Today the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize was announced.
- Peter Carey: Parrot and Olivier in America [1]
- Emma Donoghue: Room
- Damon Galgut: In a Strange Room [2]
- Howard Jacobson: The Finkler Question
- Andrea Levy: The Long Song
- Tom McCarthy: C [3]
I’m glad to see Galgut and McCarthy on the list, as those were two excellent books. I’m not surprised to see Carey on the list, though I hope it does not win. Like many others, I’m surprised not to see David Mitchell’s The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet [4] there. My surprise, though, is based on the fact that so many people loved it, and not because I think it is deserving. Personally, I’m happy to see it off the list, as I hope Mitchell one day wins for a stronger work. Of the four longlist titles I read, it was my least favorite — a real disappointment, actually. However, from word of mouth, I suspect I will like Room even less. The Finkler Question and The Long Song are two I’ve been curious about, so I hope to read them.
As for availability in the United States, you can get Carey, McCarthy, and Levy in hardback (though I haven’t seen the Levy in stores for a while; perhaps that will change now — I hope.). You can purchase Galgut and now Jacobson from the Kindle store. Donoghue will be published on September 13.
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