Booker Prize 2024 Longlist Reaction

[@LeeCurrid]

Common theme of the year: maps inside the covers

[@noronavarra2844]

What a revelation it has been reading Stone yard devotional by Charlotte Wood!

[@LifeisGoodLiveFully]

Great video summarizing the long list for the rest of us! Thank you as I would not have known where to begin. Orbital has been in my radar since the announcement as I do love short books but there really are so many great choices this year. Well done on this video!

[@chrisgreene3908]

Re Wandering Stars. Absolutely wonderful. I’m glad that I read There There first, for the same reasons that you felt that reading Adventures of Huck Finn enhanced your reading of James. Reading There There first is not at all required or necessary, but made for a richer experience for me. I also loved There There. What a writer!!

[@janeglew6281]

Thank you so much Eric . For the first time I feel able to tackle these books , I’ve always felt that they were a bit highbrow for an ordinary reader like me . But you have made each one of them this year sound amazing . Your enthusiasm and descriptions have made me want to read them all ! Thank you for opening up these books and sharing your thoughts . It’s really helped me .

[@EricKarlAnderson]

You’re welcome, Jane! Hope you find some new favourites from the list and enjoy reading through them.

[@Japoleczka]

There was a youtube channel called 'Kamil reads' where all longlisted books were read and reviewed in the most interesting way. Unfortunately, Kamil is not active on yt anymore so I am glad you're also interested in that topic. I wonder how many of these titles have already hit our local charity shops? Going to explore this weekend!

[@GregHarness]

I love these Booker responses. Thank you, Eric.

[@booksaremysociallife]

Orbital and My Friends are definitely on my TBR now!

[@booksaremysociallife]

I have There There on my shelves but haven't read it yet. I vote for you to read the first half of Wandering Stars and then There There and then Wandering stars again, as you said. That way, you can make a video about it and tell us what's the best way to read the books!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I just might try that! 😄 Hope you enjoy My Friends and Orbital.

[@parnissia]

Love the way you structured this video and showed the various ways to categorize the books. Can't wait for the Powers and Kushner novels especially!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks! Hope you enjoy them.

[@kaz_don_fan]

Great summary and the list seems really awesome. I likely won't get to all of them, but almost all of these sound like I would give them a go. I've read My Friends (which was great). Looking to start with Strange Eventful History, then Wild Houses, Headshot, The Safe Keep, Enlightenment. Haven't read Huck Finn, or There There so may wait on James and Wandering Stars, but both sound intriguing.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks! Sounds like a good plan. Lots of reading ahead! 📚

[@barbaraz3065]

I finished “Enlightenment” a few weeks ago and adore it as I did “The Essex Serpent” Ms. Perry has included some little connections between the books that readers of both will delight in spotting. The main character (Thomas) feels like a dear friend now. I started “This Strange Eventful History” earlier this week before the long list came out so I am delighted by that. I am on my library wait list for a couple of the others so I will read as many as I can before the short list is announced. Thanks as always for your wonderful reviews.

[@thereadersarmchair9093]

I love this list. I actually want to read all of them. Really exciting.

[@hettiestroebel4952]

You did such a wonderful overview of the longlist - thank you!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thank you! 😊📚

[@johnnamurraycamp5100]

Great books! I'd read 5 of 13 before the reveal & now 8. This weekend, I'll read the 3rd of the 3 debuts. My Friends and James were already at the top of my wish list! I'm not sporty, but was thrilled by Headshot. The interiority/POV. The flash-forward as well as back. Brilliant. I'll be surprised if those 3 are not on "my shortlist." "I'll sing them all, and we'll stay all night." ~ Judy Garland 😉

[@johnnamurraycamp5100]

When I finish my first round, or before if the others haven't released in the US, I'll reread Held. Brava. Seconds, please!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Great that you’re on top of these! 📚 And love the Judy reference. 😊

[@cindyhaiken5644]

I am absolutely delighted with this longlist. I’ve read six and am extremely excited to read several of the remaining seven. I was particularly delighted to see Enlightenment and Stone Yard Devotional and surprised but very pleased to see Held. I have a proof copy of the Powers and will probably turn to that first. What a wonderful longlist!!

