Alrighty. It's official.
The shortlist:
- Tan Twan Eng - The Garden Of Evening Mists (Myrmidon Books)
- Deborah Levy - Swimming Home (And Other Stories/Faber & Faber)
- Hilary Mantel - Bring Up The Bodies (Fourth Estate)
- Alison Moore - The Lighthouse (Salt)
- Will Self - Umbrella (Bloomsbury)
- Jeet Thayil - Narcopolis (Faber & Faber)
My two made it through, not to be all braggy about it or anything. Well, maybe a little braggy.
That Mantel made it through frankly astonishes me and if she wins again I'll be thoroughly disgusted with the Man Bookers and shall mock and ridicule them at every opportunity. What would they be thinking, in that case? Ridiculous, really. Let's just go ahead and hand her the award for the next book, as well, so things are balanced nicely.
So that leaves Levy, Moore and Thayil as my three wild cards. That's a lot of wild cards. Fifty percent worth of wild cards. Do I lay down my bet now or hold off a bit until I've sniffed out these last three? Oh, but I have a feeling it'll be Will Self!
But, grrr... I'll hold off just a bit longer.
While we're at it, here's the Shortlist I predicted in early August:
Shortlist Predictions - August 3, 2012
The Teleportation Accident by Ned Beauman (Sceptre) * 2013 US Release
A genre-crossing novel based in 1930s Germany about sex, history, space and violence.
Skios by Michael Frayn (Faber & Faber) * Available US
A modern-day satirical drama based on a Greek island, involving scientific conferences and mistaken identity.
Swimming Home by Deborah Levy (And Other Stories) * Used Available US
A novel which looks at the impact depression can have on the human condition within the setting of a French holiday.
The Lighthouse by Alison Moore (Salt) ** Bought Kindle
Moore's protagonist gets unwittingly involved in a mystery during a German walking holiday.
Umbrella by Will Self (Bloomsbury) * UK Publication 6 August ** Pre-ordered
Umbrella see's Self's psychiatrist character Zach Busner return in a narrative preoccupied with the war, lost history and illness.
Communion Town by Sam Thompson (Fourth Estate) ** Bought - UK
A fictional city is mapped out by the stories of 10 of its inhabitants.
Fifty percent... Ye gods. That's bad. And looks like I wasted money on purchasing Communion Town, with UK shipping, no less!
Oh, bother.
Ponder. Think. What to do?
I'm crossing off Mantel, because I think that's as it should be. Which leaves the list looking like this:
- Tan Twan Eng - The Garden Of Evening Mists (Myrmidon Books)
- Deborah Levy - Swimming Home (And Other Stories/Faber & Faber)
- Hilary Mantel - Bring Up The Bodies (Fourth Estate)
- Alison Moore - The Lighthouse (Salt)
- Will Self - Umbrella (Bloomsbury)
- Jeet Thayil - Narcopolis (Faber & Faber)
I have The Lighthouse on my Kindle and Narcopolis in actual book format, purchased from the UK. So, all I lack is Swimming Home, though if these are short stories I'll go ahead and whack her off, as well. Novels ought to win the Booker, don't you think?
So, now I'm down to:
- Tan Twan Eng - The Garden Of Evening Mists (Myrmidon Books)
- Deborah Levy - Swimming Home (And Other Stories/Faber & Faber)
- Hilary Mantel - Bring Up The Bodies (Fourth Estate)
- Alison Moore - The Lighthouse (Salt)
- Will Self - Umbrella (Bloomsbury)
- Jeet Thayil - Narcopolis (Faber & Faber)
(Like my scientific method, by the way?)
Only The Lighthouse and Narcopolis outstanding. I can handle those with one eye tied behind my back.
Having started Narcopolis I can report it's more post-modern-y than I prefer but well written. Plus, the cover has that nice feel to it. It's a hardback book but the dust jacket is all smooth yet grippy, almost velvet-y. It's not your standard, slick jacket. As if that matters.
(If the Man Booker ever extends to taste, feel and heft this cover will do well.)
So, let's leave this here (finally!). Still sticking by my two choices but I'm not ready to absolutely rule out the last two.
Until my next report... About which no one cares but moi!