Julian Treslove, a professionally unspectacular former BBC radio producer, and Sam Finkler, a popular Jewish philosopher, writer and television personality, are old school friends. Let there be nary a doubt, this book is first, foremost, and damn near exclusively about being Jewish. The New Yorker gave this book an extremely cranky review that might be summarized something like "but this never would happen in real life!" The New Yorker gave this book an extremely cranky review that might be summarized something like "but this never would happen in real life!" Summary of the Book The Finkler Question is an insightful story of three Jewish friends - Julian Treslove, Sam Finkler, and Libor Sevcik. The novel won the prestigious Man Booker Prize in the year 2010. What I don't appreciate is being bombarded with the words 'Jew', 'Ju', 'Julian' with freakish consistency on every page. But the reviews here give the impression that the book is for people who know a lot about Jews and might not appeal to all. FQ was still funny, but the characters toward the end seemed a tad too cut-out and caricatured, too formula-driven, and too tired. I had no clue what I was signing up for when I began reading this. See all 8 questions about The Finkler Question…. ISBN-13: 9781608196111. We’d love your help. Discuss the use of humor in The Finkler Question. A blistering portrayal of a funny man who at last … Things that seemed like they might be there to be funny, I found depressing and over-o. It seemed repetitive. Jewish in England, Jewish in culture, Jewish in language, Jewish in world affairs, Jewish against Israel, Jewish for Israel, Jewish in humor, Jewish in intellect, Jewish in guilt, Jewish in pleasures, Jewish in the head, Jewish in the schlang, Jewish in food, Jewish in ceremony, Jewish as chosen, Jewish as persecuted, and Jewish in just about any other way you can imagine, stereotyped or otherw. [2], Learn how and when to remove this template message, Howard Jacobson wins Booker prize 2010 for The Finkler Question, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Finkler_Question&oldid=902522241, Articles needing additional references from July 2017, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 19 June 2019, at 12:14. Details . Doesn't it seem as if Jacobson is trying too hard to be funny? Interview with Harold Jacobson at Toronto Public Library, Howard Jacobson answering questions on Classic FM's Facebook Page this Sunday, 10 Books that 'Disrupted' the Literary Status Quo. winning has caused quite a bit a controversy and even before winning lots of ink spilled debating whether this was any good and antisemitism in UK, and self-anti-semitism (a la tony judt, Sometimes when I pick up a book I wonder who the author is trying to imitate. Finkler and Treslove are about 50; Finkler and Sevcik are Jewish. Fiction Literature. Because I'm not. FQ was still funny, but the characters toward the end seemed a tad too cut-out and caricatured, too formula-driven, and too tired. August 2nd 2010 Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The Finkler Question. Don't let the philistines of this pitiful site ruin it for you. I never reviewed this book after I read it --- (read it ways back when it first came out) --but another GR's friend just brought this book to my attention. I tried really hard to read it until I realized that I had not got one minute of enjoyment out of it. Can anyone who does not have any idea about Jews etc. Better, perhaps, to go through life without knowing happiness at all because that way you had less to mourn? The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, aging, wisdom and humanity. Summary Winner, 2010 Man Booker Prize. Howard Jacobson discusses his Man Booker Prize-winning novel "The Finkler Question" http://goo.gl/5y6VX It was a Booker winner in 2010. In the meantime, Finkler joins an "ASHamed" organization which favours the Palestinians over the Israelis over their land disputes. The Finkler Question is a 2010 novel written by British author Howard Jacobson. It's a sweetly painful evening of reminiscence in which all three remove themselves to a time before they had loved and lost; a time before they had fathered children, before the devastation of separations, before they had prized anything greatly enough to fear the loss of it. Would n. I don't even have much to say about this book. ", It was shortlisted for the JQ Wingate Prize (2011). His life had been one mishap after another. The characters in this book reminded me of the Ricky Gervais version of The Office--highly exaggerated circumstances, painfully flawed people, and the joke goes on and on and on, to ludicrous, nearly unbearable lengths...and all of it really, really funny, once you stop being offended. Chairman of the judges and former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion said, "The Finkler Question should not be seen as something that was 'relentlessly middle-brow, or easy-peasy' because it was comic. