I LOVE the fact that he found out he had won by accident, just like "La-de-dah, let's see who won, click click" and then there's his own book. If that moment had happened in a novel, I would roll my eyes at the unbelievability of it, LOL. Amazing.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
That might even be my favorite part of the whole thing. It’s so good!
@l.georgealexander8330 Жыл бұрын
I have been an avid reader for most of my life. I will be 80 years old soon. Also, I have several degrees in English and journalism. It was very difficult for me to get books as a youngster, but I went to college through the public school system. I read as an individualist but since viewing "Supposedly Fun", I began to read books based on awards such as the Pulitzer Prize. I saw "Tinkers" in a secondhand book source and read it finishing only a few days ago. I loved it. When I was reading it, I felt myself in the book reading the wonderful prose. It was unlike any book that I have ever read and experienced it as living it. There were a number of books that I could not finish because I had no interest in them. I now use the award-winning list both long and short to select books to read. Through age, I lost my ability to move around and use a wheelchair, but I did not lose my ability to read and write. I also use your website to listen to your opinions of books. Although I have cats, I enjoy hearing about your dogs and love seeing them. I feel a sense of envy when Joel is on the scene and sadness when you lose a dog.
@onourpath Жыл бұрын
I'm a retired indy bookseller, and was increadibly lucky to score our only arc of Tinkers. When Harding came to my store -- years later -- to read for Enon, he signed my arc. He said there were only 500 arcs printed! I was freaking out! The rumor going around the book world was that the book had been in a drawer for 9 years; I asked him if that was true, and he said no, just 7 years! 😂 If you ever get a chance to see him read, go; he's a great speaker. Enon is amazing -- do read it! (Agree about Gilead -- what a book!)
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I love that! How lucky to have scored on the few ARCs! The more I look into Harding the more I like him, so I would love to see him do a reading someday. I’m looking forward to reading Enon soon!
@DebraHammer-yy7cb Жыл бұрын
I just checked my copy and it’s a first edition. Woo hoo!
@1book1review Жыл бұрын
The background story, priceless! Thanks for digging it up and sharing it. I now want to listen to it instead of reread it myself.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I’m glad you enjoyed the story.
@kevinjiggetts5600Ай бұрын
Thanks soooo much for sharing. Your joy is infectious !!!!
@HannahsBooks Жыл бұрын
Oh excellent, Greg. Wildly, I had Tinkers out of my local library right when it won the Pulitzer--but I hadn't yet picked it up and it was immediately recalled. Somehow I still haven't read it, but the time has come!
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I had just gotten Less from the library when it won the Pulitzer and was halfway through reading it. It’s fun when timing works like that!
@bookofdust Жыл бұрын
Your enthusiasm is contagious, it makes me want to check it out and the size doesn’t hurt seeing it slipped in before the end of the year. Thanks for sharing this with us.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
Tinkers being under 200 pages definitely makes it easy to squeeze in for anyone with the inclination.
@deborahaguruso Жыл бұрын
Such a nice surprise waking up to your deep dive of Tinkers and its publication. Acquiring, reading and discussing books is what readers do, but knowing the background of how they came to us adds to the enjoyment. Thanks for putting so much into this!
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
@davidnovakreadspoetry Жыл бұрын
You are right, what a great story. I miss our Borders, but your insight into the book’s absence from your shop was eye-opening. I’m curious about other fiction from that publisher now.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I have one of their other books on my shelf (The Bear by Andrew Krivak), but I have not read it yet.
@ariannefowler455 Жыл бұрын
Amazing story! I love learning about these things so thank you for sharing this with us. It does make me want to read the book now.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
The story is wild and so fun!
@pegthebookprizeaddict579 Жыл бұрын
Fantastic story..thanks for sharing!🤣🤣📚📚❤️❤️
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it.
@mradcaqbdb Жыл бұрын
Ha! What a perfect surprise at the heart of this story for you, particularly, to find. Great work, once again. Can’t wait to see what’s up next!
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
It really is a perfectly me story! I’m still deciding what will be next.
@larar5254 Жыл бұрын
Great story! I thoroughly enjoyed it….and Borders! I miss it so much.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I do too! But I've really leaned into indie bookstores since Borders went away, and I love them.
@PaulaBlazer-n7l Жыл бұрын
😊this is an excellent deep dive! Thank you ❤! Your posts, research, inside knowledge, suport of indie book stores, love of Jamie & Joel make you my GO-TO book guy. Thanks for being you!
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words.
@Abis-f3p Жыл бұрын
Wow! Your story and the way you told it makes me root for Harding to win the Booker and I didn't even read his books - just ordered and waiting for them to arrive! Silly, right?
