tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49524561054290359142012-02-16T21:45:31.248ZProud to be Shadowing the 2010 Man Booker Prize!Rotherham Library and Information Servicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09017283674673142811noreply@blogger.comBlogger131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-44795205575194174282010-10-13T14:52:00.003+01:002010-10-13T15:01:29.017+01:00

Last night's Big ManBooker Bash at Wickersley Library marked the end of our journey following this year's prize. More than 40 people turned out to hear our views on the shortlisted titles; to tell us about their favourite and least-favourite reads; to hear the announcement of the winner and to take part in a literary quiz. My colleagues and I will be blogging on the experience as a whole (and

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506484948945726792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-29048596263348597942010-10-12T14:27:00.002+01:002010-10-12T14:31:58.983+01:00

Damon Galgut’s short novel has drawn criticism on two grounds: firstly, that it is a work of non-fiction and, secondly, that it is actually three unconnected short stories (they were initially published separately) and not a novel.The first criticism can be dealt with by pointing out that the book is actually about memory and its inability to faithfully represent something (the narrator often

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506484948945726792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-52380256318530207272010-10-12T14:15:00.005+01:002010-10-12T14:25:50.879+01:00

Tom McCarthy’s C is a bildungsroman (a novel that charts the growth of an individual) with a difference: the main character is a cipher, with no attempt made to plunge into his psychology. McCarthy has spoken loudly of his distaste for the humanist novel which goes into great depth about a character’s feelings and emotions. In C he replaces the ‘emoting subject’ with Serge Carrefax, a character

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506484948945726792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-24632425665536063502010-10-12T10:06:00.003+01:002010-10-12T10:11:23.134+01:00

The Long Song has been one of my favourite Booker Prize reads (note: this does not necessarily make it my choice as the winner!) Andrea Levy has a wonderfully vivid and evocative style of writing and I loved Miss July’s sing-song Jamaican dialect and phrases - I'd love to listen to the audiobook version!I know the novel has been criticised for being what some people see as a ‘light’ treatment of

Angellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877369921193215823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-4173145030372393992010-10-07T14:50:00.004+01:002010-10-07T15:03:43.744+01:00

The Finkler Question is Howard Jacobson’s novel about Jewishness in its many forms. Its main character is Treslove, a hollow figure who is obsessed with tragic deaths (his own and his lovers’) and opera (particularly operas which feature scenes of lovers dying tragically). His relationship with two Jewish friends Sam Finkler (a childhood friend and successful TV philosopher) and Libor (an urbane

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506484948945726792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-17606930286216938902010-10-06T09:44:00.007+01:002010-10-06T10:21:31.882+01:00

Of the Booker titles I’ve read so far, Room has proved to be the biggest surprise: I expected to dislike it (fearing that it would be an exploitative and sensationalist attempt to jump on the bandwagon of the recent Fritzl and Kampusch cases) but ended up being thoroughly engrossed in what is an extremely well-realised story. I also had doubts that the novel would be able to sustain a 300-page

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506484948945726792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-49072077234329061452010-10-05T10:09:00.006+01:002010-10-05T10:29:32.093+01:00

Having never read anything by Andrea Levy I approached The Long Song with a mixture of anticipation (the good reviews, plaudits and prizes) and trepidation (could it be a case of over-hype?). My sense of anticipation soon turned into enjoyment and banished any residual doubts as I enjoyed the talents of this gifted novelist.The Long Song did provide lots of surprises: given that the novel was one

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506484948945726792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-84184775827227747882010-10-04T16:43:00.004+01:002010-10-04T16:50:19.126+01:00

Peter Carey’s historical romp through 19th Century America (via France and Britain with a minor detour to Australia), is a fictionalised attempt to draw the life of Alexis de Toqueville (the French aristocrat who wrote Democracy in America). I have to confess that I knew little of de Tocqueville's life before reading this, but found that that this didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the novel; although

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506484948945726792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-70531880608949559402010-09-28T15:46:00.004+01:002010-09-28T15:53:34.491+01:00

I was actually looking forward to reading this, and was quite pleased with the opening chapters. Must admit I didn't understand all of the humour (I still don't get the "J'you know Juno" 'joke' - but maybe that's the point. I'm not a Finkler...)I also found it to be long winded in parts and found myself skimming over the more political/social debates - not because I'm not interested, but maybe

Angellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877369921193215823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-27740956808795362682010-09-24T12:14:00.002+01:002010-09-24T12:38:42.574+01:00

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

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761179369492726036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-24740232488922835622010-09-17T11:38:00.007+01:002010-09-17T12:01:30.247+01:00

To celebrate our involvement in this year's prize, Wickersley Library will be hosting a Man Booker event on the evening of Tuesday 12th October (8 - 10:30pm).As well as being a chance for readers to get together and discuss the prize (and who they think should win), attendees will also be able to chat to members of our readers groups; to consign their most hated reads to Room 101 or save them as

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506484948945726792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-21499418738442899282010-09-14T12:14:00.008+01:002010-09-14T15:35:24.044+01:00

'Room' is the story of five year old Jack and his Ma who live in a 11'x11' hidden room. For Ma, this is a living nightmare after being locked away here ever since her abduction by 'Old Nick' 8 years before. Jack's only contact with the real world is through TV, although Ma has convinced him that the real things he sees on TV are in fact make believe.Ma finally tells Jack the truth about their

Angellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877369921193215823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952456105429035914.post-58967103351133537562010-09-09T12:41:00.004+01:002010-09-09T12:55:12.921+01:00

So, there we were in a great big room; our collective feet aching due to a tube strike and surrounded by the great and the good: booksellers, publishers, authors, agents, poets, critics, champagne and canapés. How did four Rotherham library staff members get to be at Kensington Palace for the Booker Prize shortlisting party?The story begins with Julie Hird, Reader Development Officer. Upon

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