The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

This is the place for discussion of the longlisted books (and anything else you feel should have had a place). Please do not comment here until the list has been announced officially. I will update this introductory post to include the list of books, and add links as soon as possible.

These are the 13 books:

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange (Harvill Secker)
Wild Houses by Colin Barrett (Jonathan Cape)
Held by Anne Michaels (Bloomsbury)
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner (Jonathan Cape)
This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud (Fleet)
Playground by Richard Powers (Hutchinson Heinemann)
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry (Jonathan Cape)
Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Jonathan Cape)
James by Percival Everett (Macmillan)
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Viking)
My Friends by Hisham Matar (Viking)
Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood (Sceptre)
Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel (Daunt Books)

I think you mean “discussion of the longlisted books”? Thanks for setting this up, Hugh!

Gwendolyn wrote: "I think you mean “discussion of the longlisted books”? Thanks for setting this up, Hugh!"
Thanks - fixed now.

11 read for me.

So all the leaks here from Derek were correct

And the other ones from the chap on Youtube were pretty much all wrong

0/13 for me - and it will stay that way. Not picking Praiseworthy is ridiculous.

Is that a new record Gumble?

Here's the announcement video on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUhJq...

Would you believe there are no fewer than 8 PRH books
Four past shortlistees I think?
No small presses
No Faber
Three of the Orwell list

Windows just killed my wifi connection- on the phone now. Will do the links when I've rebooted the laptop.

Paul wrote: "So all the leaks here from Derek were correct

And the other ones from the chap on Youtube were pretty much all wrong

0/13 for me - and it will stay that way. Not picking Praiseworthy is ridiculous."


Especially with Stone Yard on the list. Makes it look even more like a snub.

Stuck on please wait now. Thanks Microsoft...

I have read four, but have copies of most of the list already and have sampled or been familiar with most.

This list is unusually available—meaning I can get almost all of them through my local library (or will soon be able to). Stone Yard is the exception.

There are no 'unknown' books/authors and no small presses - disappointments for me. But on the positive side I've only read 1 so have lots of (hopefully good) reading ahead!

It is a new record but I had assistance from the leaks here - I think 8 is a more honest measure as that is what I had read last Thursday or so.

Sam wrote: "Especially with Stone Yard on the list. Makes it look even more like a snub."

I can honestly see this is what happened

- well we've got one Australian book from a Stella Prize winner (Stone Yard Devotional)
- and we've got one book about indigenous people (Tommy Orange)
- and we've got a smallish press

So there isn't room for another of each of those

Sort of quotas that don't apply if you're a white American PRH published author.

Very U.S heavy which surprises me.

Sam wrote: "Paul wrote: "So all the leaks here from Derek were correct

And the other ones from the chap on Youtube were pretty much all wrong

0/13 for me - and it will stay that way. Not picking Praiseworthy..."

I think PRAISEWORTHY definitely should have been on the list. Disappointed in some of the picks. I see JAMES made it, but I was right, no LET US DESCEND.

Impressed that they sent an email out at 1400 this time

The YouTube chap got Praiseworthy right but yes otherwise wrong.

I will add the books to my rankings spreadsheet first, because that is the easiest way to create formatted links, and will start creating the book discussions once that is done.

5/13 for me...will read 3 more. My Friends is probably my favourite with James a close 2nd.

I've only read two (Enlightenment and Orbital - hated the former, loved the latter) but this list is much more up my street than the Booker usually is. I was already planning to read Playground, Headshot and Creation Lake, and am now tempted by Wandering Stars, Stone Yard Devotional and James. Even better, there's only one by a writer I've sworn never to read again (Anne Michaels/Held) which is actually unusual

7/13 for me. I started orbital last year but did not finish it. I have an ARC of Playground and will read it soon.

It is stellar list but heavy with the big five! faber is not on the longlist, which surprise me and remind me of Fitzcarraldo in the IPB 2024

Here's how many times each book was predicted (among the 41 I tallied):

Wild Houses 7
Headshot 4
James 30
Orbital 10
Creation Lake 3
My Friends 23
This Strange Eventful History 11
Held 2
Wandering Stars 3
Enlightenment 0*
Playground 4
The Safekeep 4
Stone Yard Devotional 0

*Derek did mention Enlightenment as one he wanted to see on the list.

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I, too, am surprised about the availability of these books. Only 1 does not have a North American release date (Stone Yard Devotional) and only 2 others are not yet available (Creation Lake & Playground, both available in September). A nice surprise!

Paul wrote: "Sam wrote: "Especially with Stone Yard on the list. Makes it look even more like a snub."

I can honestly see this is what happened

- well we've got one Australian book from a Stella Prize winner ..."

Or maybe they thought it had too many pages. ; )

I loved Stone Yard Devotional.

I don't know how Headshot and My Friends got on there but not Praiseworthy.

