Man Booker Prize 2012

Shortlist

The Shortlist has been announced and of my predictions four were correct. I’ll read and review all of them by 16th October when the winner is announced. The official Man Booker Prize announcement is here.

I’m really pleased with this list. Of the books that I’ve read all the ones I really wanted on the list have made it. It’s great to see all three indies make it through. I really enjoyed Swimming Home and The Lighthouse in their very different ways. Bring Up the Bodies was as good as I expect of Mantel and Umbrella is extraordinary. Onward to Narcopolis and The Garden of Evening Mists!

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng (Myrmidon Books)

Swimming Home by Deborah Levy (And Other Stories)

Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (Fourth Estate)

The Lighthouse by Alison Moore (Salt)

Umbrella by Will Self (Bloomsbury)

Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil (Faber & Faber)

Longlist

This year’s Man Booker Prize longlist is a somewhat unexpected but very welcome collection of novels. Science fiction, humour, history, independent publishers, some big names, some new faces. As is traditional, I must highlight my disappointment that Keith Ridgway’s Hawthorn and Child was omitted. The judges chose to list twelve rather than thirteen novels, which is odd in so strong a year. No John Banville, Peter Carey, Zadie Smith, Pat Barker, Philip Hensher, Alan Warner, Ian McEwan, Rose Tremain. But never mind, this is an interesting list, which I will try and get through. (Except for those books which haven’t been released yet and for which I don’t have review copies.) I’ve already published a post on Hilary Mantel: it’s not quite a review, more some thoughts on her characterisation, but I think it will do.

In the spirit of full disclosure, here are my woeful longlist predictions. My immediate reactions to the longlist are here.

My thanks to those publishers who have kindly sent me review copies: Faber, Bloomsbury, and Salt.

The longlist

The Yips by Nicola Barker (Fourth Estate)

The Teleportation Accident by Ned Beauman (Sceptre)

Philida by André Brink (Harvill Secker)

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng (Myrmidon Books)

Skios by Michael Frayn (Faber & Faber)

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (Doubleday)

Swimming Home by Deborah Levy (And Other Stories)

Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (Fourth Estate)

The Lighthouse by Alison Moore (Salt)