Tan Twan Eng's The Gift of Rain is reviewed on the Guardian blog by Sam Jordison who compares the writing first of all to Conrad, and then says:... a more accurate comparison for the book could be to a Merchant Ivory film ... Only with far more martial arts and far less Helena Bonham Carter.Jordison says he will be upset if the novel doesn't make the shortlist. Likewise.
We'll all know on Friday.
Jordison also reviews Edward Docx Self Help, another of the longlisted titles, but I don't dare even glance at the piece until I've read the novel ... and I'm still waiting for it to arrive here. Previously reviewed, Peter Ho Davies' The Welsh Girl.
Actually I'm screaming with frustration. Why is there so little time between the longlist being announced and the shortlist? One month doesn't give readers sufficient time to buy (and afford!) and read and digest all the chosen books, and unless you do manage to tackle them all you can't really enter into the fun of comparing them or really have an opinion along with the judges, about what should win. (Course, normal sane people don't worry about such things.)
I'm now onto my fifth longlisted book, Indra Sinha's Animal's People which within the first forty pages has totally beguiled me. Twan Eng has some pretty stiff competition!
3 comments:
Hi there, Ms. Sharon Bakar! This is Elaine Tan. I saw a picture of you in this blog and saw the profile. Are you by any chance my neighbour? I'm Regina's daughter. :) Great to see you here!
that's me, dear! yes. hi elaine.
Agree with your view on the brief month between the announcements of the lists.
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