Thanks very much for the opportunity. Aside from the Le Guin book (which I have read twice, 45 years ago, and then 10 years later), all the authors were new to me, so it was interesting dipping into them to see if they might be a good read - I could not put Babette's Feast and The Emigrants aside until I had finished them several weeks ago
I'm looking forward to reading the Banville book. I've been meaning to read something by him for years; oddly enough, I had meant to start with The Sea, but The Untouchable hooked me from the first page.