The shortest group of books for a very long time. Only three over 400, with the Messud the longest at 421. The other 2 over 400 are the ones not available until Sept. Although I had a hard time finding the length of the Powers at 400, which sounds suspiciously like a place holder.

Well, I'm off the read the Messud.

Oh my. The first words about the book on Amazon are..."One of Oprah Daily's Most Anticipated Books of 2024." Not a good start.

I've read 3 - Wild Houses, Orbital and Headshot - and really enjoyed all of them. They didn't make me think Booker Prize, but I don't really associate the Booker with reading pleasure.

I'll aim to read most of the rest, but will need a bit of persuading to pick up Enlightenment. I DNFed the Essex Serpent and this sounds like more of the same.

Happy to see Wandering Stars on the list. I read 0 of the longlist but will try to read at least half of them before shortlist.

I am very pleased with the list.

Absolutely thrilled Playground is on there!

Having read 6 already, I am expecting to get through all 13. Just finishing up Held and then on to My Friends.

So far, Enlightenment has been the most disappointing.

Some more numbers for fun.

The 13 books total 4144 pages which, if I remember correctly, is pretty typical.

There are 49 days until the shortlist is announced. If you haven't read any of the books yet and want to finish them all by the shortlist announcement, you'll need to read 84.5 pages/day.

There are 106 days until the winner is announced. If you haven't read any of the books yet and want to finish them all by the time the winner is announced, you'll need to read 39 pages/day.

it's very frustrating that one can't even purchase an epub of Stone Yard in North America (in my case Canada) because of publishing fiefdoms

Dylan wrote: "Here's how many times each book was predicted (among the 41 I tallied):

Wild Houses 7
Headshot 4
James 30
Orbital 10
Creation Lake 3
My Friends 23
This Strange Eventful History 11
Held 2
Wandering..."

Lascosas wrote: "The shortest group of books for a very long time. Only three over 400, with the Messud the longest at 421. The other 2 over 400 are the ones not available until Sept. Although I had a hard time fin..."

You've had me smiling with every post. So nice to have you back Lascosas.

Alex wrote: "it's very frustrating that one can't even purchase an epub of Stone Yard in North America (in my case Canada) because of publishing fiefdoms."

I, too, am in Canada and this happens every year - but with only 1 title unavailable in North America, it will be far easier than ever before to get most of the titles.

I always place an order through Blackwells (because there is free shipping to Canada!) for any titles I can't get - I've already ordered Stone Yard Devotional.

Only 5 for me this year, last year was 10... not unhappy though, as some good reading ahead. A question about James, should I read Huck Finn first? Or is it independent enough not to bother.

If I’m to get through this list by the time the prize is announced, I’ll need to do a couple by audiobook. Any ideas about which ones might be best suited to audiobook format? I’m thinking maybe Enlightenment and Wild House.

I’ve already read James and Wandering Stars.

Ben wrote: "Only 5 for me this year, last year was 10... not unhappy though, as some good reading ahead. A question about James, should I read Huck Finn first? Or is it independent enough not to bother."

It might be best to read Huck Finn first, although a plot summary (wikipedia's is decent) would work too. There were some strong feelings about whether it can stand alone so I won't touch that.

The ARC of playground has 381 pages but the document has 400, so not quite a placeholder, I guess. :) other than that I've only read wild houses. I enjoyed both and will try to catch up before the shortlist is announced.

Although I empathize with those feeling the exclusion of Praiseworthy, I am feeling most for the exclusion of Parade, having now seen the list, which seems a perfect fit for Cusk. SMH over that one.

Ben wrote: "Only 5 for me this year, last year was 10... not unhappy though, as some good reading ahead. A question about James, should I read Huck Finn first? Or is it independent enough not to bother."

There's a lot of discussion about this in the Booker prediction thread that could be worth going back to read.

Gwendolyn wrote: "If I’m to get through this list by the time the prize is announced, I’ll need to do a couple by audiobook. Any ideas about which ones might be best suited to audiobook format? I’m thinking maybe En..."

I did audio for Headshot and Orbital (thought kept a physical copy handy for this one) and both were good.

was Gretel and the Great War not eligible?

and I join the chorus in stating that excluding Praiseworthy was a clear miss from the judges.

I had read Huck Finn before, and that was probably the only reason I was able to enjoy James, though I think it is a bit overestimated. It was as fun as watching Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds.

Daniel wrote: "was Gretel and the Great War not eligible?


I don't believe it has a UK publisher.

Daniel wrote: "was Gretel and the Great War not eligible?"

Was there a UK publisher? I was a fan of the book.

I'm not impressed by this list.

I'm curious also about the standalone-ability of Wandering Stars.

I have read There, There, but haven't made it to Wandering Stars yet. Has anyone read both? And if so, do you think WS will be able to stand on its own without the former?

I want to read Playground and Creation Lake but both are not out yet.

Not having read Praiseworthy, I am most sad to not see Blackouts on the list.