2017 Booker Prize shortlist

4321 by Paul Auster (US) (Faber & Faber)
History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund (US) (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (UK-Pakistan) (Hamish Hamilton)
Elmet by Fiona Mozley (UK) (JM Originals)
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (US) (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Autumn by Ali Smith (UK) (Hamish Hamilton)

Once again a year where a great LL results in a strange SL, feels a bit like 2014.
I read 5 of the 6 and would have voted 2 on the SL, maybe 3 (Ali Smith, George Saunders, maybe! Auster). Leaving the courageous Home Fire out is a disappointment, while History of Wolves so far has been the only "hm... okay" read for me. A good book, but an obvious debut with a coming of age story of yet another young girl growing up in some remote place, reminding me of similar books I've read in the past.

I still have to read Elmet. Exit West was good, but felt (for me) a bit rushed, the two halves not fitting well together.
So I guess (hope) this will be Ali Smith's win this year, I don't think they'll have 2 US winners in a row so early on.

The TLS weighs in:

https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/man-booker-prize-2017-shortlist/?CMP=S...

I am definitely not too happy about this outcome. For me Elmet and History of Wolves really don't belong there. And I am really disappointed that Home Fire, my favourite didn't make it.
I would have liked to see Reservoir 13 and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness on the shortlist as well.

My favourite now is Exit West although I don't think it will be the winner. I still have to read the Auster though.

I'm surprised The Underground Railroad didn't make the list. Maybe they thought it had gotten enough acclaim?

I wish Reservoir 13 had made it. I'm glad Exit West and Autumn did.

Not sure why The History of Wolves made the shortlist. It was an ok debut novel, but not Booker-level good.

I wish Home Fire had made it. I have only read Exit West from the shortlist .

So sad about Reservoir 13. My vote now goes to Autumn. I guess it's time to buy 4 3 2 1...

So far I've read Exit West and really liked it. Autumn was pretty good too but I'm still trying to digest it and all that it meant. Never got round to reading Underground Railroad but heard rave reviews. Think I might read Elmet or Wolves next.