The irish based award is the richest prize in fiction and also probably the fairest as this is compiled from a 163 libraries in the English-speaking world and from 123 cities ,the shortlist was announced today .It was really good to see three translated works on the list this year –
shortlist –
The short listed titles are:
- The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker (Dutch) in translation. Harvill Secker -is a debut novel by the dutch writer Gerbrand Bakker ,it is about twins in the 50’s and 60’s in holland and what happens after an accident that leads to one twin taking other the other twin in running the family farm.
the twin - The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (Moroccan / French) in translation. Europa Editions, USA, Gallic Press, UK -a book about two women in paris ,a look at classes in france .
the elegance of hedgehog - In Zodiac Light by Robert Edric (British) Doubleday, UK -the story follows a poet Ivor Gurney after the first world war as he struggles with his own sanity .
in zodiac light - Settlement by Christoph Hein (German) in translation. Metropolitan Books -this book follows on man rise in post war germany ,and what this rise brings and takes from him .
settlement - The Believers by Zoë Heller (British). Fig Tree -this book follows a couple Audrey and Joe over forty years after they elope to the us in the 60’s
the believers - Netherland by Joseph O’Neill (Irish) Fourth Estate, Harper Collins, UK, Pantheon Books, USA -man struggles after divorce in post 9-11 new york finds peace in cricket .
Netherland - God’s Own Country by Ross Raisin (British) Viking -we follow classic anti-hero Sam around yorkshire as he hunts .
god's own country - Home by Marilynne Robinson (American) Farrar, Straus & Giroux, USA, Harper Collins, Canada – follows Rev John Ames a minster in Gilead in a companion piece to her other novel Gilead.
home
I have only read Netherland ,which i found a little lightweight and disappointing.i want to read the twin and settlement ,it would be nice if one of these one .
I think the IMPAC judges must have a very different book taste to me this year, as I have read 4 from this short list (Home, Hedgehog, Netherland and Believers) and didn’t like any of them. I don’t think I’ll bother reading the rest as our tastes seem so different – shame as I am normally excited by this award.
the twin and settlement seem best on the list ,i was really disappointed netherland when i read it ,not overly sure if it was the fact i want more cricket in it as cricket fan .heller has never appealed to me .I read your hedgehog review so won’t be reading it for a long while ,seems a strangely mixed list half well known and half not so well known
I haven’t heard anything about The Twin or The Settlement before. I quite like prizes that bring new books to my attention, but sad that I didn’t enjoy any of the books on the list.
the twin was shortlisted for the three percent ,best translated work earlier this year
Somehow this award had completely escaped my notice until now. I haven’t read any of the shortlist, but several of those are on my radar.
been couple on my radar the two i ve pointed out ,it is so well known yet has biggest prize money of any book prize .I think it is also a good sign of what people like as it uses so many libraries round world to make longlist