Booker Prize Nominees: What I Recommend
The short list for the 2013 Man Booker prize was announced this morning, and the contenders are: Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Lowland”; Colm TóibÃn’s “A Testament of Mary”; NoViolet Bulawayo‘s “We Need New Names”; Jim Crace’s “Harvest”; Eleanor Catton’s “The Luminaries”; and Ruth Ozeki’s “A Tale for the Time Being.” The Guardian reports that Crace is the bookie favorite, though you may prefer to root for Catton, the youngest ever author to make the short list. (She’s 28.) The winner will be announced on October 15. I recommend the Toibin and the Catton; I do not recommend the Crace. I haven’t read the other entries yet, though the Lahiri sounds promising.