[@kimswhims8435]

Your excitement is infectious Eric! I was a bit underwhelmed at first and I'm still disappointed that Praiseworthy wasn't on the list. It's better than the other 4 I've read put together and I loved James and My Friends. Stoneyard Devotional isn't even my favourite of Charlotte Wood's work, let alone the best Australian novel I've read that's eligible, but she is a very good writer and it is quite good. I have reserved what is available and on order at my local library so hopefully I'll get to read them all. Held is currently waiting for me to pick up at the library so that will probably be my next booker list read. I really loved her novel, Fugitive Pieces, so hopefully Held will be as good.

[@ericgeneric135]

Excellent! I didn't realize it was already that time of year. So far I've only read James, but it was great. I'm looking forward to reading some more from the list as well.

[@LarryHasOpinions]

great summary Eric, curious to see which ones will pick up momentum

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks Mr!

[@maureencalder9911]

I totally agree that My Friends its a winner! Absolutely loved James by it would come second place. A big fan of Enlightenment but not a winner for me. Wouldn't rate Wild Houses as belonging in the Booker list. They are the only ones I have read so far. Looking forward to the rest. Great video, thanks.

[@marciaalbaum2597]

knock was terrific both technically and enjoyment level. it is quotable and haunting.

[@Aishwariyalaxmi]

The #readalong sounds amazing! And so cool that they are sponsoring you!

[@heathersneddon8866]

Hurrah. Mentioned Anne Michaels book Held to you when I read it in January. So pleased it is on this list. Have also read Matar, Messud, Harvey and Sarah Perry

[@AuburnAfterglow]

So happy to see Enlightenment on the list!

[@joana_jj_8]

There there was really good. There are quite a few characters, so I would recommend taking notes on the different characters and their connections while reading it.

[@SarahAsYouWish]

I would recommend reading There There first. Wandering Stars spoils a major plot point in There There.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Great, thanks!

[@Aishwariyalaxmi]

The topics sound awesome!

[@TheEmzies]

So pleased to see My Friends and James on the list. I loved There There but have yet to pick up Wandering Stars. Need to change that!

[@MMjones6459]

I typically run behind the Booker selection, but my current reading is Wild Houses.

[@janetclark8606]

There There first. It gives you background for Wandering Stars.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

A great list. Happy to see a Canadian too. A few I will definitely read… eventually. 😊💙

[@hasteyebooks]

I think it's quite an interesting list! My top to read are: James, Wandering Stars, My Friends and Orbital. But my library only has 3 and they all have long holds, so we'll see!

[@emmavd]

Thank you, Eric!🌷Thanks to your previous enthusiastic reviews, I have My Friends and Orbital on my shelves and I’m now going to prioritize them. By the way, while ordering My Friends, I came across Hisham Matar’s A Month in Siena and finished it last week. Even though I expected medieval art in Siena to be more prominent in it, I found it a great read, especially for his views on Christian art and for how intercultural encounters are described. I loved The Overstory, but haven’t read Bewilderment yet. I think I’ll read it while waiting for Playground to be published. I do hope they’ll bring the publishing date forward to before the short-list announcement!

[@johnnamurraycamp5100]

I agree: A Month in Siena was a pleasure. My Friends is a very different experience. I hope you'll enjoy it, too!

[@emmavd]

@@johnnamurraycamp5100I hope so too! Thank you.

[@emmavd]

@@johnnamurraycamp5100 I hope so too! Thanks.

[@RainlionReads]

I set an alarm so I could look up the list before seeing any videos, I forgot that's why I had it when it was going off at 540 in the morning 🤣. Got my library holds in though!

