Booker longlist 2012 guesses
Well I was in two minds about doing this two reasons I failed miserable last year and also I am much further away from the ebb and flow of what are the mover and shakers that are happening in English literary at this moment ,but I find twitter helps me keep up with what may be hot .I have had a love of the booker in my twenties when I read a lot of books from the lists ,so will use this years list as a guide to what I ll be buying in the next few months to read .I feel with Peter Stothard at the helm this year the list will be more to my taste than last years list .so I ll get my crystal ball out and give you my feeling for the longlist bakers dozen due out next week .
- Umbrella by Will Self – a change of direction for will in a way stream of consciousness writing this time but with a few familiar faces .I loved will’s early books and he should have been on a shortlist before now .
- Zoo time by Howard Jacobson his new one he won with his last and was writing this at the time an insight into publishing world through the novelist Guy Ableman .
- Capital by John Lancaster the story of Pepys road a normal London street and via that street we see a cross-section of modern britain .as the street has all from the up and coming to the down and out
- Bring up the bodies by Hilary Mantel The second part of the trilogy that started with the booker winner Wolf hall more of the life of Thomas Cromwell
- Ancient light by John Banville an actor looks back at his teen years in 50’s Ireland an illicit love affair in the fields and in the back of cars
- Hawthorn and child by Keith Ridgway a couple of blogger been singing this ones praises .A middle-aged detective sorts through scatter clues an adventurous text they say ,Try Bolano I say
- The casual vacancy by J K Rowling I know I may be off my head but it is her first adult book and set in an english village .I love book set in villages and would get people talking if it was there
- Merivel A man of his time by Rose Tremain ,she been on shortlists and maybe give Mantel a run for her money . Set in court of Charles II about the restoration man Robert Merivel a courtier and physician.
- Pure Timothy Mo its been a long time since he had a book out over ten years I read one that made shortlist years ago be nice to see this book set in Thailand and dealing with Islam make the list
- Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka a dying sportswriter tries to track the greatest cricketer in the world a spin bowler that disappeared .Mark of Eleutheropbia loved this one .
- The Street sweeper by Eliot Perlman another that I know some blogs love ,Lisa from ANZ litlovers first drew my attention to it .an interwoven bunch of stories set in New York .
- All that I am by Anna Funder her first book stasiland was a prize winner and this is her first work of fiction set in 1933 follows a group of friends that have become outlaws due to hitler .
- well I going leave this blank can’t make mind up between Carey ,McEwan and strangely Amis (as TLS still seem to like him )
So what you think ?
Wonder how I will do this time ?
I’ve not yet read any of these titles but many are on my radar (there are a few I hadn’t even heard of, but that’s not surprising). Hate to admit it, but a Booker nomination would shuffle any title up my to-read list.
mine to I feel this years list be better ,all the best stu
Hi Stu!
I’ve just started my own Booker guessing, and my guess is firmly with Bring Up The Bodies, though I’m also waiting eagerly to read The Casual Vacancy and Zoo Time (mainly because I love the authors)
Lets see how many in your list make it to the shortlist 🙂
I m sure I may have a couple this time ,all the best stu
Hi Stu,
Here is my list. It contains some everyone is talking about, some authors that do well and some that are pure wishes on my part
Land of Decoration-Grace Mcleen
Shelter – Frances Greenslade
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry- Rachel Joyce
Bringing up the Bodies -Hilary Mantel
A Possible Life – Sebastian Faulks
NW – Zadie Smith
Sweet Tooth-Ian McEwan
The Yips- Nicola Barker
Ancient Light – John Banveille
Capital -John Lanchester
Waiting for Sunrise – William Boyd
Toby’s Room -Pat Barker
The Red House-Mark Haddon
We have 3 in common! Let’s see what happens
Linda
That is a great list Linda ,I feel you may get more than me ,all the best stu
Hi Stu
Interesting list. Unfortunately both All That I Am and Chinaman are ineligible as they were published in the previous Booker year.
Would be very interesting if JKR made the list…!
Oh I just looked at paperback date not hardback for those two ,oh well ,I think if rowling made list it be a real suprise ,all the best stu
We share 4 choices – which seems to be the rough number everyone shares when compiling a Booker list! I didn’t realise that Zoo Time was about the publishing industry. I’m not a fan of Jacobson so I wont be reading it, but I can see it being longlisted. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for The Street Sweeper – it is an amazing book and I hope that lots of people are persuaded to give it a try.
I m looking forward to reading Street sweeper it seems to be a popular one from every post I ve read about it ,all the best stu
You said you were interested in the Booker in the past. I wonder, is the Booker as relevant as it used to be?
I think is less so but maybe it shows how safe publishing is regards lit fiction ,all the best stu
I have several of these books on my to-be-read list. It is great fun seeing everyone’s predictions.
It is a good bit of fun ,all the best stu
Don’t know any of these, but not surprised as my reading is about a couple of years behind this selection, might have a guess at 2010’s list & see how I do. 😉
I know them but not read any yet may try a couole in next month or so ,all the best stu
I lost faith in the Booker about six years or so ago and don’t really follow it anymore. But your list looks good. I’d also add the Peter Carey to it. I suspect Zadie Smith, Nicola Barker and, dare I say it, Martin Amis might make the cut too. But, as ever, I suspect there will be quite a few books that appear on here we’ve never heard of — that’s usually the way — including ones that haven’t yet been published. After last year’s debacle, let’s hope there’s some books on it that are worth reading…
I actually thought of another writer that will probably get some Booker attention this year: James Kelman. He has a new novel out next month.
be nice see Kelamn on again ,he was a breath of fresh air all those years ago ,all the best stu
I agree ,I m not sure if it is publishing that got safe or the prize that got bland ,I feel amis may just as the tls still like him ,all the best stu
I often have no clue about the long list but I would be interested to see how many you guess right!
I don’t really I m better with IFFP as I ll have read a lot from there list ,all the best stu
Capital, the Ridgway and Mo books are so very intriguing. As usual I don’t know any of these books on the list and am ages behind. But I just might try Bolano first! 🙂
oh do try Bolano first ,then these ,all the best stu
Stu, which of his books would you recommend I start with?
savage detectives my favourite ,all the best stu
I’ll have to read that one next…I’ll read anything with detective in the title 😉
Hi Bina, a great place to start is the short story collection Last Evenings on Earth, all that makes a Bolana book but in a form that distills the essence allowing you a flavour & an idea if you’d like his writing before trying the larger works.
Thanks so much for the recommendation, Parrish! I’ll have to see look for a copy of that one. Meanwhile I’ve looted 2666 from the library, hope I’ll manage, not so good with chunksters..
None read. I’ve been out of touch for sometime but as someone who does get things right sometimes, I will look forward to seeing some of the books here in the list.
Me too Nana ,all the best stu
This is fun! We have three books in common, but I was split between naming what I think will be on and what I would like to be on the list. So I don’t suppose I’ll do very well… I think you’ve made some good calls, and still contrived an interesting list!
I choose what I like to see I must admit that why I missed a couple of writers I m not to aware of that crop up in other lists ,all the best stu