Comments on: The Lost Man Booker Prize

By: Trevor

Trevor — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:42:55 +0000

Of all of the books above, I think The Vivisector is the one I’ve most encountered in the blog world. Glad to see your review, kimbofo, which was posted quite a while before I started blogging.

And though I didn’t care for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie when I reviewed it a year or so ago, my wife and I watched the film version a few weeks ago, and I’m pleased to say that some of my questions about the book are still there — only now they are more intriguing :).

By: kimbofo

kimbofo — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:06:40 +0000

I’m delighted to see Patrick White on there. I read the Vivisector a couple of years ago (review here: http://kimbofo.typepad.com/readingmatters/2006/10/the_vivisector_.html ), and while it was hard work it was a hugely rewarding read.

Also pleased to see Nina Bawden named. I haven’t read The Birds in the Trees, although I bought a copy of it last year not long after I read her brilliant A Woman of My Age.

Oh, and I have Muriel Spark’s The Driver’s Seat in my TBR. I must dig it out for a read. She’s become a recent favourite of mine.

By: Max Cairnduff

Max Cairnduff — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:17:44 +0000

Forgot to say, although it’s nice to see Aldiss getting some recognition, The Hand Reared Boy (which is supposed to be pretty well written) isn’t typical of his output.

Aldiss was a highly regarded science fiction writer who also wrote some non-sf (such as this one). The main reason he’s remembered though is for the sf, which was read to a degree outside sf circles. Arguably for me that puts the wrong book on the list in terms of his body of work. That said, this is what he had out in 1970, so there’s not much choice.

Still, I suspect the reason he’s on the list is for his sf, not this novel. A case I think of awarding the man for the novel that’s eligible, rather than for the novel that should be on the list.

By: Max Cairnduff

Max Cairnduff — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:08:42 +0000

The Deighton sounds very interesting, I think he’s an underappreciated writer, Fleming gets all the attention but Deighton’s better I think.

Master and Commander’s a lot of fun. One of the best portrayals of friendship around, and it contains the immortal line:

“Jack, you have debauched my sloth.”

I suspect the prize is an attempt to promote the Booker generally, get a bit more buy in, but I don’t think the issues with the Booker are related to a lack of popular vote or anything like that.

By: Trevor

Trevor — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:32:08 +0000

I share your happiness, Colette. I like books from the sixties and seventies, so the list, and particularly the shortlist, will be a lot of fun for me.

Max, I saw Master and Commander when it came out several years ago, but I’ve never read the book. Also, I’m particularly interested in the Deighton from what I’ve heard.

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:31:31 +0000

I agree with Max — looks to me like they had to do a lot of stretching to get a list. I think I actually read the Deighton at the time, but he has long since left my list of favorite authors. I know I’ve read The Fire-Dwellers and The Driver’s Seat (and may use this prize as an excuse to reread both since I’ve had both Spark and Laurence on my re-visit list). And I think I read the Murdoch at the time — I used to be keen on her but all the books started to seem the same.

By: Max Cairnduff

Max Cairnduff — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:48:22 +0000

I own Troubles, it’s the first of a very highly regarded trilogy, I’ve not started it yet though.

Master and Commander is marvellous, Napoleonic naval fiction, inspired a recent film which rather messed it up by condensing the plot of four of the relevant novels into one film which made it a bit of a muddle.

Seems a slightly populist list. HE Bates? Len Deighton? I like both, but I’m not sure I’d put either up for a Booker.

By: Colette Jones

Colette Jones — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:15:13 +0000

I was happy to see this prize announced. I have only read Susan Hill’s I’m the King of the Castle, but I have Margaret Laurence’s The Fire Dwellers on the shelf, and liked her Diviners very much.

It is interesting that Robertson Davies’ Fifth Business is what brought the issue to the fore, yet it did not make the list.