Today the finalists for the 2011 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction were announced. The winner will be announced on March 15.
- Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad
- The Collected Stories of Deborah Eisenberg
- Jaimy Gordon’s Lord of Misrule
- Eric Pucher’s Model Home
- Brad Watson’s Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives
So we have one debut novel (Model Home) and two collections of short stories (The Collected Stories of Deborah Eisenberg and Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives) going up against two novels that have already received quite a bit of attention and critical acclaim, Lord of Misrule having won the National Book Award and A Visit from the Goon Squad being a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
I read and really enjoyed A Visit from the Goon Squad (though KevinfromCanada and John Self really disliked it). I’ve also read several of Deborah Eisenberg’s short stories in this collection (they’re great). I’ve also got Lord of Misrule on the reading docket. However, now the question is whether to add Model Home and Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives to the reading list.
Add them anyway, just for the hell of it! If they’re deemed worthy of such other company then you’d have to be at least intrigued. Those final two: never heard of them so I will have a look there.
On Egan: it’s a funny one. I loved it, but other than yourself I know no takers.
As I have mentioned on my blog, Eric Puchner is the same sort of writer as Franzen, though less political and not quite as crisp with his prose. But the general themes and feel of his novel are quite similar to the themes and feel of Franzen’s last two. So my recommendation would be to add him if you like Franzen. Don’t if you don’t.
That’s helpful, Kerry, and now that you mention it I remember you saying some book felt like Franzen — I apparently cared so little about a book that felt like Franzen that I forgot which it was. Without any real reason, I’m just not in the mood for Franzen or for that type of book right now. Perhaps when I actually get around to reading Franzen I will find myself quite the fan, and then I will read Eric Puchner’s book.
Brad Watson’s interests me, though.
Kerry’s review was enough to convince me I would not like the Puchner — I seem to have read a number of these “widescreen” novels lately and am suffering from an overload (Linda Grant’s We Had It So Good would be my favorite). As you know, I rated Lord of Misrule very highly. And I’m afraid I simply have too many short story collections on hand to want to add some more — if one of them wins, I’d probably give it a try.
Although I love Egan’s book, I really hope Eisenberg wins this one. Her stories are brilliant. Haven’t read a collection so strong since Amy Hempel’s.
I have a copy of Twilight Of The Superheroes and I can certainly attest to Eisenberg’s skill.
Brad Watson’s (the above title impossible to get hold of for now here) The Heaven Of Mercury is exceptional – he’s a surprise. A genuine find, for me anyway. I can’t believe he isn’t better known here (how’s his profile over there, Trevor?).
I saw Brad Watson’s book in a bookstore yesterday, but I didn’t pick it up because I still don’t know much about him. I could be missing it, Lee, but I don’t get the sense that he’s well known here. Perhaps a PEN/Faulkner win will change that — it will certainly make me get a hold of this book.
That’s surprising. On the basis of the earlier book, he certainly seems more than capable of winning such an award. I will certainly grab the new one when it’s out here.