Critics for cricket as their best book of the year is revealed
http://www.booktrust.org.uk/
A study conducted by the independent national charity Booktrust has revealed that a novel about cricket and post 9/11 New York was the most popular choice of newspaper critics in 2008. Joseph O’Neil’s Netherland, published by Fourth Estate, received extraordinary praise from the critics, who described it as ‘a great American novel’ and ‘suspensful, artful, psychologically pitch-perfect, and a wonderful read.’
The list, compiled by website editor James Smith from over 2,000 recommendations of books of the year, as chosen by newspapers’ critics during the festive period.
James Smith commented:
“Compiling this list is an eye-popping exercise, but it provides a fascinating – and often surprising – insight into the books that have caught the critics’ attention. From the obscure (Geoffrey Hill: The Collected Critical Writings) to the popular (Kate Summerscale’s The Suspicions of Mr Whicher), the list proves that publishers continue to provide us with many, many wonderful books.”
The most popular non-fiction among the critics was Richard Holmes's The Age of Wonder (Harper Press), a remarkable study of late-eighteenth-century scientists
Despite Fourth Estate’s successes with Netherland, the excellent Hollywood memoir spoof Me Cheeta and J.G Ballad’s Miracles of Life, the most-chosen publisher was Faber.
This is the third consecutive year that Faber has clinched the accolade of most popular publisher among the critics.
Below the full list of recommendations by newspaper.
http://www.booktrust.org.uk/
A study conducted by the independent national charity Booktrust has revealed that a novel about cricket and post 9/11 New York was the most popular choice of newspaper critics in 2008. Joseph O’Neil’s Netherland, published by Fourth Estate, received extraordinary praise from the critics, who described it as ‘a great American novel’ and ‘suspensful, artful, psychologically pitch-perfect, and a wonderful read.’
The list, compiled by website editor James Smith from over 2,000 recommendations of books of the year, as chosen by newspapers’ critics during the festive period.
James Smith commented:
“Compiling this list is an eye-popping exercise, but it provides a fascinating – and often surprising – insight into the books that have caught the critics’ attention. From the obscure (Geoffrey Hill: The Collected Critical Writings) to the popular (Kate Summerscale’s The Suspicions of Mr Whicher), the list proves that publishers continue to provide us with many, many wonderful books.”
The most popular non-fiction among the critics was Richard Holmes's The Age of Wonder (Harper Press), a remarkable study of late-eighteenth-century scientists
Despite Fourth Estate’s successes with Netherland, the excellent Hollywood memoir spoof Me Cheeta and J.G Ballad’s Miracles of Life, the most-chosen publisher was Faber.
This is the third consecutive year that Faber has clinched the accolade of most popular publisher among the critics.
Below the full list of recommendations by newspaper.
Fiction
Joseph O’Neill Netherland 17
Zoe Heller The Believers 14
Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture 12
John le Carre A Most Wanted Man 9 (+1 audio)
Nadeem Aslam The Wasted Vigil 8
Tim Winton Breath 8
Philip Roth Indignation 8
Tom Rob Smith Child 44 7 (+1)
Aravind Adiga The White Tiger 7
Junot Diaz The Brief … Oscar Wao 7
Non-fiction
Richard Holmes The Age of Wonder 15
JG Ballard Miracles of Life 12 (+1)
Alex Ross The Rest is Noise 12
Ferdinand Mount Cold Cream 12
Kate Summerscale The Suspicions of Mr W … 11
Barack Obama Dreams from My Father 9 (+1)
Simon Gray Coda 8 (+3)
Patrick French The World Is What It Is 8
Mark Bostridge Florence Nightingale 7
Cheeta Me Cheeta 7
Tom Holland Millennium 7
Jackie Wullschlager Chagall 7
The Clash 7
Julian Barnes Nothing to be Frightened of 7
Yotam Ottolenghi Ottolenghi 7
Niall Ferguson The Ascent of Money 7
Mark Thompson The White War 7
Poetry
Mick Imlah The Lost Leader 9
Authors
Joseph O’Neill 17
Simon Gray 16 (two titles)
Richard Holmes 14
Zoe Heller 14
Barack Obama 13 (two titles)
JG Ballard 13
Alex Ross 12
Ferdinand Mount 12
Sebastian Barry 12
Kate Summerscale 11
John le Carre 10
Publishers
Faber 138
Bloomsbury 103
Fourth Estate 86
Allen Lane 82
Joseph O’Neill Netherland 17
Zoe Heller The Believers 14
Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture 12
John le Carre A Most Wanted Man 9 (+1 audio)
Nadeem Aslam The Wasted Vigil 8
Tim Winton Breath 8
Philip Roth Indignation 8
Tom Rob Smith Child 44 7 (+1)
Aravind Adiga The White Tiger 7
Junot Diaz The Brief … Oscar Wao 7
Non-fiction
Richard Holmes The Age of Wonder 15
JG Ballard Miracles of Life 12 (+1)
Alex Ross The Rest is Noise 12
Ferdinand Mount Cold Cream 12
Kate Summerscale The Suspicions of Mr W … 11
Barack Obama Dreams from My Father 9 (+1)
Simon Gray Coda 8 (+3)
Patrick French The World Is What It Is 8
Mark Bostridge Florence Nightingale 7
Cheeta Me Cheeta 7
Tom Holland Millennium 7
Jackie Wullschlager Chagall 7
The Clash 7
Julian Barnes Nothing to be Frightened of 7
Yotam Ottolenghi Ottolenghi 7
Niall Ferguson The Ascent of Money 7
Mark Thompson The White War 7
Poetry
Mick Imlah The Lost Leader 9
Authors
Joseph O’Neill 17
Simon Gray 16 (two titles)
Richard Holmes 14
Zoe Heller 14
Barack Obama 13 (two titles)
JG Ballard 13
Alex Ross 12
Ferdinand Mount 12
Sebastian Barry 12
Kate Summerscale 11
John le Carre 10
Publishers
Faber 138
Bloomsbury 103
Fourth Estate 86
Allen Lane 82
2 comments:
Well hooray for Zoe who looks like the token girl on the list - what is is with these lists, they're always male dominated? Erhem... I did really enjoy 'Netherland' and my No.1 Book Group rated it really highly too, enjoying for once, a novel that actually has a very satisfactory ending.
The other great thing about "Netherland" is that it is introducing lots of Americans to cricket - although I'm not sure all of them have quite grasped the concepts ...
I'm surprised "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" didn't do better, though. I thought that was a tremendous book.
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