Thursday, January 30, 2014

Daphne awards

Bookslut, which I had not heard of before, wants to correct the major book awards from 50 years ago

According to my records, I've read six books published in 1963:
  • The Graduate, which I hated; it's not on their short list
  • Cat's Cradle, which is on their original short list.  I remember liking it, but don't remember any details of the book.  That's not a particularly good sign.
  • The Game Players of Titan, which is not on their list, but I don't remember particularly liking it; at least, not as much as Cat's Cradle; I don't think it warrants a suggestion.
  • V., which is on their original short list.  I kinda liked it, but not nearly as much as Gravity's Rainbow or The Crying of Lot 49.
  • Way Station, not on their list; like The Game Players of Titan above, it can be left off
  • The Girls of Slender Means, which is on their original short list.  I kinda liked it, but not nearly as much as Memento Mori or Loitering with Intent.
I would have sworn I'd read Hopscotch and The Bell Jar.  In the case of Hopscotch, I think I started it and put it down, but that was in the days before I recorded my DNFs.  I will now go read The Bell Jar.  

I'm torn about the last book on their original short list, The Man Who Fell to Earth.  I've read two of Tevis's other books, Queen's Gambit and Mockingbird, and liked them both very much, but neither struck me as written by an author who could produce a novel worthy of "Best book of 1963".  Then again, unless The Bell Jar knocks me out, I'm not too crazy about any of the other books on the short list.

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