The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

Hangman by Maya Binyam

I've read this and suspect that it's amazing but perhaps I need an advanced degree to fully puzzle out the symbols on symbols on metaphor on enigmatic dialogue. should I reread (slower) or let this one pass me by? Has anyone just loved this?

I tried to read this and could not. I put it aside after about 70 pages. To me it read like a horribly translated novel originally written in a different language. I kept trying to make it work and failing. I am just stunned that this is on the longlist when so many other wonderful novels are not.

Loved it, absolutely, but I also compared it with Remainder by Tom McCarthy in my review, which was a polarizing book.

I am only 40 pages in so very early days and a lot may depend on how she develops it … but really liking it and very impressed at the WP judges for choosing it. I think were it translated Paul would love it far more than any of the current IB.

Shame the judges didn’t pick it given what they did pick and indeed their desire to include Demon Copperhead.

I think if the author were English this would have been a strong Goldsmith contender.

Five star read for me - will I am sure make my personal shortlist.

Glad to see you liked this one too. It’s also one of the funniest books I read last year: “I looked around for the omnipresence of global corporations and saw a goat eating some trash.”

I’ve noticed that many people who like this book read it largely as comedy, while those who don’t like it seem to have read a different book than I did.

I would not say I read it as comedy - it uses humour/absurdity but it’s got a strongly political and personal message to it

Author has been picked for one of the National Book Foundation annual 5 Under 35 honorees, “a selection of five fiction writers under the age of 35 whose debut work promises to leave a lasting impression on the literary landscape.”

https://www.nationalbook.org/the-nati...

I really appreciated the humour in this one, as well as its political messages. The stuff about the pigeon near the beginning was so funny to me, and then to nearly immediately go from that to the conversation had in the cab and the juxtaposition between being a cab driver in America and this African country was well done.
I definitely didn't catch every single metaphor or symbol but I really appreciated the story as a vehicle for a discussion on politics and belonging... I went from being a little confused to really enjoying what was done. I think this will go on a personal shortlist for me too.

This did not work for me in audio at all - definitely not a book to keep one's mind occupied while doing virtual bike rides. The narrator had no emotion - very flat in delivery. It was rather absurd. I did not find it funny. What was it satirizing?

I see this also made the Pen/Jean Stein Book Award shortlist

“To a book-length work of any genre for its originality, merit, and impact, which has broken new ground by reshaping the boundaries of its form and signaling strong potential for lasting influence.”

I just started this, and probably won't finish before the announcement, so I hope it makes the shortlist.

My first thought is that the tone reminds me a lot of Rachel Cusk's Outline trilogy, the flat delivery in reported speech, learning about the protagonist by what everyone says to him, while he says very little. I'm not sure if this impression will hold.

Finished this, and I was so torn I couldn't decide on a rating for it. I pick out my many conflicting thoughts in my review though:

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