakami has long been established as a
literary star and darling in Japan and has only recently begun making waves int
the English-speaking world, along with Sayaka Murata, and the newly
rediscovered Hiromi Kawakami. I suspect the attention presented towards Mieko
Kawakami is English language publishers are intensely looking for a Haruki
Murakami successor. Another Japanese language writer who can speak to their
youthful dissatisfaction on the modern world and its existential dilemmas, while
parading oneself as being approachable and literary in sensibilities. Further
interest I am sure was presented to Mieko Kawakami, when Haruki Murakami endorsed
as one of his favourite younger writers. To see Kawakami nominated with her
novel “Heaven,” which recounts a unique freedom inducing treatise on the idea
of bullying. I have not read Mieko Kawakami, though an overview of her literary
themes and preoccupations does state that she seems increasingly interested in
societal and social themes, where Murakami was more introverted or adverse to providing
any commentary on social conditions or societal expectations. In the larger
context, Meiko Kawakami appears to be lumped into a group of other female
writers who share similar thematic preoccupations or perspectives: Sayaka
Murata, Natsuko Imamura, and Hiroko Oyamada; these writers are of similar age
and have taken a more critical view of Japanese society, often through a female
perspective, where they critique social norms and expectations, often within surreal
or deamesque landscapes, be it imagined or uncertainly real (at least in the
case of Hiroko Oyamada); while in the case of Sayaka Murata and Natsuko
Imamura, the protagonists have rich interior lives that influence their
relationship with the external world.
Sang
Young Park and his novel, “Love in the Big City,” would be aptly described as a
Korean chimera of Haruki Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood,” and the dissatisfaction
and casual nihilism of Michel Houellebecq. Between casual sex, alcohol,
cigarettes, and aimlessness the narrator of the novel confronts the directionless
trajectory of his life, the hedonism he employees as escapism, and the all-consuming
nihilism of urban realities. I am sure its one of those novels, that young
people and professional will gravitate towards, and in the pages find elements
of their own experience within it. Another young writer on this year’s longlist
is the Danish writer, Jonas Eika, whose short story collection explores how
reality can be more surreal then even our most vivid and twisted thoughts. “After
the Sun,” explores the engrossingly surreal world of our globalized world and
its transactional cruelties and pleasures, its indiscriminate pointlessness, Eika
provides an orgiastic thrill of new and exciting, as well as bizarre stories
reminiscent of the literary tycoons of American postmodernism.
Two
years ago, Fernanda Melchor was nominated for the International Booker Prize with
her novel: “Hurricane Season,” she now returns with her novel: “Paradise.” Fernanda
Melchor has formed a literary reputation completely contrary from the Latin
American Boom. There is no magical realism or fantastic flights of fantasy to
be found. Melchor does not seek to exoticize the painful realities of Mexico,
instead, with steely strength and iron certainty she provides an overview of
the Mexican reality of the people. “Paradise,” is no different, recounting the dissatisfaction
the people of the county feel towards their situation, however privileged or
grueling it is. I do find it interesting that this year’s judges included Jon
Fosse and his novel: “A New Name: Septology VI-VII,” is part of a series of
novels following the lives of Asle and Asleik and is written in the signature
hypnotic prose Fosse is renowned for, creating a bewildering dream like
narrative which ebbs and flows within the shifting tides of the languages
steady rhythm washing ashore and receding back. Still, it is odd to think the judges
who single this work out on its own. Literary series, usually require some
context and precedence in order to be understood via each installation. Even when
Jon Fosse won the Nordic Council Literature Prize, it was for his complete
Trilogy (“Wakefulness,” “Olav’s Dreams,” and “Weariness,”). There is no denying
that Jon Fosse is a great writer and is considered one of the modern masters of
the drama, who has equal command of the prose form. I do find it odd, however,
that this part of the series would be nominated or be considered more worthy
then the other two components.
And
so is this years International Booker Prize Longlist, a mixture of both past
winners and nominated writers and new writers.
Thank-you
For Reading Gentle Reader
Take
Care
And
As Always
Stay
Well Read
M.
Mary
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