The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

The Shortlist is:
Lori & Joe by Amy Arnold
The Long Form by Kate Briggs
Never Was by H. Gareth Gavin
Man-Eating Typewriter by Richard Milward
Cuddy by Benjamin Myers
The Future Future by Adam Thirlwell

Cuddy
Man Eating Typewriter
The New Form
The Future Future
Lori and Joe
Never Was

The Long Form for the third

I expected/hoped for top 3

I was rather hoping not on The Future Future as Thirlwell's work really hasn't been for me (he seems to take the worst parts of Kundera's work and magnify them)

Never Was was on the Wikipedia (although rankings don't mean much - 2 votes are from me and my avatar!)

I'd missed Amy Arnold had a new book out!

yes!!!! - no isabel waidner?? ah well

5 on the Listopia is good going.

Bit of a collective miss on Amy Arnold and (unlike her first book) it was for once not one I had read and omitted to mention!

Very pleased for two I had read and expected/hoped would be there.

Not sure Never Was, The Future Future or Man Eating Typewriter appeal hugely

Go Never Was, go!

Robert wrote: "yes!!!! - no isabel waidner?? ah well"

Several ones I'd have loved to have seen - Isabel Waidner, Derek Owusu, David Roberts in particular. Although it looks a strong list.

My first post last Jan had three of these (mind you it had 20 guesses)

Is Man Eating Typewriter available other than on Kindle.

Adam Thirlwell's book is averaging 2.81 on Goodreads. To be fair not from many ratings and some of those are those are from Netgalleyers who had no idea what they'd requested.

But Lurid and Cute with loads of reviews averages 2.56 and Politics 3.09.

Though this rather odd review has this book being too safe / PC so perhaps his publishers have told him to dial down

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/th...

Just been told on Twitter (as I asked) shortlist readings on 25th.

Guardian write up with judges' quotes
https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...

I know I note this almost every year - but the Goldsmith has a very odd view of diversity : yet another all white shortlist panel I think?

Helen Oyeyemi?

I think she is judging - I meant the authors.

I could have sworn I just created a thread for Lori & Joe but it has disappeared. Captcha hell today.

Captcha-eating-thread

I have copies of two of these, with one more in transit, but haven't read any. A good prompt to start the Briggs, Gavin, and Milward when it arrives.

Amazon and Waterstones are offering a paperback of Man-Eating Typewriter but it is very expensive. Haven't looked at Blackwells yet.

The publisher seems to be out of stock for Man Eating Typewriter but Nver Was and Lori & Joe I've ordered direct

Lengths of books

120, 336, 352, 436, 480, 544

Clear the jury likes long books.

Not a good development. Fortunately I've read the 480 page one.

Which book do you have at which length as page counts in different places seem all over the place - Goodreads has Cuddy at either 320 or 464 pages.

I used Amazon. As I always do.

Not very reliable for page counts. Although nor is Goodreads.

Just noticed this list. So delighted to see Cuddy getting some recognition. I grow more interested in this prize every year. I've been wanting to read the Thirwell, but now your comments have given me pause. Will start to hunt around for the others.

Cindy, I'm pleased Cuddy is getting some recognition too. I thought it was a great book and I was disappointed it didn't make the Booker longlist.

It sounds like Cuddy is in better company in Goldsmith.

Cuddy isn't directly available in the US right now. I had it in my hand when I was in Waterstones this summer and then put it back on the shelf because I much, much prefer ebooks. I regret that action as I’m still eager to read it.

Any reason Lori and Joe does not have a thread?
I thought it was a very good book.

Kathleen, if you’re not waiting for an ebook have you tried Blackwells? Free shipping to the US.

Prototype published Lori and Joe. I bet And Other Stories is wishing they had published this one as well.

WndyJW wrote: "Kathleen, if you’re not waiting for an ebook have you tried Blackwells? Free shipping to the US."

Hi Wendy:
Yup, I know Blackwells and buy books from them when I don't have another choice. I just very strongly prefer ebooks. It's a quirk. Still, I regret putting Cuddy back on the shelf. It was calling me.

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "Any reason Lori and Joe does not have a thread?
I thought it was a very good book."
Because some stupid algorithm in the system has now deleted BOTH of the ones I created. The second one was still there on Wednesday evening.

Most of the time I like moderating but I hate having to fight a system I don't fully understand.

Wonder if it might be the ampersand - will try creating one as and.

The new topic is there now. I didn't even get notifications when the earlier ones were deleted.

Have ordered Lori & Joe and Never Was. Typewriter and Cuddy are still expensive and I am not sure the Thirlwell interests my that much.

Hugh wrote: "Have ordered Lori & Joe and Never Was. Typewriter and Cuddy are still expensive and I am not sure the Thirlwell interests my that much."

I'm tempted by the first two, not sure about Cuddy and not keen on Thirlwell. I almost bought Lori & Joe a while ago and annoyed I didn't now.

will read Lori & Joe. Would like to read Cuddy but no US edition. Not interested in the others.

Linda I bought a copy of Cuddy from Blackwells because I was convinced it was going to be on the Booker longlist and saw that it had no US publication date. It came quite quickly and was a decent price. I would offer to send it to you but I've already sent it to someone else who was eager to read it.

It doesn’t seem like Benjamin Myers has caught on in the US like he has in the UK. I’m not sure the reason for that.

His writing is very embedded in the English landscape and it’s history but not the popular Tudor/Shakespeare history

I'm imagining/hoping that The Future Future is akin to Sophia Coppola's film 'Marie Antoinette' in the way it plays purposefully with anachronism. Likewise with the movie "The Favourite" and with one of my favorite books that gets less love than I think it deserves, Mr. Eternity. And now that I think of it, another of my favorites, Laurus.

I've come to crave a little anachronistic spice in my historical fiction. Now if someone could write an anachronistic comedy of the Wolf Hall trilogy I know I could die happy.

Don’t know the movie but as an example from the early pages people are waiting at a party for the main guests to arrive and making small talk, and one compares it to waiting for your boss to join a team conference call. Later the main character spends some time on the moon. Things like that.

Linda, if you enjoy Historical Fiction, and I think you do, you would enjoy Cuddy. I just saw that Cuddy is coming out in paperback in the UK in Feb ‘24 for £9.99, which is half the current price of the hardcover.

Shortlist reading event at 7pm on 25/10 now available to book free tickets.

Doesn't appear to be a virtual option, so far as I can tell.

There never is.