The Longlist for the 2010 Man Booker Prize has been announced. It’s a wide-ranging and interesting ‘Booker Dozen’, ie: 13 novels.
Peter Carey gets his expected nod for Parrot and Olivier in America, as does Christos Tsiolkas for The Slap. There are no first-time novelists. Interestingly, Ian McEwan’s Solar misses out.
As ever, the prize is determined by the group of judges assembled each year. This year’s prize is chaired by Andrew Motion, former Poet Laureate, and features some highly qualified judges to assist him. I think we should see a very exciting shortlist and winner if the longlist is anything to go by. What price another Carey win?
Peter Carey Parrot and Olivier in America (Faber and Faber)
Emma Donoghue Room (Pan MacMillan – Picador)
Helen Dunmore The Betrayal (Penguin – Fig Tree)
Damon Galgut In a Strange Room (Grove Atlantic – Atlantic Books)
Howard Jacobson The Finkler Question (Bloomsbury)
Andrea Levy The Long Song
(Headline Publishing Group – Headline Review)
Tom McCarthy C (Random House – Jonathan Cape)
David Mitchell The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (Hodder & Stoughton – Sceptre)
Lisa Moore February (Random House – Chatto & Windus)
Paul Murray Skippy Dies (Penguin – Hamish Hamilton)
Rose Tremain Trespass (Random House – Chatto & Windus)
Christos Tsiolkas The Slap (Grove Atlantic – Tuskar Rock)
Alan Warner The Stars in the Bright Sky
(Random House – Jonathan Cape)
I usually don’t get excited by longlists, but this one looks very strong. I’m particularly interested in the wonderfully packaged Skippy Dies by Paul Murray -widely said to be hilarious. Also, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet has had quite good reviews. But the overwelhming early favourite is The Long Song
by Andrea Levy. What are your thoughts on the list?
The D!
Musings of a Literary Dilettante's Blog 
Of these, I’ve only read The Slap which I HATED. Given my history with Booker prize winners that’s my tip. Looks like I’ve missed some good reads this year. I will look to the Dilettante to recommend the best of these ;o)
S, I’ve got a feeling you might like Skippy Dies, but I’ve yet to read it – reviews of it are very positive; it’s a tragi-comedy, it probably eclipses Paul Torday’s stuff, so if that’s any guide…. I’ll wait until the shortlst is announced on the 7th September before I see what’s what. Olivier and Parrot is a very good book by Carey, but I don’t think you’d love it, it’s more of a picaresque romp than a heavily plotted story which I know you prefer!
Thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely keep it in mind next time I’m looking for a book. I havent read any Carey yet. I’ve picked up Oscar & Lucinda a number of times but have always put it back. Not sure why Im so reluctant to try him.