Nobel Prize in Literature: Patrick Modiano wins Nobel

[Dr. Drib]

UPDATE:

Patrick Modiano wins the Nobel Prize in literature

From "The Guardian":

______________________


"The Swedish Academy announced this morning that the winner of the literature Nobel would be revealed on Thursday 9 October at 1pm CET (noon BST). Ladbrokes, which has frequently seen the eventual victor surge to the top of its odds in the days before the announcement, said today that Ngũgĩ and Murakami were, at 4/1, joint favourites to win Thursday’s eight million kronor (£693,000) prize."

My bet is on Haruki Murakami or Joyce Carol Oates.


And yours?

[tubemonkey]

No clue. These prizes are always won by authors I've never heard of.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Joyce Carol Oats would be a good pick. I haven't read anything by her, but her award list and three-time Pulitzer nominee probably put her in the uppermost tier of writers. Probably Alice Munroe from Canada winning will make it more difficult for Joyce this time around though.

Should be an interesting pick.

[Salgueiros]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

No clue. These prizes are always won by authors I've never heard of.

[CommonReader]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

No clue. These prizes are always won by authors I've never heard of.

Looking back at the last decade or so, who was largely unknown? Le Clézio and Tranströmer, sure, but V.S. Naipaul, J. M. Coetzee, Doris Lessing, Mario Vargas Llosa etc. were certainly known to a global audience.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by CommonReader

Looking back at the last decade or so, who was largely unknown? Le Clézio and Tranströmer, sure, but V.S. Naipaul, J. M. Coetzee, Doris Lessing, Mario Vargas Llosa etc. were certainly known to a global audience.

Honestly, never heard of any of them.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

No clue. These prizes are always won by authors I've never heard of.

You've not heard of Haruki Murakami?

(I realize he hasn't won. But there's a strong possibility that he might.)

I highly recommend this gentle introduction to his work:

"The Elephant Vanishes: Stories"

You'll find it right here:

http://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Vanis...aruki+murakami

A description from Amazon:

1) A man sees his favorite elephant vanish into thin air.

2) A newlywed couple suffers attacks of hunger that drive them to hold up a McDonald's in the middle of the night.

3) A young woman discovers that she has become irresistible to a little green monster who burrows up through her backyard.

And there's more!

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

You've not heard of Haruki Murakami?

(I realize he hasn't won. But there's a strong possibility that he might.)

Seriously, I haven't. I mostly read dead 19th century authors; plus a few modern ones - Herbert, Asimov, D Brown, S Collins, AC Clarke, etc.

[DiapDealer]

Was it last year they declined to select a winner?

[Dr. Drib]

I was editing my post when you posted your post above. Please re-read my earlier post.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Was it last year they declined to select a winner?

I think Alice Munro won last year, didn't she?

(I'd have to check.)

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I was editing my post when you posted your post above. Please re-read my earlier post.

OK, I'll give it a shot. I'll check it out from the library next week.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I think Alice Munro won last year, didn't she?

(I'd have to check.)

I think you're right. I believe it was a recent Pulitzer that failed to select a winner. My bad.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

OK, I'll give it a shot. I'll check it out from the library next week.

By all means, please.

If you find him enjoyable, there are a few older Mobileread threads on some of his earlier books.

Not everyone likes him, of course, but there a number of members here who seem to enjoy him.

For myself, I'm a Murakami 'fanatic' and enjoy collecting his works in First Edition Hardcover [English].

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I highly recommend this gentle introduction to his work:

"The Elephant Vanishes: Stories"

You'll find it right here:

http://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Vanis...aruki+murakami

A description from Amazon:

1) A man sees his favorite elephant vanish into thin air.

2) A newlywed couple suffers attacks of hunger that drive them to hold up a McDonald's in the middle of the night.

3) A young woman discovers that she has become irresistible to a little green monster who burrows up through her backyard.

And there's more!

Really?

This sounds like the kind of thing best read when under the influence of psychedelics.