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And the Nobel goes to …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Update:
The Nobels just announced that Doris Lessing won this year’s Lit prize.
The Nobel Prize in Literature will be announced tomorrow (Oct. 11).
We tend not to value the Nobel in Literature all that much in America because, frankly, so often if goes to weird foreigners we’ve never heard of. I know that sounds very philistine, but it’s the truth. Even if you are extremely well-read, the Lit Nobel can be a bit challenging.
The British book-making outfit Ladbroke’s, which takes bets on all manner of things, has posted a series of odds on its website, handicapping authors. Philip Roth is the odds-on favorite this year at 4-1 (USA! USA!). Listed second, at 6-1, is Claudio Magris, an Italian novelist and essayist.
Folks I’ve read, at least a little: Joyce Carol Oates is 8-1, Thomas Pynchon is 10-1, Margaret Atwood is 20-1, Ian McEwan and John Updike are both 40-1, and J.K. Rowling is 100-1, probably because Ladbroke’s thinks it can get people to wager on her, rather than because she has a real shot.
Among the many, many Who Dats? Thomas Transtromer, Ko Un, Cees Nooteboom and Hugo Claus, all of them given more of a shot than Updike.
Granted, this isn’t like handicapping the Oscars. But this is The Book Page. So, who do you think should win this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature?
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: News and Reviews
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By Jeff
October 10, 2007 8:04 AM | Link to this
While I read the classics of Lit (including American), I really have no interest in current Lit. (And since I think The Road fits into “Lit”, that only makes my grievances with the category that much stronger!)
I’ll sit back and let the librarians/ Lit majors debate this one today.
Sorry Phil!
By Kate
October 10, 2007 8:26 AM | Link to this
I have not read anything by Phillip Roth. I don’t know how that happened! Oates would be a good choice. And McEwan .
Updike annoys me because he gets into those b*tchy word wars with Tom Wolfe. That right there oughta disqualify him.
How about Salman Rushdie?
By Maria
October 10, 2007 10:23 AM | Link to this
The NYT’s Paper Cuts blog had an interesting comment trail about this the other day. Several people brought up the point that since the awards were decided by a panel of Europeans, the winner of the Nobel would have to be someone with a wide following in Europe. That leaves out several of the Americans, including Updike (which saddens me, because his Rabbit series, and, to a slightly lesser extent, his Bech series, have provided some of the best reading experiences of my life so far. Kate, fair enough about the b!tchy word wars between Updike and Wolfe, but I think Wolfe slung the first insults in most of ‘em). Another point made was that the Nobel committee sometimes has a political bent to their vote, and that the Iraq War might sway them to vote for a non-American this time around.
I do think it’ll be one of the “weird foreigners” this year. I like what I’ve read of Roth’s work — Portnoy and some of the Zuckerman series — but I just don’t think it’s America’s year.
By Lily Toad
October 10, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this
I’d vote for Margaret Atwood because of the range of her work and the consistent quality. I don’t know of another Canadian who has won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
By Phil Kloer
October 10, 2007 3:28 PM | Link to this
I don’t think the “word wars” between Wolfe and Updike will have much sway with the Nobel voters. But I think the point about them being European, and therefore far less Yank-centric than we are, is well-taken.
Salman Rushdie is on the Ladbroke’s list, at long odds as I recall.
Roth would be OK since it’s for body of work. I have been hearing great things about his latest one, “Exit Ghost,” but haven’t gotten to it yet.
By Kate
October 10, 2007 4:43 PM | Link to this
The Updike/Wolfe cat fights make them both look bitchy and small. No, it wouldn’t take JU out of the running, unless I was on the board. :)
And I still haven’t forgiven the Nobel committee for overlooking Graham Greene and Vladimir Nabokov. What’s up with that??
By Kate
October 12, 2007 7:06 AM | Link to this
The first time I ever heard of Doris Lessing was in the song by Moxy Fruvous, those Crazy Canadians. Spilled some dressing on Doris Lessing; those writer-types are a scream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9F_XHb81N0
By Phil Kloer
October 12, 2007 7:34 AM | Link to this
Of all the references to pop up on a Nobel Prize blog, the last one I expected was “My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors” by Moxy Fruvous. I love that song! Some time when things get slow here, I’ll post all the lyrics and let folks sound off on the most literate goofy pop song ever, or maybe it’s the goofiest literate pop song ever.