2012 Tournament of Books

March Madness is coming!!  The Tournament of Books announced its competitors for the 2012 Tournament of Books.  For those who don't recall, the Tournament (in its eighth year) is the book lover's answer to the NCAA tournament.  In March, the contenders below will be bracketed and compete for the Rooster Award.  Exciting stuff!!

Of this year's contenders, I've read six of the books and know a fair amount about five others.  Plenty to read in the coming weeks.

The selection committee announced that this year they wanted more diversity.  They've accomplished that.  There are some serious 2011 heavyweights in the group below.  The Man Booker prize winning Julian Barnes is included.  Two other Man Booker contenders, deWitt and Hollinghurst, are also included.  The Orange Prize winning newbie Obreht (and one of the favorites of the year) is in the crowd.  The National Book Prize, Ward, winner is listed.  Two of the writers were The New Yorker's 20 Under 40 (Obreht and Russell).  Harbach's entry was one of the most anticipated (and expensive) of the year.  And, of course, there are some literary big hitters, Ondaatje (English Patient), Murakami (beloved by many) and Eugenides (Virgin Suicides).

The Sweet Sixteen are:

• Nathacha Appanah, The Last Brother
• Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
• Teju Cole, Open City
• Helen DeWitt, Lightning Rods
• Patrick deWitt, The Sisters Brothers
• Jeffrey Eugenides, The Marriage Plot
• Chad Harbach, The Art of Fielding
• Alan Hollinghurst, Stranger’s Child
• Jesmyn Ward, Salvage the Bones
• Haruki Murakami, 1Q84
• Téa Obreht, The Tiger’s Wife
• Michael Ondaatje, The Cat’s Table
• Ann Patchett, State of Wonder
• Donald Ray Pollock, Devil All the Time
• Karen Russell, Swamplandia
• Kate Zambreno, Green Girl

Over the few weeks, there's a lot of good stuff to read.  Of course, I'll keep you posted with color commentary.

On a personal note, today marks the beginning of year two of this blog.  Writing this blog and interacting with fellow readers over this last year has been fun and gratifying for me.  The growth of this blog has astounded me.  The number of hits has grown exponentially from a couple of hundred in a month to thousands!  I'm humbled by the depth of the readership and the interest in what I have to say about books.  As always, I appreciate any feedback and look forward to sharing year two with you.  Happy reading!

Man Booker Winner is Julian Barnes

The 2011 Man Booker Prize went to Julian Barnes for The Sense of an Ending.  It is the shortest novel to win the Man Booker prize.  It was a terrific book and worthy of the Booker prize.  My review of it is here.

Barnes at the Man Book Award Ceremony

On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry

On Canaan's Side is a new novel by two time Man Booker shortlisted author Sebastian Barry.  This novel was on the 2011 Man Booker long list but, to my surprise, did not make it to the shortlist.

The novel is the story of Lilly Bere's life, told over the series of days immediately after the passing of her grandson, Bill.  Her story spans decades, wars and countries.  Bere was born in Ireland, where her childhood was shrouded with the death of her mother and brother.  As a young woman, she had to flee her country and seek refuge in the United States.  Throughout her life, Bere continuously confronts loss and heartbreak; yet, she manages to love and grow.

The writing is the strength of this book.  Barry creates a wondrous intimacy with Bere through beautiful and picturesque writing.  While the book is quite sad, Bere does not drown in her sadness.  Barry does a masterful job carrying the story forward.

I like stories from the Irish literary tradition, for example Colum McCann (Let the Great World Spin), William Trevor (Selected Stories) and John Banville (The Sea).  Barry fits right in.  Beautiful descriptions, moving stories, well-developed characters.

Although this did not make the Booker shortlist (I have issues with the list and what is not on the list), this novel is well worth reading.  Read it slowly and savor it.

