Nobel Prize for Literature

buttmunch · October 10th, 2005, 04:38 AM

Ok, place your bets, folks. It's being announced this coming Thursday. Here are my nominations and hopefuls:

Philip Roth-he is fantastic and deserves it more than anyone on earth.

Doris Lessing-she's a great writer and extremely old, so this may be her last chance.

Margaret Atwood-always interesting and it would be nice to see a Canadian win for a change.

Joyce Carol Oates-she's nothing if not prolific, although she annoys the crap out of me in interviews.

Paul Theroux-a bit young still, maybe but I like his work.

So, who do you all think might win? I'm sure it will be an obscure Syrian poet or Guatemalan lyricist, but I can always dream...

sputnik · October 12th, 2005, 05:59 AM

hey, don't slam guatemalans! lol
miguel angel asturias was a genius!

i'm rooting for atwood or roth.

buttmunch · October 12th, 2005, 09:30 AM

Hurrah! Someone finally responded. roth is my big hopeful, although I am bitterly disappointed year after year. I could live with Atwood but I think my second choice will have to be Lessing. Any others that are worthy?

sputnik · October 12th, 2005, 11:21 AM

hey buttmunch, what did you think about last year's, elfriede jelinek? i heard a judge just resigned from the academy over that. that her writing was worthless.

buttmunch · October 12th, 2005, 11:27 AM

She's was a horrible choice, completely bonkers and over-rated. Here's what happened:

The Academy cited her for her 'melodious, flowing prose' etc. which is completely at odds with previous descriptions of her work as 'a jarring cacophony' and similar. I haven't read her work personally but have not heard anything good about it. The guy who resigned is only the third member to do this. Two others resigned when the Academy did not publicly respond to the fatwa on Rushdie. Unfortunately, it's a lifetime appointment, so techinically you can't resign. All you can do is make a nice public stink at the best possible time to embaress the Academy and then not show up for meetings.
Tomorrow is the day, noon local Stockholm time. For once they had better open those doors and do the right thing!

sputnik · October 12th, 2005, 11:43 AM

lol
give her a try. i think she's great. but she's one of those polemic people that you either love or hate.

buttmunch · October 12th, 2005, 02:15 PM

Ok, I'll give her a whirl since I hate to judge without anything to judge on (actually, I love to judge, but don't like to be ignorant in my judgements). So, anything you can suggest for me to start with?

sputnik · October 12th, 2005, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buttmunch

Ok, I'll give her a whirl since I hate to judge without anything to judge on (actually, I love to judge, but don't like to be ignorant in my judgements). So, anything you can suggest for me to start with?

the piano teacher is probably her most famous.
the movie's also great. isabelle huppert plays the repressed piano teacher.

buttmunch · October 13th, 2005, 03:42 AM

She wrote The Piano Teacher? Ok, I'll give it a try. Now, the countdown begins...will the Academy finally give it to Roth...if they know what's good for them they will...

buttmunch · October 13th, 2005, 07:01 AM

Fucking Harold Pinter won? Fucking Harold Pinter? FUCKING HAROLD PINTER???????

sputnik · October 13th, 2005, 08:06 AM

lol
i'm not as familiar with his work, but i loved the birthday party and the caretaker, and i saw the homecoming at the threatre and while i liked the actual story, the actors were awful and i've been meaning to read it for myself since

buttmunch · October 13th, 2005, 08:13 AM

OK, Ok, I've calmed a bit. It isn't a HORRIBLE choice, I mean, quite a bit of his work is good, but really. How long do I have to wait for my man Roth to win? He isn't getting any younger and since they can't give the award posthumously, the clock is bloody well ticking.
Guess I'll be reading some Pinter soon. Perhaps he should be a choice for the book club at some point?

sputnik · October 13th, 2005, 10:46 AM

i want salman rushdie to win one, dammit! he deserves it

Glasgow53 · October 13th, 2005, 11:24 AM

I saw Rushdie on Bill Maher's show, and was surprised to see that he is funny. I should give him a read. Any recommendations?

sputnik · October 13th, 2005, 12:29 PM

anything! he's an incredible writer and you're right, very funny, and that comes out in his books. my favourites are 'the moor's last sigh', 'midnight's children', 'the ground beneath her feet'. the infamous 'satanic verses' is also excellent