It's always interesting to see how the Booker judges will cut their list of novels down by more than half to arrive at only six titles for a shortlist. While last year there was surprise at the absence of Hilary Mantel, this year some will be taken aback that former Booker Prize winner and Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro isn't included. I was hoping to see his book on the list – not because of his reputation – but because “Klara and the Sun” is a novel that's really stuck with me and that I've continued to think about many months after finishing it. However, this year's shortlistees are far from unknown. Richard Powers and Damon Galgut have been nominated for the Booker Prize before and Patricia Lockwood's debut novel “No One is Talking About This” was also shortlisted for this year's Women's Prize for Fiction. It's brilliant that this year's prize will raise the profile of critically acclaimed authors Anuk Arudpragasam, Nadifa Mohamed and Maggie Shipstead. Although this is another year where the old school Booker followers can roll their eyes at half the shortlistees being American, the novels in this group really address a wide range of topics and utilize a compelling mixture of writing styles to tell a unique story.
Though I preferred some of the other longlisted novels over “A Passage North” and “No One is Talking About This” I certainly appreciate many things about these books and agree they are worth a second look. I loved the way that “The Fortune Men” immerses the reader in the point of view of a sympathetically flawed figure from history who was a victim of the United Kingdom's racist injustice. “The Promise” provides an utterly unique narrative which shows the other side of racism in South Africa by locking the reader into the prejudiced perspective of a white family in the years before and after Apartheid. “Great Circle” presents a dual storyline in two different time periods which asks pressing questions about the way history is interpreted while dramatizing an arresting and adventure tale. “Bewilderment” creatively shows a beautifully tender father and son relationship while addressing some of the most pressing issues we face today especially concerning climate change and the extinction of species. It's going to be very difficult trying to determine which novel the judges might pick as their winner. You can watch me discuss more of my thoughts in a reaction video I made about the announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ5Cq-CTdnk
What do you think about this group of books? Are you interested in reading some or all of them? If you've read them all which is your favourite?
