chesilbeach Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 The longlist for the Man Booker Prize 2011 was announced today. Julian Barnes The Sense of an Ending (Jonathan Cape - Random House) Sebastian Barry On Canaan's Side (Faber) Carol Birch Jamrach's Menagerie (Canongate Books) Patrick deWitt The Sisters Brothers (Granta) Esi Edugyan Half Blood Blues (Serpent's Tail - Profile) Yvvette Edwards A Cupboard Full of Coats (Oneworld) Alan Hollinghurst The Stranger's Child (Picador - Pan Macmillan) Stephen Kelman Pigeon English (Bloomsbury) Patrick McGuinness The Last Hundred Days (Seren Books) A.D. Miller Snowdrops (Atlantic) Alison Pick Far to Go (Headline Review) Jane Rogers The Testament of Jessie Lamb (Sandstone Press) D.J. Taylor Derby Day (Chatto & Windus - Random House) I've heard of a couple, but have to admit, I'm not familiar with most of the books, although I do know a few of the authors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Read the article on The Guardian about it, earlier today; it's certainly refreshing to see first-time novels making it this far. As usual with lists like this, I of course haven't heard of any of the books on the list; a few authors ring a bell, but I'll be glad to see if any of these are worth checking out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I nearly picked up the Alan Hollinghurst book in Waterstones today but just about resisted temptation! Saw another of his books in a charity shop too but the blurb didn't grab me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I've only read Pigeon English and didn't think it was really anything special, although I can see why reviews might like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I've read 'Far to Go' by Alison Pick and it was excellent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I've read 'Far to Go' by Alison Pick and it was excellent I agree with you Weave, an excellent read. I was fortunate as well to get a free copy due to the Amazon Vine programme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I agree with you Weave, an excellent read. I was fortunate as well to get a free copy due to the Amazon Vine programme. I am glad you enjoyed it too Sue, such a intricate story wasn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I am glad you enjoyed it too Sue, such a intricate story wasn't it? Indeed it was Weave, and heartbreaking reading how the little lad made his way over to England and what happened shortly after that! It's not often I get emotional reading a book but that did it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Indeed it was Weave, and heartbreaking reading how the little lad made his way over to England and what happened shortly after that! It's not often I get emotional reading a book but that did it for me. I was the same hen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scartapus Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I've just finished reading The Sense of an Ending (Vintage paperback). A kind of detective story based on the theme of problems in making sense of history (personal or otherwise). I started to read it in bed but was carried along by the story so much I read most of it before having to finish it the next day seeing it was 4am. (CONTAINS SPOILER DETAILS OF THE STORY...) The nature of the theme makes the storyline deliberately ambiguous I suppose but has anybody got any ideas as to what 'actually' happened? For instance when Tony visits Veronica's family, were the Fords really snobbish or feigning snobbery in being friendly (p26)? What was Mrs Ford's 'horizontal gesture' as he left (p30). What was the purpose of the first schooldays suicide inthe story? What was the relationship between Adrian/ Mrs Ford/ Veronica/ Tony. Why did Veronica burn the diary, presuming she did? Why is Tony the narrator painted as so painfully conventional and doddery in the last half of the book? I felt the older Veronica's repeated communications with Tony towards the end combined with a silent anger was slightly unbelievable but I enjoyed the book a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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