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Colin wrote: "Set goal to read every Booker short-listed novel two years ago and have just completed first 25 years, mostly reviewed on Goodreads. What a gift to have these pre-selected titles and what a joy to ..." This group is no longer active, and has been dormant for almost a year - I would recommend The Mookse and the Gripes - we have discussed several historic Booker shortlists there and will be doing another (1997) in June and July.
I am still working through the winners. Although will have a look at nominated authors in the future. So far my favorites are Vernon God Little, The Luminaries, The Life and Times of Michael K, Last Orders, Offshore and The Narrow Road to the Deep North. What has opened my eyes is to follow up with other books the authors have written.
John wrote: "I am still working through the winners. Although will have a look at nominated authors in the future. So far my favorites are Vernon God Little, The Luminaries, The Life and Times of Michael K, Las..."Hi John, Some great titles there. Particularly liked The Luminaries and The narrow road to the deep North. As you enjoyed the latter, you might also like Timothy Mo's The redundancy of courage, although not a winner. Have you tried either of the Hilary Mantels yet? Have put off reading the concluding part of the trilogy - 900 pages! How I welcome short books. Best wishes, Colin
I had collected all the Booker winner novels, currently reading "Elected Member by Bernice Rubens " and "Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders".My all time favorite is "Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie'' that book made me fall in love with the world of "Booker'' and "Magical realism". I ever wonder if any other booker will ever take its place for me, always want someone to give me that awe-inspiring ride.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro , The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje and The Sea by John Banville, these three books were so beautiful, breathtaking, nostalgic and sensational, I think words would be less to describe my feeling for them. These novels, I would like to read them, at least one more time, before I die.
Lastly, The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, the ending was stupendous for me. Just brilliant.
Whenever I read a novel, I always look for the feelings and experiences I got from these novels. They are like my benchmark.
I would really like to read all the shortlisted novels in the far future but a long way to go with the winners list.
Books that I already read from the winner list:
Bring Up The Bodies - by Hilary Mantel
The Sense of an Ending - by Julian Barnes
Wolf Hall - by Hilary Mantel
The White Tiger - by Aravind Adiga
The Gathering - by Anne Enright
The Inheritance of Loss - by Kiran Desai
The Sea - by John Banville
Disgrace - by J. M. Coetzee
Amsterdam - by Ian McEwan
The God of Small Things - by Arundhati Roy
The English Patient - by Michael Ondaatje
Possession - by A. S. Byatt
The Remains of the Day - by Kazuo Ishiguro
Moon Tiger - by Penelope Lively
Hotel du Lac- by Anita Brookner
Life & Times of Michael K - by J. M. Coetzee
Midnight's Children - by Salman Rushdie
Offshore - by Penelope Fitzgerald
Heat and Dust - by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
In a Free State - by V. S. Naipaul
The Elected Member - by Bernice Rubens
Hi Faisal,I wasn't too familiar with contemporary fiction when I started my own project and it's been a great way to have the best pre-selected.
Your favourites, Midnight's children and Remains of the Day have also been among mine, with the English Patient not far behind.
Among the winners I've particularly liked also The sea, the sea, Saville, Possession and Wolf Hall, although in some cases I thought one or two other novels in those years were even better. The Ghost Road too if (although apparently against the rules) if it's thought of as part of a trilogy.)
I know you are sensibly reading the winners first but in case you carry on with others I've enjoyed all Rushdie's short-listed books and have recently finished The Moor's Last Sight which overlaps slightly with Midnight's Children, and is nearly as good.
Interesting that the BBC is about to start broadcasting an adaptation of The Luminaries. Another great book but very complicated, and I can't wait to see how they have tackled the difficult job of turning it into TV drama. Probably I'll understand it a lot better.
Good luck and best wishes, Colin
Hello. Is there like a virtual shelf in good reads app with the shortlisted books for MBP? Sorry I’m new to the app, Thanks
Hi Tomasso, No there isn't one on Goodreads, but you can find all novels short-listed for the Booker prize by googling those terms.I'm simply working through all of them - so far I've read everything from 1967 to 2000, with most of them reviewed on Goodreads.
Generally speaking I've found the ratings of other readers on Goodreads to be a better indicator of how enjoyable the novels have been than the decisions of the judges - but good luck finding those that interest you most.
Best wishes, Colin
Favourites? I picked out three Iris Murdochs - The black prince, The sea the sea and The book and the brotherhood, Saville by David Storey, André Brink's Rumours of rain, Rushdie's The satanic verses, Waterland by Graham Swift, Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively, Anthills of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe, Possession by A.S. Byatt, and The redundancy of courage Timothy Mo. A varied bunch, but for the scale of its innovation and its transcendance, if I had to choose just one it would be Midnight's Children. Will anything beat that in the years to come?
So many others deserved five stars. What do others think of these?
Solomon Gursky Was Here - Mordechai Richler, Sacred Hunger – Barry Unsworth, The English patient – Michael Ondaatje, The butcher boy – Patrick McCabe, Restoration – Rose Tremain, Cat’s eye – Margaret Atwood, Nice work and Small world – David Lodge, Gabriel’s lament – Paul Bailey, The old devils – Kingsley Amis, Empire of the sun – J.G. Ballard, Shame – Salman Rushdie, Confederates and Schindler’s Ark – Thomas Keneally, The white hotel – D. M. Thomas, A month in the country – J. L. Carr, No country for young men - Julia O'Faolain, Earthly powers – Anthony Burgess, Joseph – Julian Rathbone, God on the rocks – Jane Gardam, Great granny Webster - Caroline Blackwood, The children of Dynmouth – William Trevor, Rising - Ray Coryton Hutchinson, An instant in the wind – Andre Brink, Holiday – Stanley Middleton, and the very first winner, Something to answer for – P.H. Newby.
OK - and which were my least liked?
Doris Lessing gets my prize of the Booker Banana for tedious sci-fi The Sirian experiments, and remarkably came a close third with Briefing for a descent into hell. However she only narrowly beat the Lawrence Durrell's arrogant and vagina-obsessed Constance or Solitary Practices.
And as for the winners, what were the judges thinking about in 1985 by giving the prize to Keri Hulme's The bone people with its decline into mystical psycho-babble?
However, that all the above judgement has no value at all is shown by the fact that it has one of the highest ratings of all among my fellow Goodreads members.
I'd welcome feedback. Good reading to all, Colin