The story so far.......

Well the reading has commenced!
Two books under my belt so far, The Finkler Question and The Long Song, very different books although similar perhaps in that both of them can be likened to certain writers. The Finkler Question could be likened to a Philip Roth maybe, though far less intense and likewise The Long Song is reminiscent of Alice Walker or Toni Morrison but again much less intense, in fact I personally think The Long song has more in common with Jane Eyre than The Colour Purple.

I've enjoyed both of them, The Long Song was a pleasant surprise as I wasn't a fan of Andrea Levys previous work and although I perhaps wouldn't have stuck with The Finkler Question if I wasn't reading it for the Booker I've found that it's raised many questions and could be debated for hours and perhaps deserves a reread. This in itself raises the question of "What ultimately is a good read?" Is it the one you enjoy the most and read easily?, or is it the one you can appreciate is well written and can imagine being studied on a syllabus somewhere but actually was a bit of a slog to get through?, or is it simply the book with the characters or story which stays with you the longest and keep resurfacing in your memory? I'm going to ponder that whilst working my way through the remaining books.

My next read is Room by Emma Donoghue which I've heard great things about so I'm intrigued already! I did start In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut but felt like I was in the middle of one of those weird perfume adverts all moody and atmospheric but you don't really understand what's going on, although judging by the title that may be the intention! Anyway I'll start with a simple room and when I'm ready I'll add a bit of strangeness!