I like books where I have some idea what's happening, so I don't keep up with the Goldsmith prize😂. Nevertheless, those books sound very intriguing and I wish I enjoyed more avant-garde works.
I was amazed that Rushdie didn’t get it last year, after the attack and still writing for the integrity of literature. How has Atwood not won? She writes in a variety of styles. Handmaid's Tale remains prophetic. She's prolific. It really should be one of those two.
It does seem like he’d be prime to get it! And Atwood is interesting… I respect her a lot, but I wonder if her proliferation actually goes against her? She has classics like The Handmaid’s Tale, but then also writes a lot of fluff (for instance, I found The Heart Goes Last to be seriously lightweight).
Last years list actually sounds like my kind of theme as I like books about mother child relationships, and I like books that focus on grief especially. But it's nice to know this list was a bit more fun to read due to the topics this time around. I have seen so much reader love for the book trail all around! I have seen a lot of people who were disappointed by orbital and the sarah perry (I dnfed the essex serpent so I am not even going to try). I have seen a lot of love for headshot and of all the ones on the longlist that is the one I want to read myself that I hadn't heard of before! You're tempting me towards reading the safekeep and my friends. I see that cropping up in people's top three a lot!!
Really excited for the Goldsmiths list- their hit rate is pretty high! Oyeyemi’s book is *wild* but good fun. Your summary of Murakami was *chef’s kiss*
To be honest I’m a bit intimidated by the Oyeyemi because it’s giving Waidner and I *struggled* with that 😅 I said all that needs to be said on Murakami 💅
Rushdie supports Israel. If he wins it will be a fail as Obama winning a Peace prize (US President who approved the highest number of drones that led to devastating number of civilian deaths in Pakistan).
@@benreadsgood Small correction - he does not support it outright but parrots their rhetoric, the question of all questinos - "what about Hamas?" He had some other very derogatory statements that fall under the wing of Western imaginary of the Orient.
The Goldsmiths Prize consistently picks winners that I love, so it’s become a prize I really look forward to every year. I could not get into the new Oyeyemi book at all but I would not be surprised to see it on the shortlist. The Watermark sounds a bit like one of Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next books, and I love those so I will need to read this one. And shame on me for having not read The Night Alphabet yet. I’ve heard too many raves to keep putting it off. Absolutely no clue about the Nobel this year. It completely snuck up on me.
Goldsmiths is such an interesting prize - I love that they’re on the lookout for inventive stuff. The Night Alphabet is really fantastic, cannot recommend enough!
Murakami is the only author on your list that I have read and I would love to see him awarded. At the same time, I couldn’t be mad about either of the others. Whoever it is, I will be happy for them. Thanks, Ben. 💕📚
Murakami has 0 chance imo. I don’t think he is considered as seriously as some other picks. He hasn’t even shown up in like a booker prize. There’s zero sense of urgency to award him
I too have noticed the trend that the Nobel now seems to be consciously switching back and forth from man to woman each year. So, it should be a woman year. Mukasonga is an interesting choice. I read her book Cockroaches and thought it was very well done. Good balance of providing enough information so we can feel the horror but not getting weighed down by the gory details like some other books covering similar subject matter.
Looking forward to the Goldsmiths Prize! My kind of book prize. I don't have my finger on the pulse this year and rarely read newer books anyway. Do like to buy them though... As for the Nobel for Lit, Can Xue seems to be a bookie favorite. But who knows. I could see them giving it to Taylor Swift.
Love the Goldsmiths, especially after they gave the prize to How to be Both by Ali Smith and to Ducks, Newburyport too! Shame on the Booker for not doing so. Rebecca Watson might be there again this year - little scratch was excellent a few years ago and she has a new one out recently.
I don't believe Murakami will ever win the Nobel. His window has closed ever since the Metoo movement gained traction all over the world. He writes women horribly, only there to serve as wish fulfillment for the male protagonist.
I have read two books by Helen Oyeyemi, and it both cases I am not entirely sure what I read, or what happened, but I enjoyed it. 😂 I haven't attempted her latest yet. (The Night Alphabet is on my immediate tbr pile)
Haha you are not the first person to say this. I think I’m 50/50 on whether her work will be for me - it’s reminding me of Waidner, and I really struggled with Corey Fah.
Thanks for what sounds like a great bunch of books for the Goldsmiths. Ahh the nobel. my nomination is Slavenka Drakulić. She has a great body of work and seems apropo for the current time
with the Nobel they usually try diversify it language-wise and French/English authors have won the prize very recently. So I wouldn't consider either Scholastique or Rushdie. Also this year is a woman's year(these days they alternate genders every year). I think it's gonna be an East Asian woman, the odds say Can Xue, she has been Booker nominated twice in the past 6 years which means her recent work is still being received well critically. My guess however is either Yōko Ogowa or Yōko Towada. I would give Yōko Towada a leg up considering she also writes in a European language and the Swedish Academy has proven to be very Eurocentric
That’s so interesting - love trying to spot a trend! Do you know if it’s a conscious diversifying + male/female alternating pattern, or is it just something that has emerged? Not super familiar with Towada, but would love to see Ogawa take it!
