“Only way to live here is day by day, same as anywhere.” ― Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger

June 8, 2012 7:00 AM

Barry Unsworth, Booker prizewinner, dies at 81. [guardian.co.uk] Writer of historical fiction, who won Britain's highest literary honour in 1992 for Sacred Hunger, has died.
posted by Fizz (11 comments total)

I recently finished Sacred Hunger and was very impressed with his attention to detail and historical accuracy. A sad week for Literature.

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posted by Fizz at 7:03 AM on June 8, 2012

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A fine historical novelist.
posted by thomas j wise at 7:24 AM on June 8, 2012

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Sad news.

I recently reread Morality Play: beautiful and sinister. He was a very talented novelist.
posted by Ziggy500 at 7:26 AM on June 8, 2012

Was Gwyn Barry's novel in The Information partly a mockery of Sacred Hunger?

I liked it myself.
posted by Segundus at 7:27 AM on June 8, 2012

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posted by the sobsister at 8:28 AM on June 8, 2012

Obviously not as wide reaching readership as Ray Bradbury but a fine novelist that is worth reading if you have any interest in historical fictions. Writes very much like William Styron for anyone looking for a comparison with regard to style and voice. At least, in my eyes.
posted by Fizz at 8:32 AM on June 8, 2012

HERE is Unsworth in a podcast about his last novel (The Quality of Mercy)
posted by Postroad at 8:58 AM on June 8, 2012

Ahhh damn. Love Sacred Hunger, Morality Play and The Song of the Kings, especially.
posted by papercake at 11:52 AM on June 8, 2012

I think "the Stone Virgin" was my favorite of his novels. He will be missed.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 12:18 PM on June 8, 2012

The sadness here is that, even at 81, he was prolific and producing fine work right up to the very end of his life. Land of Marvels, published only three years ago, was particularly good. He had, if such a thing is possible, a wonderful 'ear' for the past. His pasts felt like the past, not just the present in a funny costume, and yet were sufficiently keyed into the same issues that concern us now to make readers care about them. Happy trails, and thank you.
posted by hydatius at 3:43 PM on June 8, 2012 [1 favorite]

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posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 8:40 AM on June 9, 2012