As has been noted elsewhere, the Booker shortlist was unveiled today. This year’s six book list has a lot of name recognition. Here are the shortlisters: The Sea by John Banville, Arthur and George by Julian Barnes, A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Accidental by Ali Smith and On Beauty by Zadie Smith.
Of note: Salman Rushdie, J.M. Coetzee and Ian McEwan don’t make the cut. I still like Ishiguro to win it, but the bookies have Barnes as the big favorite, Ali Smith as the longshot and everyone else bunched in the middle. You can track the odds here (if you’re into that sort of thing.)
Additionally: The Guardian has analysis and excerpts.