Man Booker Short List Announced

Earlier this week, the 2011 Man Booker Prize Shortlist was announced.  The titles are:


Julian Barnes’s The Sense of an Ending (Jonathan Cape)
Carol Birch Jamrach’s Menagerie (Canongate Books)
Patrick deWitt’s The Sisters Brothers (Granta)
Esi Edugyan’s Half Blood Blues (Serpent’s Tail)
Stephen Kelman’s Pigeon English (Bloomsbury)
A. D. Miller’s Snowdrops (Atlantic)


What a surprising list!  The list includes two debut novelists (Miller and Kelman), four independent publishers and two Canadians.  Alan Hollinghurt, a former Booker winner whose The Stranger's Child was a very strong contender, surprisingly did not make the shortlist. 


So far, I have read three of the shortlist novels: Barnes, Miller and Birch.  Of them, Barnes, who has been on the Booker short list three times, is my favorite.  I was not a fan of Miller's book, and Birch's, while good, was not amazing.  Edugyan's is an interesting story -- the black experience in Nazi Germany.  (Since that is a less well-worn story, I think that's why my favorite, Alison Pick, didn't make the list.)  Pigeon English has received a lot of very good press and one the Guardian First Novel Award. It is the story of an 11 year old Ghana-born child living among the gangs and projects of London.  I've read part of it and the voice is strong.  Strangely, it includes a talking pigeon.  Critics don't like the pigeon but seem to forgive Kelman for it.  Lastly, there is The Sister's Brothers, a western.  While U.S. books are not eligible participants for the competition (and, many westerns come out of the US), since this was published first in Canada, it made it into the process.  


My guess is that it is either Barnes, Edugyan or Kelman.  (If Miller wins, I'm done making predictions.)  Because the process has favored the "new" and "innovative", I'm guessing it is Kelman.


The winner is announced on October 18.  Meanwhile, enjoy reading these novels.

Far to Go by Allison Pick

Far to Go by Alison Pick is on the 2011 Man Booker long list, and it really belongs there.  It is a gripping work that reads beautifully and easily.  It is one of my ten favorites of the year.

The novel is about a Jewish family in Czechoslovakia in 1938.  As the Nazis attack, the family must deal with fear, security and the unknown.  The family (a father, mother and young son) are barely affiliated Jews who must confront the fact that in the eyes of the Nazis, they are Jews.  The story is told from the point of view of their long-time nanny, Marta, a devoted, non-Jewish woman.  As she watches the horrors in the street and the impact on the family, she also must make hard choices.  A second (though minor) strand to this story is an unnamed modern-day historian who is studying the Kindertransport and the children that escaped.  Interspersed between the chapters are letters written to various family members, which adds to the authenticity of the story.

Having read many stories about the Holocaust, I was drawn into this one almost immediately.  Pick tells the tale convincingly.  The only critique is that Marta comes across as a bit naive sometimes, making her less credible.  Otherwise, the drama and pain that Pick portrays is moving.

If you like great historical literature, Holocaust oriented books or books like 22 Britannia Road, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, The Invisible Bridge, this is a definite pick for you.  It is a terrific selection for any reading group.

Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch

Jamrach's Menagerie, a novel by Carol Birch, is a long listed 2011 Man Booker contender.  It is Birch's eleventh novel and her second time on the Booker long list.  This novel is the first of Birch's novels to be released in the U.S.  The bookies have this at 8/1 odds, which makes it six out of thirteen.

This is a grand, epic novel from the Victorian period.  Jaffy Brown, a London street kid, aged eight, comes face to face with an escaped tiger.  He wants to touch the tiger's nose.  He reaches out, strokes it and is grabbed by the tiger.  Saved from the jaws of the tiger by Mr. Jamrach, an explorer, entrepreneur and purveyor of curious creatures (including the escaped tiger), Jaffy and Jamrach become mentee and mentor.  Jaffy works for Jamrach and then finds himself on a whaler in search of a dragon in the Dutch East Indies.

