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Author Topic:   2018 Man Booker Prize: Milkman by Anna Burns
Chiroptera
Inactive Member


(1)
Message 1 of 13 (841632)
10-17-2018 7:31 AM


Yesterday the 2018 Man Booker Prize was awarded to Anna Burns for Milkman.
In this unnamed city, to be interesting is dangerous. Middle sister, our protagonist, is busy attempting to keep her mother from discovering her maybe-boyfriend and to keep everyone in the dark about her encounter with Milkman. But when first brother-in-law sniffs out her struggle, and rumours start to swell, middle sister becomes ‘interesting’. The last thing she ever wanted to be. To be interesting is to be noticed and to be noticed is dangerous Milkman is a tale of gossip and hearsay, silence and deliberate deafness. It is the story of inaction with enormous consequences.
Short listed were:
  • Washington Black - Esi Edugyan
  • Everything Under - Daisy Johnson
  • The Mars Room - Rachel Kushner
  • The Overstory - Richard Powers
  • The Long Take - Robin Robertson
and
  • Snap - Belinda Bauer
  • Sabrina - Nick Drnaso
  • In Our Mad And Furious City - Guy Gunaratne
  • The Water Cure - Sophie Mackintosh
  • Warlight - Michael Ondaatje
  • Normal People - Sally Rooney
  • From A Low And Quiet Sea - Donal Ryan
fills out the long list.
Edited by Chiroptera, : Put in the "official" synopsis. Also, a typo.
Edited by Chiroptera, : No reason given.

We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. -- John McCain

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by Phat, posted 10-17-2018 8:14 AM Chiroptera has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18651
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 4.3


Message 2 of 13 (841640)
10-17-2018 8:14 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Chiroptera
10-17-2018 7:31 AM


2018 Man Booker Prize
How many books on these lists have you read?

Chance as a real force is a myth. It has no basis in reality and no place in scientific inquiry. For science and philosophy to continue to advance in knowledge, chance must be demythologized once and for all. —RC Sproul
"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." —Mark Twain "
~"If that's not sufficient for you go soak your head."~Faith
You can "get answers" by watching the ducks. That doesn't mean the answers are coming from them.~Ringo

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Chiroptera, posted 10-17-2018 7:31 AM Chiroptera has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 3 by Chiroptera, posted 10-17-2018 1:05 PM Phat has replied

  
Chiroptera
Inactive Member


Message 3 of 13 (841650)
10-17-2018 1:05 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by Phat
10-17-2018 8:14 AM


Re: 2018 Man Booker Prize
None on this list. These books have been published within the last year, and my stack of books-to-be-read is so high that I had to stop acquiring books until I make some headway in reading them.
I have read something by Richard Powers in the past.
The last Man Booker winner that I've read is Marlon James' A Brief History of Seven Killings. A very good book, but very grim and dark without a single ray of sunshine in the whole thing.
A friend tells me that The Sellout by Paul Beatty was the funniest thing he's read.

We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. -- John McCain

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by Phat, posted 10-17-2018 8:14 AM Phat has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by Phat, posted 10-20-2018 2:48 PM Chiroptera has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18651
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 4.3


(1)
Message 4 of 13 (841720)
10-20-2018 2:48 PM
Reply to: Message 3 by Chiroptera
10-17-2018 1:05 PM


Re: 2018 Man Booker Prize
I need to finish a bunch of books myself. I have a bad habit of starting them and either stopping midway or reading ahead a chapter or two and leaving them face down until I pick them up again....there must be 4 or 5 like that laying around that I eventually shelf...unfinished.

Chance as a real force is a myth. It has no basis in reality and no place in scientific inquiry. For science and philosophy to continue to advance in knowledge, chance must be demythologized once and for all. —RC Sproul
"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." —Mark Twain "
~"If that's not sufficient for you go soak your head."~Faith
You can "get answers" by watching the ducks. That doesn't mean the answers are coming from them.~Ringo

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3 by Chiroptera, posted 10-17-2018 1:05 PM Chiroptera has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 5 by Chiroptera, posted 10-21-2018 9:12 AM Phat has not replied

  
Chiroptera
Inactive Member


(2)
Message 5 of 13 (841745)
10-21-2018 9:12 AM
Reply to: Message 4 by Phat
10-20-2018 2:48 PM


Reading habits
Heh. That's a bit different than the way I operate. Once I start a book I will almost always finish it, no matter how bad it is. (There's only two books I can remember that I never could finish.)
My problem is that even when I make a significant dent in the stack of not-yet-read books I have, I seem to suddenly go into a buying binge and get a whole bunch more.
I get worried sometimes that my cats will knock over my stack of books and I'll end up crushed under a mountain of literature.

We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. -- John McCain

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4 by Phat, posted 10-20-2018 2:48 PM Phat has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 6 by Faith, posted 10-21-2018 1:48 PM Chiroptera has replied

  
Faith 
Suspended Member (Idle past 1701 days)
Posts: 35298
From: Nevada, USA
Joined: 10-06-2001


Message 6 of 13 (841757)
10-21-2018 1:48 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by Chiroptera
10-21-2018 9:12 AM


Re: Reading habits
Your reading habits are sort of similar to what mine used to be when my eyes were still healthy enough for long periods of reading. It's always been rare, however, that I've had enough money to do any binge-buying, although that would be my inclination when possible, more often a matter of having to choose between a couple of books and save the other until I could afford it. But nevertheless I would accumulate a stack to be read though I'd be the one who might knock it over since I don't have any pets. And like you I read books to the end, although I might have two or three in process at the same time. I'd guess our reading matter isn't very similar though.
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by Chiroptera, posted 10-21-2018 9:12 AM Chiroptera has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 7 by Dr Adequate, posted 10-21-2018 3:43 PM Faith has replied
 Message 12 by Chiroptera, posted 10-22-2018 11:14 PM Faith has replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 7 of 13 (841764)
10-21-2018 3:43 PM
Reply to: Message 6 by Faith
10-21-2018 1:48 PM


