Man Booker Prize Winner 2014

Given this blog started as a review of all the Booker Prize shortlisted novels, and given I reviewed the longlists for the last few years it probably only appropriate that I put up a post about the 2104 winner. As you probably know I am not impressed by allowing the prize to accept all works written in English, a decision I feel diminishes the style of writing we had expected from this award. As Peter Carey pointed out during the week, we won't see the Pulitzer or the National Book Awards opening their doors to all and sundry (something I agree with Carey on for a change).

Anyways onto the 2014 winner, and one close to home, Richard Flanagan's "The Narrow Road to the Deep North".

The judges said:

"The two great themes from the origin of literature are love and war: this is a magnificent novel of love and war. Written in a prose of extraordinary elegance and force, it bridges East and West, past and present, with a story of guilt and heroism.

This is the book that Richard Flanagan was born to write".

Congratulations to the third Australian to win the award (Peter Carey for "Oscar & Lucinda" and "The True History of the Kelly Gang" and Thomas Kenneally for "Schindler's Ark")

Press release is available at http://www.themanbookerprize.com/press-releases/narrow-road-deep-north-wins-2014-man-booker-prize