ManBookering discussion

SInce we made predictions for the normal longlist last year, thougt it would be fun for the International Prize.

This is a very good list of predictions https://tonysreadinglist.wordpress.co... - my own would be largely subsets of this.

Just FYI, I have moved this discussion to the predictions folder :)

I'll admit I haven't been as on top of translated fiction in the last year, in terms of doing my own research. So I don't have any predictions. That's why I love this prize-- it gives me 12 new translated works to check out!

13 I suspect. A "Booker Dozen" as they like to call it.

I am not sure I will have time to read the whole list this year (I did last year) - I may be on here asking for recommendations when the list comes out as I would like to read a few of them.

Neil- I'm in the same boat. Don't have time/money to read them all but definitely looking forward to picking up a few that stand out!

I would like to see Yuri Herrera's latest be nominated-- I really enjoyed Signs Preceding the End of the World

I plan to read them all but may be list dependent - does feel that there may be slim plckings this year when one looks at the list of what seems to be eligible vs some previous years.

I haven't been reading nearly as much translated fiction as I hoped to this year, so most of my predictions are based on hype/person interest. The ones I am most hoping to see are:

The Melancholy of Resistance by László Krasznahorkai
Sergio Y. by Alexandre Vidal Porto
Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was by Sjón
The Fox Was Ever the HunterHerta Müller
Panty by Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay

László Krasznahorkai has 3 eligible books this year, so he will almost definitely make the longlist, if not the shortlist.

I suck at predictions, so I just name some books I hope will be on the list.

Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin

Memoirs of a Polar Bear by Yōko Tawada

The Fox Was Ever the Hunter by Herta Müller

Constellation by Adrien Bosc

The Melancholy of Resistance by László Krasznahorkai

The Principle by Jérôme Ferrari

I am a massive Krasznahorkai fan but in a way I hope The Melancholy of Resistance doesn't make it as it's been available in the UK for years - the fact it in theory is was "published in the UK" only in 2016 seems rather artificial.

In particular when he won the 2015 authorial version of the MBI, the MBI judges actually cited the book as their key rationale:

http://themanbookerprize.com/resource...

As I have not had the chance to read that much recent translated literature my only prediction for this years MBI is that Europa Editions will have published one of the books on the list.

I agree with Max - time and money are an issue this year so I'll only be reading the winner (I'll invest in the Man Booker Longlist though) and I didn't read any translated fiction in the past year, bar the MiB longlisted books - although I do have panty on my TBR so if that gets in there, I'll read it. Other than that no predictions

I also agree with Paul regarding Krasznahorkai. I see it as a bit silly to include The Melancholy of Resistance this year.

Jeanne wrote: "As I have not had the chance to read that much recent translated literature my only prediction for this years MBI is that Europa Editions will have published one of the books on the list."

Publisher wise I would be surprised if Titled Axis aren't on the list - a new publisher set up by last year's winning translator deserves a slot and if it isn't Panty there is also the excellent One Hundred Shadows.

Oneworld have owned the Man Booker recently and have expressed their intention to target the MBI this year - and Britta has already highlighted the title likely to do it.

It also seems to be compulsory to include a Pereine Press book.

Robert wrote: "I agree with Max - time and money are an issue this year so I'll only be reading the winner (I'll invest in the Man Booker Longlist though) and I didn't read any translated fiction in the past year..."

Time and money are always an issue with me. I don't make it a practice to buy a book unless it's one I have on a list of "repeaters." I depend on my library for having the books. If they do not, I probably will not get to them. This practice makes it unfortunate for me as a member of this group because, once the long and short lists are read, we assume everyone has read the winner. That title gets put on the list of books we've read and isn't eligible for nominations later. It could be I'm the only one who has this situation. Anyone else?

Paula wrote: "Robert wrote: "I agree with Max - time and money are an issue this year so I'll only be reading the winner (I'll invest in the Man Booker Longlist though) and I didn't read any translated fiction i..."

I'm sure you aren't alone in that situation. In fact, I still haven't read last years Man Booker winner (The Sellout). But there are so many backlisted winners that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to spend another month outside of the prize window to read one that was on the shortlist/longlist that year. It's a great way to learn about more books to read in the future which one can do on their own time. Hope that makes sense!

It's here guys! http://themanbookerprize.com/news/man...

