Booker Prize and Others

>>8084547
The God of Small Things by Arundutti Roy (I think that's her name).The English Patient by Michael Ondaatji also won the award I think. Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee was pretty influential in him winning the Nobel Prize, but I think he also won the Booker for it.

What do you think about the Booker Prize being open to non-commonwealth entries? I hear a South Korean took the prize this year after her novel was translated.

>>8084547
>Inb4 prizes don't dictate quality. I don't need the reminder.
Are you sure you don't? It sounds like you do.

>>8084582
I'm pretty sure that's Han Kang's book. I'm fine with it being outside the Commonwealth. It injects some much needed outside influence into the game. I've read both God of Small Things and English Patient, preferred Ondaatje really. Probably just because he reminded me a bit of Pynchon or Gibson. I've only read Waiting for the Barbarians by Coetzee, I'll have to check out his other work.

>>8084592
Based on what? I'm curious what people have read on prize lists that has piqued their interests.

>>8084598
I'm fine with Han Kang too, but what irritated me was how America's highest literary honour, the Pulitzer Prize, is closed off to the rest of the world, but the Booker opened their doors to Americans. I guess it was unfounded in fears that the Americans would just run away with the prize every year.

>>8084652
Yeah the Pulitzer's a bit of a shitty show sometimes. Of course it seems like America is always behind in that whole willingful inclusivity business. This, of course, coming from an American. I don't necessarily think the whole nationalist intent behind prizes like that is well founded as long as those prizes have their own distinctions. If the difference between a Whitbread and a Pulitzer has to come down to nation, then it's pretty fucking arbitrary in terms of literary merit if you ask me.

Anyway, I recommend Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin and Kingsley Amis's The Alteration alongside what I've already put down.