Re: Reading habits
Can you use the online library? Not only are the books free but you can zoom in on them. I love it.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 6 by Faith, posted 10-21-2018 1:48 PM Faith has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 8 by Faith, posted 10-21-2018 3:55 PM Dr Adequate has replied

  
Faith 
Suspended Member (Idle past 1701 days)
Posts: 35298
From: Nevada, USA
Joined: 10-06-2001


Message 8 of 13 (841766)
10-21-2018 3:55 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by Dr Adequate
10-21-2018 3:43 PM


Re: Reading habits
Not sure what you mean by the online library. I read a fair amount of stuff online but it's hard on my eyes because of the white backgrounds. I do have a page of PC Kindle books because they are cheaper than paper and I can change the color of the background which helps. Being able to zoom the image also helps a lot. I do miss being able to make notes in the margins though. But what's the online library?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by Dr Adequate, posted 10-21-2018 3:43 PM Dr Adequate has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 9 by Dr Adequate, posted 10-21-2018 4:00 PM Faith has replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(1)
Message 9 of 13 (841767)
10-21-2018 4:00 PM
Reply to: Message 8 by Faith
10-21-2018 3:55 PM


Re: Reading habits
I mean the open library. This thing.
Welcome to Open Library | Open Library
Let me know if you need any help using it, I found some of its features confusing at first.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 8 by Faith, posted 10-21-2018 3:55 PM Faith has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 10 by Faith, posted 10-21-2018 4:15 PM Dr Adequate has replied

  
Faith 
Suspended Member (Idle past 1701 days)
Posts: 35298
From: Nevada, USA
Joined: 10-06-2001


Message 10 of 13 (841768)
10-21-2018 4:15 PM
Reply to: Message 9 by Dr Adequate
10-21-2018 4:00 PM


Re: Reading habits
Wow, what a wonderful idea! It does blast my eyes with all that white but I'm sure I'll spend some time trying to figure it out. Thanks. And thanks for the offer of help, if I get that far into it.
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 9 by Dr Adequate, posted 10-21-2018 4:00 PM Dr Adequate has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 11 by Dr Adequate, posted 10-21-2018 5:35 PM Faith has not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 11 of 13 (841777)
10-21-2018 5:35 PM
Reply to: Message 10 by Faith
10-21-2018 4:15 PM


Re: Reading habits
I find the best way to use it is to switch to single-page mode and then zoom in. The zoom doesn't work well with the two-page mode but with single-page it's like scrolling down a pdf file. Anyway, have fun with it.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 10 by Faith, posted 10-21-2018 4:15 PM Faith has not replied

  
Chiroptera
Inactive Member


Message 12 of 13 (841861)
10-22-2018 11:14 PM
Reply to: Message 6 by Faith
10-21-2018 1:48 PM


Re: Reading habits
I usually have two books going on at the same time: a fiction book and a nonfiction book.
-
I'd guess our reading matter isn't very similar though.
Probably. My fiction seems to lean heavily toward science fiction and fantasy, although I do delve into the high falutin' Man Bookerish literature on occasion.
My nonfiction seems to be heavy on history, especially early US history.
-
Have you heard of Project Gutenberg? Their goal is to try to collect everything in English that's in the public domain. As a result, they don't have much in the way of recent literature, but most of the classics you or I would have heard of seem to be there.
Since you mentioned having a Kindle, you can download the mobi version onto your computer and side load it into your Kindle if you know how to do that. Or you can read the HTML version with your browser without downloading anything.

We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. -- John McCain

This message is a reply to:
 Message 6 by Faith, posted 10-21-2018 1:48 PM Faith has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 13 by Faith, posted 10-23-2018 10:06 AM Chiroptera has not replied

  
Faith 
Suspended Member (Idle past 1701 days)
Posts: 35298
From: Nevada, USA
Joined: 10-06-2001


Message 13 of 13 (841883)
10-23-2018 10:06 AM
Reply to: Message 12 by Chiroptera
10-22-2018 11:14 PM


Re: Reading habits
Interesting. I don't read much fiction any more unless I hear of something that's supposed to be especially good. Your list got me interested in the Anna Burns book for instance.
I really don't like fantasy or science fiction at all. My best friend in high school was an avid science fiction reader so because of her I made a big effort to like the stuff, but really I hated it. Fantasy too. Also made a huge effort for C.S. Lewis' Narnia stories and his friend Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Hard to say why I hate that stuff but I do. Also made myself see the Ring Trilogy movies and hated those as well except for enjoying some of the special effects. Love the architecture of the elven city of Rivendell for instance. If the camera wanted to roam through it for hours that would make me happy. But I digress.
For the last thirty years or so my reading list has been heaviest on theology and Christian books in general. That's where we would differ most I'm sure.
I don't have a Kindle, I have an Amazon Kindle page on my PC. Keeps me glued to the computer unfortunately. I'm glad I can make the background dark for the sake of my eyes though.
Yes I am familiar with the Gutenberg Project but haven't checked them out in a long time.
One site that used to be a favorite of mine is Christian Classics Ethereal Library. I think I've lost touch with some of these sources because I just don't read as much as I used to since my eyes have been deteriorating.
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 12 by Chiroptera, posted 10-22-2018 11:14 PM Chiroptera has not replied

  
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