Of course the extracts in the news reports are only a part of the novels they appear in, so put in context they may work okay, but in isolation they don't.
This year's contenders- with some unexpected names appearing:
- City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (Bloomsbury)
- The Office of Gardens and Ponds by Didier Decoin (MacLehose Press)
- The River Capture by Mary Costello (Canongate)
- The Electric Hotel by Dominic Smith (Allen & Unwin)
- Pax by John Harvey (Holland House)
You can read about a few of the well-known authors who escaped the list this year in this Guardian article.
The shortlisted extracts from each novel are revealed on another Guardian page.
Having read the extracts, they are not as bad as in previous years.
But I'm sorry Didier Decoin, your extract would get my vote any day, just for the ponds and omelette rolls...
The winner will be announced on the 2nd December.
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| It's that time again.../ |
In the past these have often been quite funny, but this batch are horrible.
ReplyDeletePatsy- yes, the funnier bad sex extracts are easier to read than those making the lists now.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Gilbert: what's happened to you!
ReplyDeleteJulia- yes, surprising inclusion. Apparently a couple of other well-known writers narrowly escaped the shortlist. Every one has off days...
ReplyDelete