IMPAC Award winner 2011 - Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

Travel is good

I hear via Twitter that the above book won this year. What do ye think of it? A few of us have passed it around in work and no one is enamoured with it. I'm not enjoying some of these award winners. I didn't like the Booker Prize winner "The Finkler Question" either.

Callan57

Travel is good wrote: »

I hear via Twitter that the above book won this year. What do ye think of it? A few of us have passed it around in work and no one is enamoured with it. I'm not enjoying some of these award winners. I didn't like the Booker Prize winner "The Finkler Question" either.

I think it's a very worthy winner, I loved Let the Great World Spin and am delighted for Colum McCann

As for Finkler .... pile of rubbish IMO absolutely hated it.

Travel is good

Thanks, I might look at "Let the Great world Spin" again.

I'm just getting a bit wary of any award winners lately, not having a good experience with them.

baconsarnie

I think it's well worth a read, especially now that the hype has died down somewhat (although nothing like winning an award to rectify that).

I thought it had similarities to Underworld, granted a more concise Underworld

And, yes, the Finkler Question is preposterously over-hyped. And not worth spending time or money on unless you've read most of the books genuinely regarded as classics. Wish i had taken the advice from my sister not to bother with this before i bought it. Live and learn i suppose.

Travel is good

baconsarnie wrote: »

And, yes, the Finkler Question is preposterously over-hyped. And not worth spending time or money on unless you've read most of the books genuinely regarded as classics. Wish i had taken the advice from my sister not to bother with this before i bought it. Live and learn i suppose.

Just an idea for you -

I got involved in a book swap last year for the Booker Prize books. Six of us all bought one of the short listed titles, and then swapped them among ourselves by post. That way we didn't incur too much expense. I will definitely be doing that this year for the 2011 Booker Prize titles. I was so glad that I didn't actually have to buy "The Finkler Question".

For the IMPAC award winners, I've also learnt my lesson. I borrow them from the library, or a staff library near me in work. I try my best not to buy them. Libraries are wonderful.

Though I confess, I had actually bought "Let the Great World Spin" last year & read it then. I might look over it again as most of you seem to like it.

baconsarnie

I've only myself to blame- I bought it on a whim. At the moment the books i've been reading of late and have lined up to read are based on recommendations from friends that share a similar taste in books and books that regularly appear on classics lists.

Which isn't to suggest that this is flawless. Every book represents something of a gamble- trawling through the books people wouldn't even recommend to bookworms i see quite a few books i adored (On the Road, The Savage Detectives- and one that i was blown away by but didn't enjoy- The Road).

The difficulty i have with an awards shortlist is that they are often likened to the second coming and that every year we have six to ten bona fide classics published. Annually.

Earthhorse

Award winners, and shortlists, are poor prospects because they only exist thanks to an insistence that there must be something worth reading every year. That's a fallacy of course, and it's compounded by the fact that shortlists will reflect tastes and trends of a particular period, whatever they may be. If you're choosing which books to read based on they'll probably feel a bit samey after a while.

As for Let the Great World Spin I thought it was good, no better than that. A lot of thought went into it, it's written well and there is some depth to the characters and events in the book. Having said that, it isn't as effortless as the best books I've read; McCann's writing isn't quite in that league.

pog it

I think the Finkler Question was the most deserving last year and it was the book I had hoped would win it.

Room was just too contrived.

Travel is good

baconsarnie wrote: »

I thought it had similarities to Underworld, granted a more concise Underworld

I meant to say, thanks for the recommendation on Underworld. I've never read Don De Lillo yet. So yesterday I managed to get "The Falling Man" in the library, & I'll order "Underworld".

They had loads of copies of the Colum McCann book in the library, so there probably won't be any problem in getting a copy.

Travel is good

pog it wrote: »

I think the Finkler Question was the most deserving last year and it was the book I had hoped would win it.

Room was just too contrived.

You're the first person I've come across who liked "The Finkler Question"!

Wyldwood

I read Let the Great World Spin recently and felt it was almost like a book of short stories, some more interesting than others. It was tedious and long winded in places but overall not a bad read. I agree with other posters that some of these award winning books are a great let-down, The Slap was the greatest load of rubbish I ever read. I get all these books from the library so I'm not out of pocket by buying a bad book but I do begrudge the reading time spent on them.

pog it

Travel is good wrote: »

You're the first person I've come across who liked "The Finkler Question"!

Well out of the shortlist it was my favourite..

I wonder did all the negativity take a lot of the good out of the prize for Jacobson at all?

E.T.

I got Let the Great World Spin in a book swap with a friend last year (great idea - get rid of a bag of books, and bring home a new bag of books!). I'd never heard of the book, nor Colum McCann, but I absolutely loved it. Loved the stories, loved the writing. I've bought nearly all of McCann's books since, and any others I've borrowed from library.

Blush_01

My friend bought it, was in the middle of a different novel and lent it to me. I liked it so much I refused to give her her copy back and bought her a new one.

I enjoyed it tremendously.

Each to their own I guess.