Matt's Books and Music

After a couple near attempts, this was the first year I’ve managed to read the whole Booker Prize longlist. I didn’t really set out to do that, but it just sort of worked out through a combination of interest and accessibility, and the fact that the book I was least interested in reading got perhaps the best review ever in the New York Times.

Today, before talking about what I’d like to see on the shortlist, and what I think might be there, I’ll talk about general impressions of the list and talk about each book in terms of why I think they were listed, why they may or may not progress to the shortlist, and what sort of narratives exist around them as far as I can tell.

Overall Impressions

On the whole I think it’s a list that makes sense as a list. Books I expected or hope to make the list like Floodlines by Saleem Haddad,  Land by Maggie O’Farrell, or Astronaut! by Oana Aristide are brilliant books that would fit into the Booker’s overall sensibility, but would stand out strangely on this list.

One common theme in many of the books is a pervasive uncertainty and anxiety that certainly fits our present moment. Specially, a lot of the books (nine of them by my count) deal in some way with questions of masculinity, which is interesting.

I quite liked the list overall. There were five books I unreservedly loved, and really only two I thought weren’t successful as books.

Book-by-Book Thoughts

(in the order in which I read them)

John of John, by Douglas Stuart

• Why is it on the list? A good story well-told, by a previously-awarded author.
• Why might it make not progress? Good stories well-told aren’t exactly what Booker juries tend to reward. It could be seen as being too popular and too conventional.
• What if it wins? If it wins, the message will be that there is a place for conventional storytelling. And that they really really like Douglas Stuart.

Black Bag, by Luke Kennard

• Why is it on the list? Whip-smart and legitimately funny writing that nonetheless tackles some of the most important social issues of the day.
• Why might it not progress? The comedic tone could make it feel less important to some jurors compared to some of the more serious fare on the list.
• What if it wins? This would be a huge win for humour writing and literature as social commentary

All Them Dogs, by Djamel White

• Why is it on the list? Not to damn it with faint praise, but there always seems to be a place on the Booker longlist for both Irish crime fiction and “____ but make it queer” stories.
• Why might it not progress? This is good book, but what it does well, other books on the list do better.
• What if it wins? It will send the message that putting a queer lens on hyper-masculine spaces is still considered noteworthy and important

The Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout

• Why is it on the list? Elizabeth Strout is simply a well-respected, much-lauded, and beloved author. The jury could also have wanted to award a book that refused to avert its eyes from the present moment in American society and politics.
• Why might it not progress? This is not Strout’s best work. Ultimately, the political content felt like a distraction from the main storyline and it didn’t have much to contribute to the discourse.
• What if it wins? I think if this wins it will be a lifetime achievement award. Strout deserves to be awarded, but not for this.

The Palm House, by Gwendoline Riley

• Why is it on the list:? Strong writing, feminist themes, and reflections on the place of art in a money-driven age
• Why might it make not progress? It doesn’t stand out from the pack and doesn’t have a lot of loud supporters.
• What if it wins? Honestly, I have no idea. Perhaps if the jurors are split, something like this could split the middle? It could also speak to the particular demographic of the jury.

Helen of Nowhere, by Makenna Goodman

• Why is it on the list? This is an inventive novel that takes big swings
• Why might it not progress? There’s wide consensus among readers that those big swings didn’t connect.
• What if it wins? This would be a celebration of literary experimentation

The Renovation, by Kenan Orhan

• Why is it on the list? Strong prose, effective use of magical realism, and a unique POV.
• Why might it not progress? I have a hard time imagining this not making the shortlist, but perhaps if there’s a feeling that refugee stories are not what’s needed to meet the moment?
• What if it wins? This would be a celebration of creativity and of the continued power of migrant stories, and a shot at the rising tides of authoritarianism.

The Shadow of the Object, by Chloe Aridjis

• Why is it on the list? Beautiful prose, and a playful atmosphere that matches the book’s shadowy themes
• Why might it not progress? There are books that are more daringly or successfully experimental than this, and the shadowy themes make the book’s ‘meaning’ rather nebulous.
• What if it wins? This would be a celebration of writing that is atmospheric and elusive.

The End of Everything, by John M. Harrison

• Why is it on the list? Well-respected science fiction writer, an absolute masterclass in atmosphere
• Why might it not progress? While this excels in atmosphere, it does little in the way of character, plot, or theme. This is a case where the formal experimentation felt like deliberate antagonism of the reader.
• What if it wins? To some extent, I think it would be a lifetime achievement prize for a highly respected genre writer. It could also be about wanting to reward the least conventional novel.

May We Feed the King, by Rebecca Perry

• Why is it on the list? Strong prose and POV, with an effective match of style and theme and big thoughts about the nature of history
• Why might it not progress? From what I’ve seen this seems to be the most popular of the longlist books amongst readers, and the past few years that has not been a good thing in the contest.
• What if it wins? This would be a celebration of experimentation that brings the reader along for the ride.

The Disappearers, by Marlon James

• Why is it on the list? A well-executed novel by a previous Booker winner.
• Why might it not progress? The book’s extreme violence at times feels excessive.
• What if it wins? This would be a well-deserved victory lap for a beloved writer. If it wins, I could see it being considered among the all-time best winners.

Switzy, by Emma Cline

• Why is it on the list? Strong prose, well-written stream-of-consciousness POV, and important themes
• Why might it not progress? It deals with controversial subject matter and the main character isn’t often likable or relatable.
• What if it wins? This would be a celebration of creative storytelling that doesn’t pull punches.

The Vivisectors, by Missouri Williams

• Why is it on the list? Exceptional sentence- and paragraph-level prose, with an intentional slipperiness to the overall narrative.
• Why might it not progress? That same slipperiness makes it easy to read it as a slippery slope into cynicism and nihilism, and the attempt at the end to stop the slide doesn’t feel earned for many readers.
• What if it wins? This would be a celebration of strong, writerly prose.

My Personal Short List

• Black Bag
• The Disappearers
• May We Feed the King
• Switzy
• The Renovation
• John of John

What I Think the Jury Might Choose

• The Disappearers
• The Renovation
• The End of Everything
• May We Feed the King
• Switzy