The shortlist for the world's richest literary prize was unveiled today . The winner is announced on the 17th June. The final eight in the €100,000 Impac Dublin Literary Award are below. The books were selected from a longlist of 156 novels nominated by 163 public libraries in 123 cities around the world. Countries which took part in the poll include Ireland, Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Russia, The Netherlands, South Africa, Brazil, the US and Canada. The shortlisted titles are: Home by Marilynne Robinson. The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker. The Elegance Of The Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. In Zodiac Light by Robert Edric. Settlement by Christoph Hein. The Believers by Zoe Heller. Netherland by Joseph O'Neill. God's Own Country by Ross Raisin.
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Hundreds of thousands of readers were enthralled and delighted by the luminous, tender voice of John Ames in Gilead, Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Now comes HOME, a deeply affecting novel that takes place in the same period and same Iowa town of Gilead. This is Jack’s story. Jack - prodigal son of the Boughton family, godson and namesake of John Ames, gone twenty years - has come home looking for refuge and to try to make peace with a past littered with trouble and pain. A bad boy from childhood, an alcoholic who cannot hold down a job, Jack is perpetually at odds with his surroundings and with his traditionalist father, though he remains Boughton’s most beloved child. His sister Glory has also returned to Gilead, fleeing her own mistakes, to care for their dying father. Brilliant, loveable, wayward, Jack forges an intense new bond with Glory and engages painfully with his father and his father’s old friend John Ames.
Posted 13/04/2010 09:36:47 by Emily Rowland with 1 comments.
Home sounds incredibly thrilling-almost as if it incorporates several genres into one novel. I am curious, for myself and for readers of my blog, if the novel is a sequel. In other words, should readers check out Gilead first to fully understand the setting, characters, theme, etc. or is it able to stand alone?
Thanks!
15/4/2010 17:22
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