Can I tell you about other risks you made me think of in the books I’ve read? In The Wren The Wren ,Ann Enright wrote poetry that is entirely believable. It looks and sounds like what it’s supposed to be/represent. I’ve seen interviews ask Ann Enright “ Did you write that yourself?” The book I’m currently listening to, Brotherless Night, reads more like nonfiction. It’s very affecting ( not sure if that’s the right word?) Because it personal testimony about being a teenager in Sri Lanka in early 80s. I think the author took the risk of reviving PTSD to write it. Ordinary Human Failings has had more understanding here than elsewhere. Anyone from Ireland/Britain would recognise the tactics of a sleazy journalist. Putting the family in an hotel to get a shock story from them. They’d also ( from an Irish point of view) recognise how difficult it was to be Irish in England in the 80s. The risk is that the reading audience beyond Ireland & U.K., understanding that or trying to learn about it. Solider Sailor takes the risk of being seen as “ a bad mother”. Enter Ghost takes the risk of all sorts of understanding/misunderstandings in current circumstances. I think the author tries to show the micro and the macro. The risk is , can you trust your audience to see it? “ All the Worlds a stage and the man and women merely players”. I still think it will win. ☘️👋🍀☕️📕📖🇮🇪
YES! The poetry! How could I have forgotten! Great points about all these books and the risks they take. As usual just a great and insightful comment. Thank you Jacqueline
Brian, this was a master class on how to make a BookTube video. Absolutely stellar in all regards. Thank you for being an excellent “teacher” to this newbie content creator.
I loved looking at these through the lens of risk with you. It has given me a new perspective on the books and why they might have been chosen. I’ve only read Soldier Sailor so far from these five, but you made me want to get to all of them a bit more than I already did. Hoping to read The Wren The Wren and Enter Ghost before the shortlist. The one I most want to get to is And Then She Fell but I’m still waiting for it to arrive from the library. I previously hadn’t felt very interested in Nightbloom but you have made me feel more interested.
Thank you Alice. And Then She Fell is remarkable in its authors ability to create chaos and bring it all together in a beautiful way in the end. Nightbloom was so close to a DNF for me because I didn’t think the author could keep my interest or make the investment in reading meaningful. I think she did both and am glad I finished it.
The only book of these I read was The Wren, The Wren. For me it was an OK book but I never really could understand what it's actual message was. I felt it was trying to take me somewhere and along the way I got lost. Perhaps it was on audio the message was not as clear or I drifted off and missed something. I did like the poetry inbetween chapters and liked the Neil chapters better. Your review made me feel I really did miss what this book was trying to get across and in this respect the experimental structure was a negative.
Not just me?! I felt exactly the same way when I finished-I did enjoy listening to it, the narration was great, some beautiful writing…and at the end, just felt a bit lost on what I was supposed to make of it all. I chalked it up to it being my first Anne Enright book, plus being fairly new to reading “literary fiction”, so maybe I just didn’t “get” her writing. This review was helpful-if it gets shortlisted, I may revisit it to see if I can better appreciate and understand it.
And Then She Fell is on my TBR and I really look forward to picking it up when I am in the mood for a darker story 😊 I really appreciate that you make that point about word choice when describing spiritual beliefs versus fabulism in books and think that distinction is super important
If you're only going to read 5 books from the Women's prize, I think you picked really well. I love your analysis of risk, it is really thought provoking. One thing I'm wondering is, did the judges consciously reward risk, or does a good book simply take risks... Or both!
I’m pretty sure my choices were heavily influenced by your reviews. Your question is exactly what I have been thinking about. As much as we dislike Wuthering Heights it is a great book and definitely a risky one. So is there a great book that isn’t risky in some way?
Hi Brian, thank you for introducing these books to me. Most of them I only know by name as I’m not a big prize list reader. Having said that, I’m a big reader of women authors. Aloha friend.
Hi Brian, I've only read Soldier Sailor and And Then She Fell and I think I am with Scott in choosing And Then She Fell over Soldier Sailor if I had to rank them. I am having a different response to Soldier Sailor than a lot of others - I'll talk about it more on my upcoming wrap-up but it's basically a kind of - I've lived this and I don't want to read about it lol
I think I can understand that reaction to Soldier Sailor. It is an in your face depiction of motherhood with a father that is out to lunch (to put it kindly).
Great video, Brian. I love this framework of considering the risks taken by these authors. I liked the "playwright" sections in Enter Ghost; I've thought a lot about that book since I read it. I haven't read the others but they all sound compelling.
I need to go back and look at the sections that are formatted like a play to see what I might have missed about it, but I thought it was innovative in a book that otherwise follows the basic form of the novel. Thanks Angelea
This is the only review of 'And then she Fell,' that makes me want to read it. Not sure about that or 'Soldier Sailor' - they might be a bit triggering.
