I haven't had the time to read as much from this year's Booker longlist as I normally would. I'm very busy reading lots and lots of books as a judge on the Costa Book Awards, but I have read six novels from the longlist including Hilary Mantel's giant end to her trilogy “The Mirror and the Light”. And what a surprise that this bookies' favourite hasn't made the shortlist! It's a shame in a way as it'd have been exciting for Mantel to be the first author to win the Booker three times. However, the novel certainly doesn't need the attention a book prize can give it as much as some of the other novels on this shortlist – 4 of which are by debut novelists. Equally, Dangarembga and Mengiste are authors who haven't received as much attention as Tyler, McCann or Reid. But, if I consider the novels I think are the most accomplished and my favourites, I'd have picked “The Mirror and the Light” and “Such a Fun Age” over “This Mournable Body” and “Real Life”.
I'm so happy “Shuggie Bain” made the shortlist and I know it's a popular favourite and probably the most likely novel to win at this point. Of course, I can't really make that judgement yet till I've read all the books from the shortlist. I'm very eager to read “The New Wilderness”, “Burnt Sugar” and “The Shadow King”. I'm torn about whether to give “Real Life” another try as I simply didn't enjoy the first 50 pages I read from the novel. But there are so many competing opinions about it I'm almost curious to try finishing it just to see where I fall in the debate. The winner is currently scheduled to be announced on November 17th (that's later in the year than it's usually announced so more reading time!) but, as we all know, event dates can easily change this year.
I'll be very interested to know what you think of the list. Let me know in the comments if you've read any of these six novels, what you think of them or which books on the list you're most eager to read.