I've got to say I had no expectations, but I am a bit disappointed with the selection nonetheless. Very Euro-centric.

Since I haven't read the list, I cannot say if it is disappointing or not but I do have War and Turpentine on my TBR so I'll read that in the coming month and then I'll read the winner.

I have temporarily added all of them to my TBR. Later today I will review and decide which one to read first (suggestions?) and I may delete some if they don't sound all that interesting!

Barbara wrote: "It's here guys! http://themanbookerprize.com/news/man...

I've got to say I had no expectations, but I am a bit disappointed with the selection nonet..."

Agreed. Suspect it will come down to Fever Dream vs Compass.

Neil wrote: "I have temporarily added all of them to my TBR. Later today I will review and decide which one to read first (suggestions?) and I may delete some if they don't sound all that interesting!"

Compass and Fever Dream were the two that I would have read whether they were on thls list or not. Fish Have No Feet - I would actually recommend the author's other books before this. Can't comment (yet) on many of the others.

Paul wrote: "Suspect it will come down to Fever Dream vs Compass "

OK - that's a good place to start, then!

actually in true Man Booker fashion - Compass hasn't actually been published yet!

Nor Black Moses

Paul wrote: "actually in true Man Booker fashion - Compass hasn't actually been published yet!"

Was just going to say that! It's even more difficult to find the books if you don't live in the UK.

A very good - and quite opinionated - write up of the longlist by the always excellent Eileen Battersby at The Irish Times

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/boo...

For the forst time EVER, I predicted one of the 13 books! (Fever Dream). Compass and Swallow Mercury both sound interesting as well.

The Grossman-Book, Judas as well as Brick & Mortar (which was on the German bookprize longlist in 2013) were not my cup of tea at all.

And: anybody else surprised to see Lianke on the list again? Also surprised about War & Terpentine, good book, but no fiction.

I will read Fever Dream and Compass and maybe Swallow Mercury, and for the rest I will wait for the shortlist.

There are two I expected - predicted would be too strong as I didn't put my head above the parapet - (that one, and Compass as well). But there were several I thought were nailed on - a Tilted Axis book, a Pereine book, a Krasznahorkai book, Moonstone - which aren't there.

As my friend pointed out, there's a repeat author from last years list, Yan Lianke!

I also only had one of these books on my tbr previously but I've added them all for now and will hopefully get to the majority of them!

Also Kadare was the first winner of the previous incarnation as an author's award and Alain Mabanckou was a nominee for the last in 2015.

I'm going to start with Fever Dream. A bit disappointed by how short it appears to be (although "the best things come in small packages") - I thought it was short when it said 194 pages, but then I discovered that on my Kindle the physical page number goes up by 2 every time I turn the electronic page (I read using the smallest font the Kindle offers). So, I reckon it will be comfortably less than 100 electronic pages.

It is the shortest book per the amazon pagecount of books joint with Swallowing Mercury

Compass also won the Goncourt prize in 2015!

It's worth noting, by the way, that Alain Mabanckou (author of Black Moses) says he's from Congo, but overall, a very, very Eurocentric longlist.

The only one I have ever heard of was Fever Dream, so I'm intrigued by the list. But sadly, I looked into a lot of them, and most aren't easy to get your hands on here in the U.S. So I will probably just read Fever Dream and wait for the shortlist.

Only a little more than a month before the winner with be announced on 14 June. Any predictions yet?

Prediction: Compass (even though I hated it!).

Desire: A Horse Walks Into A Bar

Desire - anything other than Mirror, Shoulder, Signal

I would also like A Horse Walks Into A Bar but any of 5 are worthy winners

Prediction - Fever Dream

I would also be happy with Fever Dream.

Anya - you and me - like matter and anti-matter!

Hope: Fever Dream
Prediction: A Horse Walks Into a Bar

And we have a winner: David Grossman, A Horse Walks Into a Bar.

And well called by those above

Hurrah!

Ditto - hurrah!

I thought Amos Oz might be the winner, but good for Grossman.

Grossman's book wasn't my favourite of the bunch, but I can't say I'm at all surprised that it won! I had also hoped that Amos Oz would take it.

Like Jeanne, I had hoped Oz might take it (Judas was definitely my favourite of the list), but I am very happy with Grossman's victory.