The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

The Pear Field by Nana Ekvtimishvili

My review: https://thebobsphere.wordpress.com/20...

Great to see Peirene on the list - unlike Istros they seem to have cracked getting on the IFFP/MBI/International Booker

Although this was actually my least favourite of their three books - I much preferred both Ankomst and Nordic Fauna.

This was quite impressive, but a little too cinematic - and indeed the author is better known as a film director - for my taste.

I’m surprised there wasn’t even one Istros book on the list.

There never is one. Quite baffling as some of their stuff is brilliant.

There must be an art to getting books on the Booker. Fitzcarraldo have it and when it was the IFFP Peirene made an almost annual appearance.

A big surprise for me - third of the three eligible Peirene books on my ranking!

Yes my personal shortlist of the 45 read had two Peirene books - the other two.

But it was the only Peirene book on your shadow jury predictions/ wish list I think so someone liked it.

Perhaps topical as well given the Everyone’s Invited campaign in the UK. Not quite the same thing but still relevant.

It's a nice book, but I can't really see it going any further.

This has been discounted to $4.99 US kindle.

I finished it this morning, not bad not great. The part in the airport seemed more like a movie than a novel to me.

The whole thing felt a bit like a movie script to me - which given the author is a very well-known and accomplished film director and screenplay writer is perhaps not surprising.

I think I liked this one more after I read it than when I read it. It's written in a way that made it seem a bit dull, but it has so many small moments, both sweet and brutal, that I haven't been able to forget after finishing the novel. It's still not among my top reads, but I'm very glad I read it.

Nicely put

That’s how I felt about The Living Sea of Waking Dreams.

I am early on in this - but so far the present tense and the list of characters (who seem to be largely just names) is not completely working for me although the subject matter is interesting.

I know it’s not an original observation (given both the publishers focus on film-like books and the author’s day job) but currently this reads a bit too much for me like an outline pitch for a tv mini series with only occasional novel-like pieces (for example the description of the smells of the institution)

That was my thought exactly what I read it last year.

But then on a list that is all about stretching the boundaries of the novel, this is another way to do it.

Although hardly an original way - I certainly would not have this anywhere near my shortlist (and I think it was not a great longlist pick unfortunately - I say unfortunately as I have a lot of time for the publisher)

But I am going to make a prediction - that this will make the actual shortlist (I felt this was the book the two judges were most effusive over on the Booker podcast).

I my early reaction to this was similar to GY's but the episodic novel is staying with me and I wouldn't mind seeing it on the shortlist. I think it illustrates abuses in the institutional or foster care system well and especially captures the consequences of lack of compassion on the developing children. I also think the potshot at U.S. arrogance was well done and may appeal to the judges. I've a couple more to read but this one is up there.

My thoughts - I think what I most did not connect with and what I most liked about this book relate to why I never really got on with Peirene books but think they are a very impressive press

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I do think the links to "Summer Brother" and various of the (best) stories in "The Dangers of Smoking in Bed" plus what seemed to me at least the enthusiasm of the judges on the podcast mean this might be a dark horse for the shortlist.

Gumble's Yard wrote: "Although hardly an original way - I certainly would not have this anywhere near my shortlist (and I think it was not a great longlist pick unfortunately - I say unfortunately as I have a lot of tim..."

Wouldn't surprise me...

Interview with author and translator

https://thebookerprizes.com/internati...

With little chance of finding this book in a book store I ordered a copy via the Bookdepository for a reasonable $27. Two weeks later they cancelled my order and refunded my $27. The book is now back in stock for $37, and I can’t help feeling cheated enough to not buy it now.

$27! You can order it from Peirene for £12. I don’t know what shipping would be though.

Which $ are we talking though? It is USD21 on Bookdepository include shipping or NZD29 I think currently.

Sorry I should have put New Zealand dollars - there are about 2 dollars to 1 pound and 1.6 to every US$.
Our new books are very overpriced. We pay about 19 pounds for a trade paperback or about US$23. Books from US publishers are much cheaper here than UK ones.
Publishers here are pretty much unable to sell books overseas because the postage is now the same amount as the book itself.

It does seem down to NZD29 now - at least that's what it offered me. That isn't that bad as you say.

Marcus wrote: "Sorry I should have put New Zealand dollars - there are about 2 dollars to 1 pound and 1.6 to every US$.
Our new books are very overpriced. We pay about 19 pounds for a trade paperback or about US..."

Very similar here in Aus.

Shipping books from the UK to Aus is eye-watering. I would love to have some UK independent press subscriptions but something like eg Republic of Consciousness book club is £25 per book ($45AUD) instead of £14. Ouch.

We are spoiled in the US, UK for access to affordable books. I don’t know what shipping is to Europe or other regions.

Shipping from the US to the UK tends to be quite eye watering unless someone does it for you in bulk (such as the hosts of this site). I cancelled my Two Lines subscription as the postage was a multiple of the book cost, and several presses don't seem to even offer the option.

Shipping from the US to the UK tends to be quite eye watering unless someone does it for you in bulk (such as the hosts of this site). I cancelled my Two Lines subscription as the postage was a multiple of the book cost, and several presses don't seem to even offer the option.