@@benreadsgood before the revamped academy, I think only 14 women had won as compared to over 100 men. So I think it's a conscious effort. Wild to think that nearly 20 percent of all female literature laureates have been awarded in the past 5 years.
Assuming the academy looks at an entire life and body of work, I vote César Aira. Only his Dictionary of Latinoamerican Authors, which is like 2% of his entire work, has done a lot for Latam literature. He won the Formentor prize, which is one of the most prestigious in Hispanoamerican literature, a couple of years ago.
@@benreadsgood Aira is one of the most popular authors in Argentina (I'm a fan) and pretty prolific. Considering his age (75) and range, I think he would have a good shot. The prize also hasn't gone to anyone from South/Central America since 2010, and the Academy tends to spread the prize around geographically. And coming from the States, I've never heard of the Goldsmiths Prize.
Unlike with the Bookers, I've only read the entire Goldsmiths list 3 out of the eleven years and have 'cherry-picked' the others. I do tend to enjoy their selections more, however, so might actually try the entire list again, depending upon what makes it ... most of your predictions have been on my radar and are intriguing - except I refuse to read any more Oyeyemi, since I have detested each of the three books by her I've read. As for the Nobel, I would be very surprised if Rushdie wasn't selected this year, for the reasons you name.
It’s a big obligation to try and read multiple lists every year! Not sure if I will read along but will decide once the list comes out. They do always make really interesting choices though.
That sounds so fun! I’m going to wait to see the list to decide if I want to read along this year. But I’m quite enjoying the freedom of reading whatever I want right now 🥹
I had a fit of glee when I saw that you made some Goldsmith’s Prize content. 🎉 I’m super excited for the longlist. In other news, Brokeback Mountain, but with Muppets, is now the thought that bubbles up in my mind whenever I subconsciously need a laugh. The classic that should have been.
The Night Alphabet is one of those books I’ve started but not finished. I might have faired better with text & audio. I was listening on audio but I felt the narrator didn’t suit the story in my mind.
Oh that's interesting - Taylor narrates it herself, doesn't she? I actually saw a live show where she does some staged readings from the books and I thought she did an excellent job. Made me like some of my lesser-fave stories from the novel even more!
I do think something that's hard to convey with a ranking video is that I really liked pretty much all the books! Even Held, which didn't massively work for me, is a book I can appreciate and totally see why it was shortlisted.
The Creation Lake macaroon/macaron misunderstanding is actually just a common American one (I’m Californian and run into this frequently). This might be a case of accuracy funnily enough!!
These two blew me away this year: James and Prophet Song. So good. By the way, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of my very favorite books. Read it.
Two great books (and right now I'm guessing both Booker winners 👀) I do have a copy of Huckleberry Finn, so it's in the queue... but don't ask me how far down the line it is 😅
Project Hail Mary is next for me, I'm looking forward to it! Seven Husbands was not for me, i didnt get the hype. I have never heard of The Trees, or We Run the Tides - i will be looking for them!
Haha kinda. I think it's more that the Booker is still a very literary prize, so any novel they describe with genre words is really only loosely that genre. But probably just indicative of the judge's reading habits. A 'page turner' to a reader of literary fiction is probably a very different thing to a 'page turner' for a reader of thrillers.
Well you got 3 out of six. And 2 of the shortlists are on your bottom of the list. Still loved hearing your thoughts. U do a wonderful job describing books. Even ones you don't really like. Looks like everyone is picking James. Have you checked out the audiobook of it? Incredible.
3 out of 6 is basically as good as random chance, but I do appreciate your positivity!! 😅 I always try to be fair to the books, so I'm glad that comes across! I didn't listen to the audio of James, but perhaps if I ever re-read I'd listen at the same time!
I have always thought Everett's brand of satire and absurdity would suit short stories, but I didn't know he actually had a collection! Doesn't seem to be available in the UK, but thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Thanks for the video - I loved the Good Read stats, really interesting. I've read 5 and so far my favourite is 🍐also liked My Friends. I haven't read James yet mainly because I have no desire to read Huck Finn. But I guess I'll read it when it inevitably makes the shortlist.
Glad you enjoyed the stats, and that your favourite made it onto the shortlist! I'm gutted for My Friends though. Definitely don't need to read Huck Finn before reading James - a plot summary would suffice. I just watched a video!
