Last year I decided to discard my regular pulp reading habit for some “upper-class literature” and tried to read at least one book by an award winning or shortlisted author each month. This plan of action led me on quite a journey from the potato farmers in Ruth Ozeki’s “All Over Creation”, across NW London with Zadie Smith, and chasing Gillian Flynn’s Girl that has apparently ‘Gone’. I have recently finished ‘The Luminaries' by Eleanor Catton, one of the many books that won or were nominated for awards this year. Not only did it claim this year’s Man Booker prize but records for the youngest author and the longest book to win the prize.
Despite being far from my usual reading pastures (New Zealand Gold panning?), written in an unfamiliar style (Back-to-front-to-middle-to front again) and let’s face it, massive, I absolutely enjoyed this book, and can see why the judges were blown away by the book, but would I have even been aware of this book if it hadn’t won a prize?
For some the awards’ shortlists are a much anticipated must read list of the best literature the world has to offer, for others they represent nothing more than publishing houses and authors giving each other a hearty pat on the back or looking for an increase in sales. In the library we see readers that want books simply because of their shortlist pedigree alongside readers who just want the next title by their ‘favourite’ authors because they know exactly what they’ll be getting. I don’t think this is a bad thing, but for those of you who only read the authors you know, the genres you like I issue a challenge, take a look at the nominees for the big prizes this year (Booker, Costa, Pulitzer), and take a punt, you may be as surprised as I was to discover an alternative route to a good read.
- The Muser
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