The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
2010 Bookerthon
I think it’s fair to say we weren’t blown away by all the shortlisters this year. Not to say we didn’t enjoy them, but there wasn’t that overwhelming sense of exhilaration like in years past. And what highlights we did have we quite different to one another’s.
Rachel loved In A Strange Room having found it ticked all the boxes: readability, beautiful style, and a sense of mystery and intrigue that encourages the reader to examine the book’s literary merit further. And she found The Long Song, the story of the girl enslaved on a Jamaican sugar plantation, to be heartfelt and well constructed.
“However, I could take or leave the rest. The Finkler Question and Parrot & Olivier are both good reads, but nothing I’d rave about. C is very clever, but perhaps too clever for me – if it won I wouldn’t be surprised. As for Room, I’m surprised it has even been shortlisted so that’s not a contender as far as I’m concerned.”
Suzy however loved the journey and explorations detailed in Parrot & Olivier. A portrait of life as an American settler in the 1820s is full of drama and intrigue and she was enthralled throughout. She found The Long Song affecting and emotive and In A Strange Room clever and capable of winning. However she also struggled with C and The Finkler Question and concurred with Rachel that Room was a surprise addition to the shortlist, that, though topical, did not stand up against the literary merit of the other finalists.
Best book 1st-6th: Rachel:
In A Strange Room
The Long Song
C
The Finkler Question
Parrot & Olivier in America
Room
Best book 1st-6th: Suzy:
Parrot & Olivier in America
The Long Song
In A Strange Room
The Finkler Question
C
Room
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The Free-Range Bookclub 
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