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Irish author Banville wins Booker Prize

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  • 11-10-2005 1:17am
    #1
    MrJoeSoap
    Registered Users Posts: 15,117 ✭✭✭✭


    http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/1010/booker.html?rss
    10 October 2005 23:27

    Irish author John Banville was the surprise winner of the Man Booker Prize tonight with his novel 'The Sea'.

    The contest was expected to be a run-off between bookmakers' favourite Julian Barnes, former winner Kazuo Ishiguro, and Zadie Smith.

    But Banville, a 7/1 outsider, triumphed after a fierce debate among the judges.
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    They had been torn between Banville and Ishiguro's novel 'Never Let Me Go'.

    Chair of the judges John Sutherland cast the deciding vote.

    He said: 'In an extraordinarily closely contested last round, in which the judges felt the level of the shortlisted novels was as high as it can ever have been, they have agreed to award the Man Booker Prize to John Banville's The Sea, a masterly study of grief, memory and love recollected.

    'The judges salute all the shortlisted novels,' he added.

    In 1989, Banville's novel 'The Book Of Evidence' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize but lost out to Ishiguro's 'The Remains Of The Day'.

    The narrator of 'The Sea' is Max Morden, a middle-aged arts historian mourning the recent death of his wife from cancer.

    He returns to the Irish seaside town where he spent a childhood summer and recalls the traumatic events which have haunted him ever since.

    Banville, 59, was born in Wexford and now lives in Dublin. He is the first Irish winner since Roddy Doyle in 1993.

    The prize is worth £50,000 and a guaranteed boost in sales. The award ceremony was held at the London Guildhall.

    Banville was one of two Irish authors on the shortlist - the other was Sebastian Barry for 'A Long Long Way'.

    Anybody here read it? Any use?


Comments

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    #2
    NoDayBut2Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 944 ✭✭✭NoDayBut2Day


    Neat!! :cool:

    I'd like to read it; sounds interesting!!

    :D


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    #3
    Dades
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    Not sure I'd pick it up.
    Would like to say I'll read it but it's just not what I'm into.

    Good going though!


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    #4
    eclectichoney
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,291 ✭✭✭eclectichoney


    I've read it and liked it a lot - banville's work isn't about an action packed story, in fact it's quite subtle, but the prose is stunning at times in terms of it's sheer beauty and elegance*swoon*


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    #5
    Jay Tomio
    Closed Accounts Posts: 35 ✭Jay Tomio


    I haven't read it but was hoping Ishiguro was going to win. The win is causing some controversery.


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