The story has three parts.  First, life in London and working for Mr. Jamrach.  Second, the whaling experience and the hunt for the dragon. Third, the aftermath.  The most compelling part of the book was the last section, both heart wrenching and moving.  The first part feels like a Dickens book.  The second part is a less dramatic version of Moby Dick.   The third is not new either but it is worth reading.

The dialogue and the relationships Birch develops are authentic.  The writing is impressive.  The plot is well executed.  If you like Dickens, Melville, adventure stories, Patrick O'Brien and sea stories and/or the Victorian age, read this book.  It will transport you.

An interview with Birch here.

A short video teaser:

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

The Sense of an Ending is a 2011 Man Booker nominated novella (about 150 pages) by Julian Barnes.  A few months ago, I read Barnes' recent short story collection, Pulse (review here).  This novel was far superior to Pulse and a worthy contender for the 2011 Booker.  Having been shortlisted for the Booker three previous times (Flaubert's Parrot (1984), England, England (1998) and Arthur and George (2005)), Barnes may make it this year. The bookies have him at 6/1 odds.


A summary of the plot is almost besides the point.  This is a book about memory and getting old.  The narrator, Tony Webster, is an ordinary guy, who shares his recollection of how his group of three friends becomes a group of four when a new, highly intellectual kid, Adrian, joins their school.  Tony also shares details of his youthful relationship with Veronica.  Tony meets Veronica's family and develops a warm relationship with her mother.  After the inevitable breakup, Veronica and Adrian date.  Years later and long after Veronica and Adrian are through, Veronica and the memory of Adrian reenter Tony's life.


Throughout the novella, Barnes beautifully creates the ephemeral feel of memory on the page.  The book is well written and exhibits Barnes' talent for dialogue and creating a compelling story around an ordinary and otherwise uninteresting character.  Unlike some of the stories in Pulse, Barnes does not write this with great flourish because it would be inconsistent with the ordinary nature of his main character.  


Whether this wins the Booker, this is worth reading.  If you liked Tinkers (Paul Harding's gorgeous surprise 2010 Pulitzer winner), this should appeal to you.

Snowdrops by A.D. Miller

Snowdrops by A.D. Miller, a first time novelist, is one of the 2011 Man Booker long list contenders.  Unlike many of the current long list contenders, Snowdrops is already available in the United States.  I would be surprised if it gets to the short list.  The bookies agree because the odds for Snowdrops are 16/1.

Nick Platt is a British lawyer working in Moscow post-2000.  Nick is rudderless and unmarried at 38 and seeking excitement, which is why he ends up practicing law in Moscow. While on the subway, he encounters two young, attractive sisters, Masha and Katya, a pair of purse snatchers.  He develops a relationship with them.  Meanwhile, Nick is involved in a mega-deal with an important firm client.  Like everything in Moscow, neither the girls nor the deal are quite what they seem.  The development of both story lines uses exotic, hedonistic Moscow as a backdrop and important character.  The novel is written years after the fact as a confessional letter from Nick to his wife.

The novel's cover calls it "an intense psychological drama about the irresistible allure of sin".  The cover jacket designer was selling a different book.  While it is a well paced and well written, I would not call the novel an intense drama.  For three years, Miller was a correspondent for The Economist in Moscow.  He seems to have a good feel for Moscow.  However, other more informed reviewers have noted that the novel does nothing new with post-communist Moscow.  For an excellent  book on life in post-communist Russia, which deals with the corruption and everything else, I'd suggest Gary Shteyngart's Absurdistan.  As you may recall, Shteyngart published Super Sad True Love Story last year, which was one of my 2010 favorites.

Snowdrops was a good novel but not a great one.  If it is on your list or someone gives it to you to read, don't toss it aside.  On the other hand, if you are limited for time,  pass on it.  Try Absurdistan instead or another 2011 Booker contender.

If you want to read an excerpt of the novel, click here.