@Nina_DP Жыл бұрын
Great story! Love your enthusiasm!! Been traveling and just catching up with vids. Sending 🙏💙🙏 Jamie's way.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! Jamie has had a rough week but hopefully will be doing better soon.
@peggydaly8194 Жыл бұрын
Oops its verty good and I love your video and enjoy it so much. Thanks for your information so amazing.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
@CatherineBlaney6 ай бұрын
Wow you did a good exhaustive job about this. Enjoyed reading it.
@SupposedlyFun6 ай бұрын
Thank you so much!
@Elizabeth-Reads Жыл бұрын
Oh wow Greg, great sleuthing! This was probably my favorite of your deep dives, so fun! I love Harding’s seeming mix of confidence and humility. This is a great reminder of the extent to which publication, book sales and prizes are a result of perseverance, luck and connections as much as talent. I’ve thought so many times about how many indie press (or unpublished) masterpieces we must be missing because the author didn’t have that luck of finding the right people at the right time. (I read Tinkers soon after it won, but think I was likely too young to fully appreciate it. I still own it (not first edition, sadly), and Harding’s Booker nomination, and now your video, have made me eager to reread before picking up This Other Eden. Thank you!)
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I agree that so much of publishing, sales, and prizes are a matter of luck and connections. It makes you wonder how many gems have gone unnoticed over the years.
@BookishTexan Жыл бұрын
What an amazing story. I have to read the book now.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
It's such a great story! I hope you like the book.
@marys32333 Жыл бұрын
I may have a rare edition of Tinkers. It does not have the Pulitzer winner label on the front. I bought and read it long before the win. I can't recall what prompted me to read it, but so glad I did.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
PPrize has ways to tell if you got a first edition, which would definitely be rare and potentially valuable: www.pprize.com/BookDetail.php/Tinkers#:~:text=The%20first%20edition%20boards%20are,are%20green%20with%20gold%20lettering.
@yeshprab Жыл бұрын
Wow! What an amazing and fascinating story! I clearly see the hand of Fate or Destiny or good karma. I am so intrigued that I have decided to read this book even though I am burdened with more than a dozen books on my To Be Read list. I am a slow reader and take a very long time to finish a book. Thanks a lot for uploading this video. Your enthusiasm for this book and the events that culminated its winning the Pulitzer is infectious. Yesh Prabhu, Bushkill, Pennsylvania
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! I can relate to having an untenable list of books to read.
@janethansen9612 Жыл бұрын
I can’t imagine him seeing his book on the Pulitzer website!
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
Right?! I can’t imagine what that would be like.
@Gen-yh1jz Жыл бұрын
This is an amazing story
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
It really is! I can’t get over it.
@angelacraw2907 Жыл бұрын
A fantastic analysis. Thank you.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
Thank you for watching!
@KierTheScrivener Жыл бұрын
Loved hearing this story!
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I was so happy when I found the answer.
@jordana99 Жыл бұрын
Really enjoyed this one! Yay Indies!
@BookwormAdventureGirl Жыл бұрын
Very interesting story! Adding Tinkers to my TBR ASAP. The independent bookstores connection is great. I also still need to read Gilead. 😊💙
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I hope you like both books if you get around to them!
@AvAlanchian Жыл бұрын
Gilead is pretty dope!
@AvAlanchian Жыл бұрын
Great video, great story about a book that flew under the radar but what I can’t get my head around that no Booker winner has a Pulitzer and vice versa? Wow, that’s gotta change soon right?
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I think it will happen sooner rather than later. It’s been ten years since they allowed Americans to compete for the Booker and it’s only a matter of time. But I think it will be virtually impossible for an author to win both prizes for the same book. Juries like to spread the wealth too much.
@jacquelinemcmenamin8204 Жыл бұрын
History repeats itself. When The Erratics won a major literary prize in Australia in 2017? ..…No one could get a copy of the book. The publisher had gone out of business. It took me 2 yrs to get a copy.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
Ha! That explains why I couldn't find copies of Erratics for so long that I eventually forgot I wanted one.
@readandre-read Жыл бұрын
This is a terrific story! Of course I now want to read Tinkers, but I have This Other Eden on hand so I'll try this one for now.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I read This Other Eden first and did fine, so it works!
@cindyfreese254 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for bringing this story some attention. I only know of Harding because of This Other Eden. I liked the writing but the story didn’t really stay with me. Great content Greg!
@user-yg6ft1iu1i Жыл бұрын
Wow what a great story. Especially the part about Bellevue hospital and it’s publishing arm. I heard Michael Moore speak about how important librarians were important to his getting his books out so I thought maybe that was the way this was going to go. Thanks for the research and the sharing of this story. Weirdly we have a copy of Love in Infant Monkeys and had no idea so I’ll be checking that out
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
What a fun coincidence re: Love in Infant Monkeys! I’m glad you enjoyed this story!
