Dark Booker Thoughts
Saturday September 15, 2007
Although I’m only about 100 pages into Nicola Barker’s Darkmans I’m enjoying the ride immensely. And, at over 800 pages, it’s going to be a long one. But it’s already shaping into a very readable and satisfyingly strange novel.
Darkmans is 5/1 to win this year’s Booker Prize. Ian McEwan’s On Chesil Beach is 3/1, and although it’s a book I really enjoyed – and although McEwan is a writer I love and respect – I would really really like Barker to win.
I like a book to challenge, I like it to provoke and I like a book to be – sometimes – unusual. So far Darkmans is pushing all the right buttons…
I’m getting curious about this one — it sounds … strange, in a good way.
Dorothy W. 16 September, 01:38 PM
I’m with Dorothy on the curiosity bit – sounds like a very interesting read. Please tell more as you continue to work through it!
verbivore 18 September, 04:32 PM
I’m now a bit further in and it certainly is an interesting, strange and oddly compelling read – often uncomfortably. I’m not sure where it’s all going or if it’s going anywhere – but I want to keep reading.
It’s extremely well written and its cleverness reminds me of David Mitchell – nominated for Booker a couple of years ago for Cloud Atlas.
I promise a full review when I’m done!
Stephen 18 September, 07:23 PM
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