ManBookering discussion

Discussion questions will be updated.

I have just finished this and I really loved it. Very, very sad at times but full of people that I quickly found myself really caring about. There is a lot in the UK news at the moment about immigrants trying to get in through the tunnel from France and I have a rather middle-class, affluent perspective on this. This book turns all that upside down and shows the reality of the "better life" people seek.

The structure introduces people living in UK and then explains their back story that has brought them to the country. The back stories won me over and made the horrors of trying to build a life in UK much more poignant. As the book then tracks them in UK for a while, it is hard to believe people can live like this in the same country as me! It is an eye-opener.

The writing is beautiful in places. Not necessarily poetic all the time, but written with empathy and emotion. I was completely absorbed all the way through.

Neil wrote: "I have just finished this and I really loved it. Very, very sad at times but full of people that I quickly found myself really caring about. There is a lot in the UK news at the moment about immigr..."
I am saving this for last, as I think I may like it best...

Shari wrote: "Neil wrote: "I have just finished this and I really loved it. Very, very sad at times but full of people that I quickly found myself really caring about. There is a lot in the UK news at the moment..."
Shari - I also think you may like it best! I'm saving A Little Life for last, but mainly because it is so long and that way I can pretty much guarantee that I will at least have started all the books on the list when the short list is announced, even if I don't quite finish them. At the moment, however, I think I am looking good to finish them all. The Year of the Runaways is looking like a top choice for short list and possible eventual winner.

I think this is an excellent review of the book. If you haven't seen this already, it is worth a read: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015...

Excellent! Couldn't put it down. I thought it was a realistic depiction of the emigre experience.

The 12th nominee for me (1 to go - yay!). My 4 star review (no spoilers):

More like a 4.5 (why doesn't Goodreads allow 1/2 stars?!!). Given my penchant for South Asian literature, I actually anticipated liking this a lot more than I ultimately did. I found the beginning slow and hard to get into, but at about the halfway point it really took off for me. My qualms come with the unrelenting bleakness of the storyline, and the difficulty I had (initially) keeping all the characters straight - especially when one or another would disappear for significant amounts of time and then commandeer a long section. Also, a glossary would have been of immense help - although I know a fair smattering of Hindi, the Punjabi expressions and words liberally sprinkled here, although about half the time decipherable due to context, necessitated a lot of running to the computer for definitions. I DO think it stands a fair chance of making the Man Booker Shortlist, due to the subject matter (the Indian immigrant experience in the UK) and the fact it shares the multi-character saga characteristic of several of the other recent nominees (i.e., The Lowlands, The Lives of Others)... although I would prefer Sleeping on Jupiter fill the Indian 'slot'.

Neil,
You were right; it is my first choice.

I really want to read this book but it isn't being released in the US until March 2016. I can buy it from a private seller via the Amazon marketplace, but my first step is going to be to try to get it from interlibrary loan. Apparently some libraries here in the US have gotten their hands on copies somehow, so I've asked my interlibrary loan specialist (I'm a librarian) to try to get it for me. If he can't, then I'll pay the private marketplace price. I just can't wait another six months for this book.

Try The Book Depository, the UK seller...their prices are often even lower than Amazon, and they always have free shipping...that's where I got my copy.

Doug wrote: "Try The Book Depository, the UK seller...their prices are often even lower than Amazon, and they always have free shipping...that's where I got my copy."
Thank you so much! If my ILL person doesn't have good news for me within a couple of days, I am definitely going to use them. I checked and this title is cheaper than on Amazon and yes, free shipping!

:-) Glad to help..I have had things arrive from them within two days of shipping also... and the one time a book went astray, they promptly sent a replacement copy...they are really amazing!