Comments on: Nobel Prize in Literature

Nobel Prize in Literature

Daze — Tue, 30 Sep 2003 23:14:25 -0800

will be announced on Thursday. Two candidates with buzz this year are Syrian poet Ali Ahmad Said, better known as Adonis, and New Zealand novelist-memoirist Janet Frame. Other candidates frequently mentioned include JM Coetzee, Philip Roth, Inger Christensen, Tomas Transtroemer, Margaret Atwood and Carlos Fuentes.

By: kickingtheground

kickingtheground — Tue, 30 Sep 2003 23:18:56 -0800

They can't REALLY give Margaret Atwood a Nobel, can they? /hated "Handmaid's Tale" in high school

By: homunculus

homunculus — Tue, 30 Sep 2003 23:42:28 -0800

BookFilter is back, btw. (I say that merely to inform, not to judge this post.)

By: matteo

matteo — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:07:39 -0800

In a fair world, Yves Bonnefoy would take the prize.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:37:48 -0800

Don't forget Cardoso. He's an outsider, but I think he's got a chance.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:54:38 -0800

Don't forget Cardoso. He's an outsider, but I think he's got a chance. The Nobel committee likes to distribute the prize geographically. Saramago got the prize in 1998. Miguel will have to go get his from Jose. Its why someone like Fuentes would have a great chance had not Octavio Paz (both from Mexico) grabbed it in 1990.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 01:06:48 -0800

My money's on Roth.

By: attackthetaxi

attackthetaxi — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 03:54:41 -0800

I have no money, but having Coetzee take this award wouldn't cause a literary riot. Actually, I'd pay to see one of those. Give it to Stephen King.

By: mrhappy

mrhappy — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 04:33:07 -0800

Is John Updike really that bad? It seems odd that he's never even considered. He might be past his prime, but for a while I thought he was an astonishingly good writer.

By: soundofsuburbia

soundofsuburbia — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 04:43:35 -0800

What? No Astrid Lindgren?

By: amberglow

amberglow — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 06:56:38 -0800

Pippi, Pippi Longstocking; how i love that silly name! ; > I've only read 2 of the possible winners, but i look forward to reading more of them--The Nobel people have become a pretty reliable recommendation team for me. Has a scandinavian won lately? kickingtheground: they're using Handmaid's Tale in high schools now? I think that's excellent.

By: signal

signal — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 08:10:13 -0800

Borges should get it, obviously. And yes, I know he's dead.

By: NekulturnY

NekulturnY — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 08:31:40 -0800

In the Netherlands, they'll be calling Harry Mulisch again for comments and Cees Nooteboom, in Belgium this is the time when telephone calls go to Hugo Claus: all dedicated losers of the Nobel Prize for the last thirty years. My money's on whatever writer lives in the Middle East and who, for the last thirty years or so, wrote grave sentences about Islamic/Judean/Christian culture, preferably in free verse. Because let's be honest, it's not like it's *hard* to win this prize, is it?

By: luriete

luriete — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 08:48:16 -0800

Oryx and Crake was actually really good. I don't understand what the problem is with Murakami. I can't think of anyone else who deserves the award more.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 10:50:57 -0800

In a fair world, Yves Bonnefoy would take the prize. *cheers* *realizes it's not a fair world, and Bonnefoy doesn't have a hope in hell* *sobs*

By: amberglow

amberglow — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 10:55:29 -0800

Harry Mulisch would be a great winner--Discovery of Heaven was wonderful. (although i like it better when it's someone unknown to me who wins)

By: thecaddy

thecaddy — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 12:44:05 -0800

Luriete-- As much as I love Murakami, I'd rather wait and see him get the award a little later in his career. He's still a little young to get the nobel--the prize committee tends to skew old. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm not sure how I feel about their need to spread the love around the world though. The best writers should get the Nobel. It shouldn't have to do with where you live/what language you write in. Did that professor nominate Bob Dylan again this year, or has he given up on the dream?

By: lelilo

lelilo — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 16:39:57 -0800

Don't forget Cardoso. He's an outsider, but I think he's got a chance. God help me, but that’s the first name I thought of too. (I guess it’s just because of this neighborhood.) Since it’s quality they’re looking for, though, not quantity, MC probably doesn’t have much of a chance. He’s too young, too, which is why Murakami also won’t win it . . . oops, thecaddy just said that. Borges should get it, obviously. And yes, I know he's dead. I’ll go along with signal on this. And please, not Updike.

By: soundofsuburbia

soundofsuburbia — Thu, 02 Oct 2003 04:00:35 -0800

And the winner is... JM Coetzee!

By: NekulturnY

NekulturnY — Thu, 02 Oct 2003 04:20:46 -0800

Fits the profile, although it's sort of a "Nadine Gordimer revisited" situation. Guess the Middle East will have to wait for another ten years. Maybe some Balkan writers first?

By: PenDevil

PenDevil — Thu, 02 Oct 2003 05:33:20 -0800

Booyah!