MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Nobel Prize in Literature 2013 to be announced Oct. 10

Dr. Drib · 10-08-2013, 11:36 AM

Haruki Murakami [3/1 odds] appears to be the favorite, an author whom most readers of MobileRead are probably familiar with.

Other possible candidates: Philip Roth [16/1 odds], Joyce Carol Oates [6/1 odds].

Others considered: Peter Nadas [7/1 odds]; Thomas Pynchon [20/1] - a writer that I hope wins, but he's way too controversial a figure.

Other long (loooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnng) odds would be with J.K. Rowling [500/1], a popular genre writer of mysteries and fantasies, but (in my opinion) a writer without the literary cache to win.

Here are my personal favorites below. I'm hoping that one of them wins:

1) Haruki Murakami - probably not, due to the bloated monstrosity he published a year or so ago. He's a writer who transcends genre (unlike Rowling), and has a considerable body of respectable work behind him. He needs another great novel (like "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle") before he can win, in my opinion.

2) Joyce Carol Oates - This is one that I would like to win. She's been writing for 50+ years and has a considerable body of work behind her. Like Murakami, her work transcends the confines of genre (often seen as gutter fiction, a view that I do not share, however, relying instead upon 'Sturgeon's Law'.)

3) Thomas Pynchon - another great writer. Although I have yet to read his current novel, there has been talk about awarding the Nobel to him for years. At the moment, he is a very distant odds on. In fact, now that I think about it, if he won, he would probably not accept an award, as he did with "Gravity's Rainbow." That means that he will probably not win the Nobel. He's too controversial.

The Nobel Prize in Literature, for the past decade or so, has been highly criticized and politicized (according to a number of pundits), and is extremely controversial at this time.

I'll be looking forward to finding out who wins.

Don

10-08-2013, 11:36 AM	#1
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,467 Karma: 60119087 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	Nobel Prize in Literature 2013 to be announced Oct. 10 Haruki Murakami [3/1 odds] appears to be the favorite, an author whom most readers of MobileRead are probably familiar with. Other possible candidates: Philip Roth [16/1 odds], Joyce Carol Oates [6/1 odds]. Others considered: Peter Nadas [7/1 odds]; Thomas Pynchon [20/1] - a writer that I hope wins, but he's way too controversial a figure. Other long (loooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnng) odds would be with J.K. Rowling [500/1], a popular genre writer of mysteries and fantasies, but (in my opinion) a writer without the literary cache to win. Here are my personal favorites below. I'm hoping that one of them wins: 1) Haruki Murakami - probably not, due to the bloated monstrosity he published a year or so ago. He's a writer who transcends genre (unlike Rowling), and has a considerable body of respectable work behind him. He needs another great novel (like "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle") before he can win, in my opinion. 2) Joyce Carol Oates - This is one that I would like to win. She's been writing for 50+ years and has a considerable body of work behind her. Like Murakami, her work transcends the confines of genre (often seen as gutter fiction, a view that I do not share, however, relying instead upon 'Sturgeon's Law'.) 3) Thomas Pynchon - another great writer. Although I have yet to read his current novel, there has been talk about awarding the Nobel to him for years. At the moment, he is a very distant odds on. In fact, now that I think about it, if he won, he would probably not accept an award, as he did with "Gravity's Rainbow." That means that he will probably not win the Nobel. He's too controversial. The Nobel Prize in Literature, for the past decade or so, has been highly criticized and politicized (according to a number of pundits), and is extremely controversial at this time. I'll be looking forward to finding out who wins. Don Last edited by Dr. Drib; 10-08-2013 at 11:42 AM.