Orange segments

 

The shortlisted books for the Orange Prize for Fiction are:

 

Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright

Painter of Silence by Georgina Harding

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

    Any thoughts? I adored both The Song of Achilles (see yesterday's post) and State of Wonder (post on it here) - I haven't read any of the others yet - but I'd be delighted to see either of those two take the prize on 30th. May as they'd be very worthy winners.

Comments

[Erika]

I have only read "State of Wonder". It is pleasant but I am still waiting for her to write another book up to the standard of "Bel Canto".

Now I'm going back to the discussion of John Buchan. I have finally read David Lownie's biography" John Buchan: the Presbyterian Cavalier". It is a very fine reference book but difficult to sit down with and read through. The author has so much material to grapple with and he hasn't climbed on top of it somehow.

[Cornflower]

Coincidentally, Madeline Miller is giving a reading at Ann Patchett's bookshop in Nashville today, introduced by Ann herself, I believe!
Thankyou for your comments on the John Buchan biography, Erika.

[LizF]

The only one that I have read as yet is State of Wonder which I adored last year but I do have The Song of Achilles and Painter of Silence in my library pile and a copy of Half Blood Blues was among a recent haul from a charity shop.

I'd better get reading!

[B R Wombat]

Well, I was distinctly upset that Gillespie and I didn't make it from the long list onto the short list. I can't imagine that all 6 books there are better than it.

[Cornflower]

Yes, I'm surprised at that omission, too.