We were all excited about the Booker longlist until we found out there’s already a favorite to run away with the whole thing. It’s sort of like knowing who’s going to win the marathon before Mile 20. Okay, so it’s usually obvious by then, but we’re sure our point is well-taken. This is a bummer because we’re quite taken with the subject matter of Susanna Clark’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, though we remain, as always, perplexed by the inclusion of an item not yet released on the list. Yes, we know, but allow us our moment of confusion. It makes the morning fly by.
Our Dark Horse
August 27th, 2004 · 3 Comments
by Booksquare
File Under: Square Pegs
3 responses so far ↓
Dan Wickett // Aug 27, 2004 at 4:04 pm
Ah Booksquare, remember that last year, Vernon God Little was not the favorite. Not at all, yet it walked away with the prize.
I too look forward to Clark’s novel and have a copy on the way. I did read the Adichie Purple Hibiscus and can say that I thought it was an incredible novel, let alone how impressive it was as a debut novel.
Enjoy,
gwenda // Aug 28, 2004 at 8:49 am
Maybe it’s because they made so many ARC’s? I’ve been reading Clarke’s book with great pleasure and was very happy to see it on the list.
booksquare // Aug 30, 2004 at 10:00 am
I’m quite amused by the handicapping of the awards –in a way, it restores my faith in readers. And the press, at least in the UK. I’ve pre-ordered the Clark book — the Napoleonic Wars were truly one of the most fascinating periods of modern (such as it is) history — from a societal and technological perspective. Plus it sounds like a fun story (yes, deeply intellectual, that’s me!).
Gwenda — thanks so much for the mini-review. Almost makes me wish I were still in the “getting lots of ARCs” game…alas, I can’t be a fair reviewer. Too much mental rewriting of perfectly good sentences so they’ll read the way I’d write them.