[@audreyh7892]

There There was fantastic. Wandering stars was ok.

[@sandracorbett1]

I've read 7, but I'm very interested in reading The Safekeep, which I hadn't even heard of! :)

[@hippiejane2683]

Very interesting. Think my reading list just got longer!😊

[@jennifersantosuosso4479]

Have read James and have Headshot on hold at the library. Waiting for it to arrive.

[@lorrainefoord7384]

Hi Eric, 6 thumbs up already and counting down from just over a minute1

[@EricKarlAnderson]

😊📚

[@louisesavidgemuses4135]

Thanks for this Eric. Feel very excited for this list. Now I just need to dive in 😊

[@EricKarlAnderson]

That’s great to hear! Have you read This Strange Eventful History yet? Something makes me think you’ll love it.

[@louisesavidgemuses4135]

@@EricKarlAnderson No, I haven’t. Thanks for the suggestion 💛

[@Tugboat_City]

I'm curious about Stone Yard Devotional . Your plot description reminded me of Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler, a book I love.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Ah, Ladder of Years is one of my favourite books of all time!

[@parnissia]

Your UK edition of Playground is so much more beautiful than ours! Off to Blackwell's I go to pre-order... 💸

[@900tks]

Thanks, Eric! Any speculation on why the main character of Kushner‘s novel is called Sadie (sic) Smith??

[@juditkovacse]

As always thanks for the presentation of the longlist. I always appreciate your summaries and impressions about such book prize lists. Personally I was only interested in the Tommy Orange book, because I read There, There. I have no idea though which to start with. I usually go with publication order, no matter what the alleged internal story is. Besides this the only one I would be interested in is My Friends, based on your previous recommendation.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

That’s great to hear, thank you. Yeah, I think I will start with There There before reading the new book. Hope you get a chance to read My Friends.

[@joanwoodbury8905]

Read There There first!❤

[@lluna9375]

My boyfried and I try to read as many books from the booker as possible then we guess which ones will be shortlisted and then which will win. We even collect points 😅 My boyfriend who knows I watch your channel asked me not to watch any Eric's booker videos because that will give me ideas who can potentially win! 😅

[@EricKarlAnderson]

That’s great! My husband sadly doesn’t take as much as an active interest in reading what’s listed. I’m flattered your boyfriend has faith in my predicting powers 😄

[@ht6743]

Excellent longlist! Leagues better than last year's nonsense.

[@laurencisneros1144]

Lets not bash those, last year had some good reads

[@ht6743]

@@laurencisneros1144 It was an awful list, and snubbing Demon Copperhead the worst of all.

[@ΛΕΜΟΝΙΑΤΑΣΟΥΛΑ]

I was hoping Martyr would get in the list but it seems like a very interesting list as a whole.

[@vanhouten64]

Six Americans (I think?). I believe that's a record. Everett, Kushner, Messud, Powers, and Orange are all Americans, not sure about Bullwinkel. Correction: seven Americans were longlisted in 2020.

[@theresaemig2328]

I think you can read Wandering Stars as a standalone but it’s better in combination with There There. If you’re going to read both definitely read There There first.

[@maikelvoors9348]

I got a newsletter from the Booker Prize, saying one of the books is a ‘blackly comic pageturner’. Which book would that be, does anyone know?

[@tyghe_bright]

I really wish that prizes would not make include books on their lists that haven't been published yet. The eligibility dates should line up with when the longlist is announced.

[@edjack5on]

You should read There There first, Eric. And spoiler: You will love it!

[@johnnamurraycamp5100]

🤣

[@eyesonindie]

Am I calculating correctly that only two of these are published by indie presses? Are Bloomsbury and Daunt Books indie presses? I'm not as familiar with UK publishers. If so, that's too bad. :( But as always, I love your longlist reaction!

