Philip Roth wins Booker

[TGS]

Philip Roth has won the international version of the Man Booker Prize. Unlike the "ordinary" Man Booker, the international prize is not awarded for a particular novel, but for achievement over a period of time. Report here.

[SlowRain]

...and then one of the judges resigns because she didn't like the choice. I agree with both sides: Roth is a good writer, but he really only does write endlessly about one thing. I can read about one Roth novel a year.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011...ip-roth-booker

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by SlowRain

...and then one of the judges resigns because she didn't like the choice. I agree with both sides: Roth is a good writer, but he really only does write endlessly about one thing. I can read about one Roth novel a year.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011...ip-roth-booker

That often ?

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by SlowRain

...and then one of the judges resigns because she didn't like the choice. I agree with both sides: Roth is a good writer, but he really only does write endlessly about one thing. . . . http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011...ip-roth-booker

By all means, let's judge novelists by their subject matter and not their level of craftsmanship. That Raymond Chandler -- always writing about detectives. That Joyce -- always droning on about ambivalent bookworms. That Hardy and his tragic heroes. That Edith Wharton and her young women always wishing to enter into New York society. That Virginia Woolf -- always with the Freudian interior monologues. Waiter, this wine is old.

[spellbanisher]

So the international man booker is like a poor man's nobel.

[TGS]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

By all means, let's judge novelists by their subject matter and not their level of craftsmanship. That Raymond Chandler -- always writing about detectives. That Joyce -- always droning on about ambivalent bookworms. That Hardy and his tragic heroes. That Edith Wharton and her young women always wishing to enter into New York society. That Virginia Woolf -- always with the Freudian interior monologues. Waiter, this wine is old.

[Andanzas]

Latest news! Latest news! Starting this year, the Man Booker Prize will be known as the Macho Man Booker Prize. (Please, please, I know I deserve it, but don't shoot me.)

I love how the international version of this prize is also for a writer who writes in English. Can you get more international than that?

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

By all means, let's judge novelists by their subject matter and not their level of craftsmanship. That Raymond Chandler -- always writing about detectives. That Joyce -- always droning on about ambivalent bookworms. That Hardy and his tragic heroes. That Edith Wharton and her young women always wishing to enter into New York society. That Virginia Woolf -- always with the Freudian interior monologues. Waiter, this wine is old.

Come on, SlowRain is not judging his work (actually he admits that Roth is good), he is just sharing his personal impression as a reader. Certainly one can do that without offending anyone, right?

One of my favorite writers is Henry Roth (the author of Call It Sleep) and his sexual obsession is so disturbing that Philip Roth looks like a nun in comparison. If I had to read all his books one after the other, I'd shoot myself. But he is still one of my favorite writers, as he has impressed me so much.

I still don't have an opinion about Roth (this time I mean Philip .) I have read a couple of his later works (The Dying Animal and another whose title I don't remember right now) and I was very disappointed. I've been told that those books don't make him justice. In that case, I don't understand why he keeps publishing books if he has nothing to add to his best works. I'll eventually read one of his best-known novels and I guess that day I will understand why everybody thinks he is one of the best living American writers, but right now I just think he is a creepy old man.

[Hoyt Clagwell]

He did write in my opinion one of the funniest books of all time. "The Great American Novel"

Gil Gamesh, the only pitcher who ever literally tried to kill the umpire. The ex-con first baseman, John Baal, "The Babe Ruth of the Big House," who never hit a home run sober. If you've never heard of them—or of the Ruppert Mundys, the only homeless big-league ball team in American history—it's because of the Communist plot, and the capitalist scandal, that expunged the entire Patriot League from baseball memory.

In this ribald, richly imagined, and wickedly satiric novel, Roth turns baseball's status as national pastime and myth into an occasion for unfettered picaresque farce, replete with heroism and perfidy, ebullient wordplay and a cast of characters that includes the House Un-American Activities Committee.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

By all means, let's judge novelists by their subject matter and not their level of craftsmanship. That Raymond Chandler -- always writing about detectives. That Joyce -- always droning on about ambivalent bookworms. That Hardy and his tragic heroes. That Edith Wharton and her young women always wishing to enter into New York society. That Virginia Woolf -- always with the Freudian interior monologues. Waiter, this wine is old.

Those subjects are more palatable in large doses than Roth's penis.

(and I actually like many of his novels)

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by Andanzas

Come on, SlowRain is not judging his work (actually he admits that Roth is good), he is just sharing his personal impression as a reader. Certainly one can do that without offending anyone, right?

(A) I'm responding to the link, which I included in my quote. A judge quit over the decision to honor Roth, spoke to the press and said rather emphatically that she disagreed with the decision because of her distaste for Roth's subject matter. Apparently, she thought Anne Tyler was a better writer.

(B) If "one" may offer personal reasons for finding Roth unpleasant without offending anyone else, then presumably I'm permitted to question someone else's logic without offending anyone, either.

(C) For the love of Millicent Oatquiver, I was not being entirely serious (hence the snicker of my esteemed colleague).

[SlowRain]

Originally Posted by Andanzas

I have read a couple of his later works (The Dying Animal and another whose title I don't remember right now) and I was very disappointed. I've been told that those books don't make him justice.

I've read about half a dozen of his novels now, and The Dying Animal is my least favorite; Operation Shylock is my second least favorite. My favorite is The Human Stain, despite all the praise that gets heaped on American Pastoral, which is still a good book in its own way. My second favorite is a tie between Everyman and The Plot Against America--the latter being the most non-Roth-like novel of his that I've read despite Philip Roth being the main character.

[SlowRain]

The article describes Carmen Callil as the founder of a feminist publishing house. I'm not a feminist, but I understand her point of view and still don't disagree with her.

I wonder if there would be the same level of defense for a Neo-Nazi who had excellent craftsmanship.

[Andanzas]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

(A) I'm responding to the link, which I included in my quote. A judge quit over the decision to honor Roth, spoke to the press and said rather emphatically that she disagreed with the decision because of her distaste for Roth's subject matter. Apparently, she thought Anne Tyler was a better writer.

(B) If "one" may offer personal reasons for finding Roth unpleasant without offending anyone else, then presumably I'm permitted to question someone else's logic without offending anyone, either.

I apologize. I didn't notice you were responding to the link and I misunderstood your words.

[shibamistress]

Huh. I certainly think there are better writers for this award to go to (both content and craftwise), but it's also pretty annoying that one of the judges resigned in protest. She was outvoted, I presume, so she might as well be gracious about the process, and agree to disagree. But then, the big awards are very political, and people often take themselves very seriously.

But take this with a grain of salt: I'm a somewhat embittered writer and academic who is pretty sick of the incestuous nature of awards.

[caleb72]

No shortage of books available in Amazon for an Aussie. I've never read him before. I'll make sure I put something of his on my TBR list.