Many of the UK newspapers like the Daily Telegraph reflected on the number of novels by American authors who wouldn't have been eligible until the rule change for this year's prize. Some commented also on the paucity of female authors (three out of the 13 titles).
Were there any surprises? The inclusion of Joy Ann Fowler, best known for the best selling Jane Austen Book Club raised a few eyebrows as did David Nicholls's listing. None of the commentators said so specifically but reading between the lines the feeling was that these were rather 'light' to be considered for a premier book prize.
Inevitably there were comments on who had not been included - many of the big names were missing in fact. No Dave Eggers, no Ian McEwan, no Will Self and no Martin Amis. But of course the big surprise as The Independent, commented, was the absence from the list of Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch. She had been considered a cert for the long list having won the Pullitzer Prize with the novel in April.
Unless I was misreading the various articles, I didn't detect a lot of enthusiasm for this year's listing. No-one actually said it was a dull list but I didn't see any great buzz either. What people found disappointing was the shortage of representation by writers from Commonwealth countries which we have grown to see as a key feature of the Man Booker prize in the past. Only one Commonwealth writer actually made it to the list - the Narrow Road to the Deep North by the Australian writer Richard Flanagan. As Rebecca Jones, the BBC arts correspondent commented: "there are no Indian or African authors and that will raise eyebrows among those who feared writers from some Commonwealth countries might get squeezed out by the new rules."
What do you think of the list? Care to take a bet on which will win eventually?
The Longlist
Joshua Ferris
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To Rise Again at a Decent Hour
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American
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Richard Flanagan
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The Narrow Road to the Deep North
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Australian
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Karen Joy Fowler
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We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
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American
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Siri Hustvedt
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The Blazing World
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American
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Howard Jacobson
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J
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British
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Paul Kingsnorth
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The Wake
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British
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David Mitchell
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The Bone Clocks
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British
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Neel Mukherjee
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The Lives of Others
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British
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David Nicholls
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Us
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British
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Joseph O'Neill
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The Dog
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Irish/American
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Richard Powers
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Orfeo
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American
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Ali Smith
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How to be Both
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British
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Niall Williams
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History of the Rain
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Irish
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