Of the two I think And Then She Fell might be the more triggering. In Soldier Sailor the descriptions of those early days of raising a child are more vividly described, but The mother’s sanity and her desire to protect and care for her child is not really in question. This is not always as clear in And Then She Fell. That is of course the opinion of someone who has experienced neither as a mother.
@@clarepotter7584 17 years for me, and it certainly brought up some memories and feelings, but it also felt a bit validating. Also, there's a point in the book where "Soldier" comments that another parent's actions made her parenting skills look good, and that made me laugh because I felt the same way about the book 😂
I really enjoyed this! I like the focus of “risk”. I’ve so far read The Wren The Wren (enjoyed the narration & writing but got lost on the overall point of it); Hangman (if you like seeing risks taken in writing, then you may want to read this-narration is excellent but I think if I’d read a print version, I would have followed the story a little better), and Western Lane (I adored this book, 5 stars. Such a subtle gentle book of a young girl and a family trying to find a new normal after the death of the mom). I plan on eventually reading the whole list, and most excited to read Enter Ghost (I’m obsessed with all things even remotely linked to Shakespeare), and your review of And Then She Fell has me very intrigued-love your points about indigenous beliefs. …I took a break from reading the Women’s Prize to read some of the Pulitzer possibilities that Greg (Supposedly Fun) mentioned on his channel. So many good books to get to! Happy Reading. 📚
What a great video! I love having to think of books in different ways, and this idea of risk is an interesting way to look at things. I always appreciate how your videos make me think.
You have made me more interested in The Wren The Wren than I was before. Soldier Sailor was so utterly compelling I just loved it. Haven’t heard many people talk about And Then She Fell so it’s great to hear your review 😊 I want you to read Brotherless Night Brian. Such a fantastic book.
I really appreciate this and the way you talk about the books and the stories and the perspectives, in a non-condescending way and still being able to say what part weren’t the most… appealing to you. Like you’re allowed to not relate, and you can say that without judgment of the other’s experience. Well done. I hope I’m not doing the reverse now, patting you on the head for being a good little man, talking about the women’s books. That’s not how I mean it. I also liked your discussion of And then she fell. I haven’t read it but might, I’ve had me eye out (is that a saying haha) for books about/by indigenous people/persons, and this might be an interesting one. And I agree with what you say about magic vs spiritualism. Great video.
Haha! I didn’t feel like you were patting me on the head. I appreciate the kind words. The practice of applying the term magical realism to books involving the spiritual beliefs and practices of non-Christian religions is increasingly irritating to me. I wish I could think of a catchy term to replace it.
@@BookishTexan Ok good, I'm glad! :D That's the worst. Well, not the literal worst but. Not fun. Yes it's narrow-minded for sure. I think spiritual works fine, doesn't it? Or religious?
Soldier Sailor also contained a lot of humour, I really liked it. I also thought Enter Ghost was great. The other three didn't work as well for me, they were fine. I did not like the ending of And Then She Fell, and other aspects of it didn't work for me which is disappointing because it deals with important topics. I might try a re read at a later stage to see if I get more out of it on a second reading.
I’m sorry to hear that the ending of And Then She Fell disappointed you. It was a bit of a high wire act without a net. I’m curious is it the reliance on the intervention of “spirits” that contributed to your disappointment ?
@@BookishTexan No I was fine with the spirits and spirituality side of things. I don't like books where the majority of the book leads up to something and the ending is like...thirty years later this is where the character is...and you don't get a good feeling for the intervening period.
You've made me look forward to And Then She Fell. I needed to push that back after Soldier Sailor, because while it was a riveting read I needed a break from that particular subject matter. I think you might also like Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan. The risk factor there is in taking highly flawed and fairly unlikable characters and making you have great sympathy for them. I think she succeeds with most but not all of the characters.
Thank you for recommending ordinary human failings. I will look into getting a copy. And Then She Fell is more direct and clear in its depiction of post partum depression and sometimes gruesome in its description of the mother’s thoughts. In Soldier Sailor what’s at stake is a relationship. In And Then She Fell it is a woman’s sanity, a relationship, and the well being of a child.
@@BookishTexan I'm trying to read the whole longlist before the shortlist announcement. Sounds like I might want to get started on And Then She Fell asap, so I can take breaks from it if/when it gets to be too much.
@@TheLeniverse That sounds wise. There were points for me when I wanted to rush ahead to see what happens, how it all works out, and times I had to put it aside to think.
Hi Brian. I really enjoyed this video, and I loved your approaching these books through the topic of risk-taking. I especially enjoyed your discussion of Enter Ghost.
Your description of and reaction to Soldier Sailor chimed really closely with mine. The tension was enormous and I constantly questioned if she or I were being fair in our feelings and reactions. I have just got an e-book of And Then She Fell which is the only one of these I haven read yet and you have raised my anticipation further for that.thanks
Soldier Sailor is moving to the top of my list. New parenthood is such an interesting topic to me, because it's a period of time that turns your life upside down and tests you in so many ways. Loved the way you described it, and I appreciate all your thoughtful insights on these books.
