The Man Booker Prize longlist: while we’re on the subject
The day before the Man Booker Prize longlist was announced, the Guardian published a column speculating about its possible contents. As it happens, only a few of the names raised in the article made the cut. There's no shame in that – most critics aren't, technically speaking, psychic. But I now find myself intrigued by the books that could have been included, but weren't. Here's (one version of) the Booker longlist that might have been:
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Nutshell by Ian McEwan This "classic story of murder and deceit" (and, presumably, the redemptive power of art) is narrated by a fetus, and comes out in September. |
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The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes Barnes' fictional biography of Shostakovich under Stalin is apparen'tly his masterpiece; but he's already got a Booker, so.
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Zero K by Don Delillo Delillo's updated take on the fear of death (goodbye, White Noise! Hello, cryogenics!) asks if life in the future isn't really the scarier prospect. |
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Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta In the shadow of the Nigerian civil war, two girls fall in love. It is not easy. |
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The Mare by Mary Gaitskill A fragile middle-aged artist volunteers to host an inner-city teen for the summer; moral complexity ensues. |
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Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett Two generations of an American family struggle with depression. |
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The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen A Pulitzer-prizewinning novel of the Vietnam war, from the perspective of a Vietnamese spy.
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The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan This "smart, devastating, unpredictable" novel breaks down a Kashmiri terrorist's bombing of a Delhi market from several points of view. |
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Born on a Tuesday by Elnathan John A debut novel about religious extremism in Nigeria.
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Did you read any books last year that you think should have made the cut? Let us know in the comments.
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