Comments on: Barry Unsworth: Sacred Hunger

By: Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of Poppies « The Mookse and the Gripes

Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of Poppies « The Mookse and the Gripes — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:02:22 +0000

[...] familiar and run-of-the-mill. It probably doesn’t help that I read Barry Unsworth’s Sacred Hunger earlier this year. The two are alike in style (both have a similar narrative thrust and feel) but [...]

By: Trevor Berrett

Trevor Berrett — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:35:22 +0000

Thanks for the link to that great interview, Lizzy. Unsworth gave nice long answers to the questions. It’s especially encouraging to see him at such an age still talk with excitement about the inception of a new book! I think that soon I will pick out a few more of his books to read.

And thanks for the kind words about my blog. I enjoy yours too, and especially like the photos of your book piles!

By: lizzysiddal

lizzysiddal — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:35:40 +0000

I’ve been hoping in vain for Barry Unsworth to come up to Edinburgh but it may be a little too cold for him now that he’s been abroad for so many years. Still you may enjoy this interview at:

http://www.kwls.org/lit/kwls_blog/2008/06/intensity_of_ilusiona_conversa.cfm

Great blog and great review of one of my favourite Booker winners.

By: Trevor Berrett

Trevor Berrett — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:07:15 +0000

Next time I read an Unsworth novel I’ll have to imagine it in the voice of Sean Connery then! Thanks for the insight on Unsworth, Isabel. I have yet to mix and mingle with any author who has been up for one of the major prizes. Maybe someday!

By: Isabel

Isabel — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:18:49 +0000

Morality Play was my first Unsworth and it was worthy.

I met him many years ago, when he came to the Tennessee Williams Festival. He is very nice and funny and sounds like Sean Connery and he admits that he sounds like Sean because they are from the same part of the world.

By: Trevor Berrett

Trevor Berrett — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:50:50 +0000

That’s good news for me, then, Isabel, since I have yet to read any other Unsworth book and I liked this one. I did almost pick up Morality Play a couple of days ago – do you recommend it?

And though I liked it, I agree about the poor writing style. It felt sophomoric. In my post on J.G. Farrell’s The Siege of Krishnapur I noted that I wished Farrell had written Sacred Hunger too – his style was so much more sophisticated and nuanced, which works better for a historical novel in my mind, especially one taking on such a weighty subject.

By: Isabel

Isabel — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:47:51 +0000

Of all the Unsworth books that I have read, this is my least favorite. The writing style was not good.

I don’t understand why it won the Booker.