Comments on: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

By: Trevor

Trevor — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:05:49 +0000

Here's an interesting list of the "Top Ten Forgotten Pulitzer Prize Winning Novels". I have read only one (and that one I've read twice!): Steven Millhauser's Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer.

By: Trevor

Trevor — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:35:58 +0000

Don’t forget: Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists announced on Monday, April 20.

By: Trevor

Trevor — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:55:17 +0000

I'll make sure to get links to those. I read and enjoyed The Reluctant Fundamentalist, but I didn't read Animal's People, primarily because of a NY Times review.

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:06:37 +0000

If you do set up a post, in addition to your own recent Wao review, Pechorin’s journal has a very good one up now for Reluctant Fundamentalist and Asylum loved Animal’s People last year. You probably know all that already, so just delete this post.

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:55:08 +0000

I think the timeliness issue has also been one of the reasons I’ve ignored it — never paid attention until the winner was announced and then said, oh, that book. This is the first year I’ve stumbled across the shortlist and that was quite inadvertent. Incidentally, I think the reason for the delay is that nominations come from public library systems (I now like this prize even more for that reason, which I did not discover until today). I know you have librarian contacts on this blog and perhaps they could tell us more.

Finally, on the timeliness issue. When I see the three books I like and five I don’t know, I have to conclude that the five I don’t kinow are “new” books to me (which might be quite good) even if they were published a few years ago.

By: Trevor

Trevor — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:15:13 +0000

I’m going to need help with the IMPAC. I’ve looked into it before only briefly because it seems so after-the-fact. The three books you mentioned were published in 2007 and recognized then and in 2008. That said, I am sure much of this is my own ignorance: I don’t know much about the award. I will put up a page for comments and the like, though. That seems to be one of the best ways to get the information I’m lacking!

About the other three American titles you mentioned. I had only heard of (or at least, I only remember hearing of) Man Gone Down. It was one of the NY Times five best books of fiction in 2007. I looked into it, picked it up a few times, but I have yet to commit more time to it than that. I’m certainly interested in your comments.

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:01:57 +0000

Trevor: You and I, too our shame as prize watchers, tend to overlook the IMPAC award which consistently produces an interesting winner. They announced their shortlist last week and I’ve actually read almost half of it — Oscar Wao, The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Animal’s People. The means I’ve missed on three American titles — The Archivist’s Story, The Indian Clerk and Man Gone Down — have you or any other visitor here an opinion on any. Completing the list are two translations; from the French, Ravel and from the Norwegian The Burnt Out Town of Miracles. Again I would be interested in any opinions.

Since I liked all three of the books on this list that I have read, I’m certainly going to be investigating the rest — the prize doesn’t get awarded until June. If you set up a comment section, I promise to share thoughts. And I’d sure be interested in opinions on those three American titles since I have missed them all.

By: Trevor

Trevor — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:30:50 +0000

By the way, my picks are Winner: Joseph O'Neill: Netherland Finalists: Susan Choi: A Person of Interest; Marilynne Robinson: Home I did pick The Road the year it won, so I'm a contender!

By: Trevor

Trevor — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:49:31 +0000

CONTEST! PRIZE! KevinfromCanada is hosting a contest on his blog. Pick the Pulitzer. Prize is $75 gift certificate to any online bookseller of your choice that will take his card. Don't miss out! Click here for the link.