I'm always a little concerned as well with those that do offer reasonable/free postage overseas as I wonder if they actually make any profit on the books.

Like Charco? Their Rest of the World shipping is only £7 or about $10. On the other hand with Peirene, one of my favorite, the cost of shipping a paperback novella makes each book cost close to $30!

I wish these small presses had publishers could work out deals for publishing and shipping with bigger publishers, but they probably fear a slippery slope into loss of independence.

WndyJW wrote: "We are spoiled in the US, UK for access to affordable books. I don’t know what shipping is to Europe or other regions."

It's not bad but not great either, usually a 10 GBP book can be hiked up 18 euro. There are exceptions. The Galley Beggar Subscription is super affordable, the Influx one I have is worth it.

But then with Jacaranda, the shipping is more than the book, Fitzcarraldo can be a bit steep (but as of June I'm going to take the plunge and go for the 11 book subscription - including the white books)

Bluemoose have been discussing a subscription service for the past two years, when that happens I'll be there regardless of any cost.

I was tempted a while back by the Tilted Axis half-price sale, only to back out when I learned that I'd be paying three times the savings on postage :(

Not really sure what the answer is. Postal costs seem to be going up while book prices haven't really.

Wendy said "I wish these small presses had publishers could work out deals for publishing and shipping with bigger publishers, but they probably fear a slippery slope into loss of independence."

I'm not quite sure how the big presses manage other than shipping on bulk either via Amazon, or publishing and sales via their local arms. Eg on the Penguin UK website you can't order books for delivery outside of UK at all - it's either via a local PRH entity who also publish it, or Amazon.

In the UK a lot of indies distribute via Inpress (https://inpressbooks.co.uk/pages/our-...). And in the US there is Consortium (https://www.cbsd.com/publishers/our-p...)

Some leading UK presses have signed up to Consortium notably Charco, Fitzcarraldo, And Other Stories - although sadly I think no US presses have signed up to Inpress.

But "distribution" here doesn't mean you can buy from the Consortium website. I think it mainly means the books can be purchased more easily by physical bookshops and local online offerings (Barnes and Nobel). Not sure if they handle local purchases via the publisher website as well.

And that only addresses a trans-Atlantic issue not the need a tunnel through centre of earth one.

If only someone could invent a way to produce books which could be read electronically reducing the need for shipping them around the world and for cutting down trees.

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "If only someone could invent a way to produce books which could be read electronically reducing the need for shipping them around the world and for cutting down trees."

It's not the same though - this year, I read most of the IB longlist electronically and, although I am VERY grateful, I did miss the feel of a book.

I do agree - but it’s what I do when books are not easily available otherwise. It also makes reviewing so much easier as you can highlight and bookmark passages as they strike you which I could never bring myself to do in a paper copy.

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "I do agree - but it’s what I do when books are not easily available otherwise. It also makes reviewing so much easier as you can highlight and bookmark passages as they strike you which I could nev..."

I just have a piece of paper handy whenever I read - no need to deface the actual book ;)

I tend to take pictures with my phone now - maybe 10-20 or a decent book. But the ability to cut and paste some key quotes is much quicker even if some reviewers (Paul - cough, cough) overuse it.

Paper copy - Photo - OCR recognition - Job's a good'un

To me quotes of key passages are key to a review - I want to remember the author's words at least as much as my views on them

Wow - I actually type out all my quotations by hand...

Paul wrote: "Paper copy - Photo - OCR recognition - Job's a good'un

To me quotes of key passages are key to a review - I want to remember the author's words at least as much as my views on them"

Oh I had not thought of that - do you really use that?

And agree re quotes - they also to me convey to someone who has not read the book what the writing style is like …….. but you do veer on the fringes of copyright infringement with some reviews!!

Tony wrote: "Wow - I actually type out all my quotations by hand..."

So do I on paper books (but not if I can get a Kindle version)

I used to, then I realised there was a better way. No need to thank me!

(although for those who don't like breaking spines of books - it works better if you do as the book lays flatter)

So what OCR thing do you use?

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "but you do veer on the fringes of copyright infringement with some reviews"

The one time this was raised was by the publisher who I seem to be their no 1 fan and certainly no 1 subscriber - Les Fugitives. Who did point out that if you added my review to the extracts they'd published in certain magazines, and the extracts the US publisher released, there was little original left to read.

That said The Outsider is entirely available for free on Amazon kindle preview yet the royalties continue to roll in. I made another 20 pence last month.


Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "Oh I had not thought of that - do you really use that?"

Of course - seriously doesn't everyone. You actually type out something that someone else has already typed in machine readable format???

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "So what OCR thing do you use?"

Well there is another marvellous technical innovation that perhaps people are also unaware of called Google and to I just type 'image to text' in there and pick the first one.

This one works quite well https://www.onlineocr.net/

Finding one that recognises Korean is harder and I seem to have to edit more.

I liked this more than I thought I would as I was reading it. There is child rape, which almost made me put it down, but by then I was invested so I didn’t. I wouldn’t have minded if it made the shortlist, but I’m not disappointed that it didn’t.