[@nottaller1993]

I read Wild Houses a few weeks ago, it was just OK in my opinion, the writing was good, but felt like the story was missing something. I've heard great things about James, but I feel like I need to re-read Huck Finn first. Planning on getting into either The Safekeep, Held, or Orbital as my next read. My Friends is on my list as well, just waiting for a good time to settle into it. Enlightenment, Stone Yard Devotional, Headshot and Creation Lake sound interesting. I'm currently immersed in trying to learn Spanish, so worried that will prevent me from reading as many Booker list books as I did last year!

[@emmavd]

Fun fact: it looks like the Dutch translation of Playground will be out ten days earlier than the UK edition!😳

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Oh wow!

[@bianquita1]

I've only read My Friends and James but had several other titles on my TBR. I liked My Friends much more than James, I know I'm in the minority.

[@Nopi9]

Not me successfully my guessing half of the long list 😢 thanks to bookmarks

[@jdipalermo11]

“My Friends” total snooze fest; “Orbital” pretentious stream of consciousness drivel; “James” best on the list that I have read; too bad about Powers book not being published for a while - he is my favorite author on the list - a true genius, the Herman Melville of our time.

[@zoobee]

I gotta say, I simply don't read contemporary published novels any more, so little time, and I tend to re-read classics and non fiction. But this is exactly why I love subscribing to your channel. I like to keep in the loop about what is happening and these commentaries are really fascinating. Orbital sounds good to me

[@BandysBooks]

It’s an interesting list! Several books I hoped to see are not there, but there are some books I’m really looking forward to. So far I’ve read Orbital which was pretty writing, but was a bit slow for me. I’ve also read James which I loved. I read Huck Finn and James back to back and I agree with you. It’s not necessary, but it really enhances the experience. I own a copy of Wandering Stars and am really excited to see Orange get longlisted. Of the remaining 10 books, I have easy access to 8. I ordered copies of Stone Yard Devotional and Playground from the UK, so I should get those early August (hopefully 😅). I look forward to reading the entire Longlist for the first time ever. Thanks for the good book discussion!

[@user-lt3ru8ob8y]

So, Intermezzo didn't make the list

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

I’ve read 3. Stone Yard Devotional was good . Orbital was ok. Enlightenment was disappointing. One Irish book Wild Houses

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Yeah, I was surprised more Irish fiction isn't included.

[@TKTalksBooks]

The best book I’ve read on this list so far is My Friends

[@yasemin2]

❤

[@seashanties8927]

Pleased to see Headshot on there. It was a holiday read for me too and I haven’t heard many people talking about it. I liked it a lot.

[@dittesque]

The New York Times Book Review Podcast had a “ book club” episode about it in June, if you’re interested, I enjoyed their conversation :)

[@seashanties8927]

@@dittesque thanks!

[@SpacepirateJames]

"There's a great diversity"-10/13 authors being white okay

[@CharlieBrookReads]

Always good to see your reaction Eric. Pleased the book you predicted for the win got listed!! 🔮There are quite a few titles listed of books I was already interested in which is good. I kind of wished there were a few more surprises but it’s a still a solid list nonetheless ❤

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks! Yeah, I was thinking how the most surprising thing about the list is how I’ve at least heard of all the books listed - usually there are 3 or 4 I’ve never come across before. But I take that as a sign they are honouring good solid writers.

[@sujataharish702]

There there was boring for me. It was DNF

[@vickytaum]

This is one of my favourite literary prizes, but I really don't know how there isn't a bigger riot over the eligibility of still unpublished novels. This seems wrong in so many levels, it alienates the public, readers and followers of the prize, and casts a shadow over the reasons behind the selection of said novels. And this never happens with debut authors, but always with established names, that can somehow justify this exception. They will probably adjust Playground's publication date, but even the fact there's a possibility that it won't be released before the shortlist is announced is a travesty. I know prizes like this deal with several other concerns than only the literary quality of the novels, but it's always good to try to maintain at least a bit of the illusion.