As I am reading the shortlists for a couple different awards, I thought it would be fun, as I finished a shortlist, to post my opinion of whether the jury picked the best book from that list. Of course, no one may care, but in some cases, I have felt that the best book on the shortlist was not the one chosen for the award.
Yesterday, I posted my last review of the books on the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize of 2013. My reviews of these books have appeared sporadically starting in 2014 until now. Here is the shortlist for 2013:
- We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
- The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
- Harvest by Jim Crace
- A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
- The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóibín
The Luminaries was the winner for 2013.
This may be an anticlimactic beginning to my little series, but in this case, I think the jury got it right. I put The Luminaries on my list of the best books I read in 2014. It is cleverly constructed and original in approach, but that does not make it any less compelling as a story. Sometimes I think that critics get so jaded that they go for anything original, even if it is not that enthralling to read. This book is great, because it combines a fresh approach with an intricate puzzle of a tale. If you are interested, you can read my original reviews at the links above.
whatmeread 
I think this is a great idea. I’d love to hear your thoughts on which books you think should have won!
I really do plan to read The Luminaries… really I do. Yup, it’s still there… on my shelf. 🙂
Thanks. It just seemed like a fun thing to do. In some instances, I don’t agree at all with the judges.
I am interested in reading your thoughts. 🙂 I am still (very slowly) reading from the Women’s Prize shortlists, and it has struck me repeatedly how some books really blow me away and others make me wonder how they made their way onto the list. It’s all very subjective, of course, but still…
Very true.
I think this is an interesting idea. From this shortlist, I’ve only read The Luminaries and Harvest, but I enjoyed both. I’m glad you think the jury got this one right.
Yes, I thought it was a great combination of innovation and storytelling.