@AvAlanchian Жыл бұрын
Are librarians not the best people? Surely up there with nurses and teachers (I’m none of the above so am impartial)
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
@@AvAlanchian Indeed!
@peggydaly8194 Жыл бұрын
Thanks I got it at the Goodwill and chose it because it won the Pulliitzer
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
That's a good find!
@arlissbunny Жыл бұрын
Best. Book. Story. Ever!!!
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I can't get over how fun it is!
@sebastianromero7085 Жыл бұрын
Maybe I was too young for Tinkers and that surprise, but for me The Netanyahus has certainly been the biggest surprise in my life time
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I saw Netanyahus on several prediction lists (usually as a long shot, though). It was even in my prediction video! To me, Tinkers felt much more out of left field, but that could also be because social media and the internet have made predictions more of a thing.
@TheSalMaris Жыл бұрын
I hear the complaint that an author's sentences are borderline run on, and that readers have difficulty following multiple shifts in perspective often enough to wonder how these lost souls find their way through the everyday world of free indirect discourse. How do they even understand their neighbors meaning, if there is any meaning to be gained even from familial stories? Surely readers have the grounding in which to navigate such styles. Multiple POVs have been standard in literature for some time now--at least since the publication of Ulysses. Is Tinkers as good as, or superior to, As I Lay Dying, a book of similar length? No, so it couldn't, to my personal mind, possibly be considered as the Great American Novel.. Thank you for the history of the publication of Tinkers--and yes, it's nice to know it's an independent book store triumph.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Multiple POVs are definitely common, but I would say not in the way Harding uses them-at least not for most readers.
@mame-musing Жыл бұрын
Per your well-researched account of “Tinkers” winning the Pulitzer proves it to be even more of a Cinderella tale than I had originally thought. While I was reading Tinkers, in small ways it reminded me of Ethan Frome, probably due to the wintery New England setting and the fracturing marriage of two of the main characters. The prose certainly didn’t flow like Wharton’s (an unfair comparison). Where the story got bogged down was the long diversions into overly detailed descriptions of the intricacies of clock making and repair. (A metaphor for a life?) These long, dry descriptions diminished my enjoyment of the book. It’s interesting that Robinson was Harding’s mentor. I enjoyed reading “Housekeeping”, “Gilead” not so much.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
I do think the clock parts never quite tied to the rest of the book. Maybe that's one of the things that kept me from loving it.
@tam876 Жыл бұрын
Terrific David & Goliath story in how Tinker’s came to win. 👍🏾
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
It really is!
@yomismo74 Жыл бұрын
I remember being a big surprise. My only problem with this surprise is that i didn't like Tinkers at all
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
That's fair!
@leafyconcern Жыл бұрын
It's a pretty dang good book
@leafyconcern Жыл бұрын
I need to give Enon another shot. That'd be a good book to read and make a video about. Just thinkin out loud. Cheers
@ZimmReads Жыл бұрын
Listening to this right now but just want to say right out the gate, my attempt at reading Tinkers was agonizing. Did not enjoy the first third and haven't had the motivation to pick it up again. This Other Eden is not that much better imo. Looking forward to some catharsis watching you talk about this!
@ZimmReads Жыл бұрын
Just heard you say you liked it so...... my catharsis is shattered. haha :D Guess I need to read the rest.
@SupposedlyFun Жыл бұрын
Sorry to disappoint! I can absolutely see why someone would have a difficult time with Harding's writing. Nothing says you have to read the rest.
@gs5475 ай бұрын
Sadly, I was intrigued by your wonderful story about the miraculous selection of Tinkers for the Pulitzer. I ordered the book from Abe Books. I sadly forgot to check the Goodreads rating, which I find was very a very low 3.4 something. I have tried to read it 3 times already and have been disgusted. I give up and will give it away. I like the Goodreads rating system, which is pretty good in my opinion. A score of 3.9 is indicative that I will probably like a book. 3.4 something is a very bad score. I am now starting on Where the Crowds Sing, which I picked up for free. This books starts up wonderfully. Looking at the Goodreads score, it is 4.0+. FYI I like your commentaries but don't agree on everything.
@lotusman1819 Жыл бұрын
Awards are overrated and meaningless. Philip Roth never won the Nobel Prize. Judy Garland and Barbara Stanwyck never won the Oscar. David Bowie didn't win a Grammy till after he was dead. Diana Ross has never won a Grammy, losing out again earlier this year. Can't take 'em seriously. It's all way too subjective.