It’s time to book the Booker!

Shivangi Singh

And the Man Booker award for fiction 2008 goes to… The moment these lines would reverberate on October 14 in London, six distinguished writers – two Indians, two English, an Australian author and an Irish author – would be holding their breath in anticipation.But who, of the super six writers, will win the Booker race? The frontrunner for the award is clearly the good-looking Irish gentleman Sebastian Barry, a man of learning and winner of various prestigious awards like the Irish-America Fund Literary Award, the London Critics Circle Award and the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Prize. His ‘The Secret Scripture’ is a unique work of fiction – it shocks, yet, impresses! Narrated through the journals of Roseanne McNulty and her psychiatrist Dr Grene, the story that emerges – of Roseanne’s family in the 1930s Sligo – becomes an alternative, secret history of Ireland. And entwined with the terrible happenings in times of war, is a saga of love, passion and hope. But Booker has time and again come up with unexpected results, so one can’t say what would be the fate of this frontrunner. Then, there are the two very talented writers from India – Amitav Ghosh and Aravind Adiga. One of the most prominent writers in India, Amitav has set his story in the late 19th century, British-ruled subcontinent, and good news for us Indians is that this may be Amitav Ghosh’s Booker Year. Through his ‘Sea of Poppies’, first in a planned Ibis trilogy, the genial writer takes us into 1830s India and deep into the devastation caused by the opium trade. The characters are colourful, the language rich and diverse; the epic work is being hailed as one of the most interesting reads of the 21st century. On the other hand, Aravind Adiga sets his story against the background of the aggressive 21st century ‘new India’. The 33-year-old former correspondent in India for ‘Time’ magazine, is the youngest author in the shortlist. His debut novel ‘White Tiger’ received lukewarm reviews in India, but rave response elsewhere. The novel is a tale of two Indias. Balram, the protagonist’s journey from darkness of village life to the light of entrepreneurial success is utterly amoral, brilliantly irreverent, deeply endearing and altogether unforgettable. Let’s see after Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy and Kiran Desai, can these writers win a Booker for India. British writer Linda Grant’s book, ‘The Clothes on Their Backs’, is not a very strong entry, but again, you never know. The intriguing story revolves around Vivien, a bookish girl, and encompasses a broken marriage, the assimilation of her Hungarian family into Britain, and a strange, flamboyant uncle with a shocking unpleasant history. Grant presents her tale with warmth, understanding and a quiet sense of humour. Another British writer in the Booker race is Philip Hensher, whose voluminous, 700-page novel has been praised for an acute portrait of Thatcherite Britain. Set in Sheffield, ‘The Northern Clemency’ charts the relationship between two families: Malcolm and Katherine Glover and their three children; and their neighbours the Sellers family, newly arrived from London. The book comes across as one of the greatest chronicle of British social life. It remains to be seen whether any of these British writers would bring back the literary glory to Britain. Australian author Steve Toltz, primarily a screen writer, has hit the Booker shortlist with his ‘A Fraction of the Whole’. The work may seem uneven at times, but it makes a very interesting read. This 500-plus-novel is a loquacious reader’s delight. In the book, protagonist Jasper recounts a boyhood of outrageous schemes and shocking discoveries. The story is a rollercoaster ride from obscurity to infamy, and the moving, memorable story of a father and son whose spiritual symmetry transcends all their many shortcomings. As a matter of fact, this year’s booker shortlist announcement came as a surprise as the most expected authors failed to make it to the shortlist, which left the bookies recalculating. Best of Booker winner Salman Rushdie was surprisingly snubbed, when his ambitious venture ‘Enchantress of Florence’ fell flat and was left out of the shortlist. Were the judges thinking of giving other writers a chance? Another writer, sitting in expectations for the prestigious award was Michelle de Kretser for ‘The Lost Dog’, but she could not make it to the shortlist either. Joseph O’ Neill’s ‘Netherland’ was a sure shot bet, but the book failed to impress the judges. Booker is known for churning out surprises every time. Judges have been known to be involved in punch-ups, horse-trading and tearful begging to get their favourite on the top. So, there is more to these short listed novels than just simple reading; one has to read between the lines. Let’s see who turns lucky this time and books the Booker.