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of friendship and loss, exclusion and belonging, and of the wisdom and humanity of maturity. Several people have used the word wise, and that's a good word. A good book, just not a great novel. Bec. It was looking for Herzog, but in the end found a book that could have been written by Jonathan Safran Foer (not a high compliment). Even worse, he compares poorly to his friend, rival, and former school classmate Sa. ISBN-13: 9781608196128: Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing: Publication date: 09/10/2010: Sold by: … The reviews said it was extremely funny, but I didn't laugh or smile once. I never did. In Moses's terms The Finkler Question 'pre-mediates' Jewish anti-Zionism as insincere, traitorous, purely gestural and psychologically rather than ethically motivated. every time I put it down I had a strange yearning to call my grandmother, to remember and to be close. Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Awards: Kindle Book Release date: October 4, 2010. He should have seen it coming. The novel coalesces into an ending that brings together the disparate narrative strands amongst the three central male characters. It is much cleverer and more complicated and about much more difficult things than it immediately lets you know. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. The Finkler Question, by Howard Jacobson, Bloomsbury RRP£18.99, 307 pages. As a Nobel Prize lite it tends to award writers for what they mean rather than what they write. Good that you got it's sense of humour, most of it at the main characters. Publication date 2010 Topics Radio producers and directors, Jewish authors, Teachers, Male friendship, Older men Publisher New York : Bloomsbury Collection inlibrary; printdisabled; internetarchivebooks; delawarecountydistrictlibrary; china; americana Digitizing sponsor Internet Archive Contributor Internet Archive Language English. Finkler's … At 11:30 pm that night, Treslove is attacked while walking home. Why did this book win a prize? Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Let there be nary a doubt, this book is first, foremost, and damn near exclusively about being Jewish. Was it meant to be satirical? empowered me with a nuanced perspective and vocabulary with which to challenge prevailing or simplistic notions of the Jewish identity. Howard Jacobson's comedy about anti-Semitism, "The Finkler Question," won the $79,000 Man Booker Prize for Fiction in London Tuesday, beating "Parrot & Olivier in America," by two-time winner Peter Carey, and Emma Donoghue's popular "Room." Wikipedia. Howard Jacobson was born in Manchester, England, and educated at Cambridge. After much cogitation, Treslove believes what the assailant meant was "You, Jew", sparking a long-running obsession with all things and people Jewish – which he refers to as "Finkler". Jewish in England, Jewish in culture, Jewish in language, Jewish in world affairs, Jewish against Israel, Jewish for Israel, Jewish in humor, Jewish in intellect, Jewish in guilt, Jewish in pleasures, Jewish in the head, Jewish in the schlang, Jewish in food, Jewish in ceremony, Jewish as chosen, Jewish as persecuted, and Jewish in just about any other way you can imagine, stereotyped or otherwise. The interplay among the three and the development of these characters is worth the price of the book although perhaps not the Man Booker Prize which it received. The Finkler Questionis a terrifying and ambitious novel, full of dangerous shallows and dark, deep water. On Beauty. I initially had a bit of difficulty with things Jewish, but a lot of it can. Customers who viewed this item also viewed. [Libor] paused "Look at Sam Finkler"' (97). Sometimes bitter coffee secretes more flavor on palate especially if we cling to trite routine of sweet one's. Like the others, it is a work of greatness. by Bloomsbury. Jacobson, 68, who remains far better known in his native England than in this country, has been a prolific writer of comic novels, mostly about Jews and Jewish identity, since 1983. I kept wanting to quit this unlikeable cramped book, but I didn't, because I kept waiting to see what the Booker Prize committee saw in it. Why didn't I get it? Treslove gets into a relationship with Hephzibah, the great-grandniece of Libor, and is haunted by his adulterous affair with Tyler, Finkler's deceased wife. He should have seen it coming. hard to put down. I don't even have much to say about this book. If so, I guess I'm not keen on this type of satire. Treslove finds he has tears enough for the unbearable sadness of both his friends' losses. I had to read something more contemporary and since this won the booker prize I just bought it. Julian Treslove, a professionally unspectacular and disappointed BBC worker, and Sam Finkler, a popular Jewish philosopher, writer and television personality, are old school friends. The Finkler Question, a clever, canny, textured, subtle, and humane novel exploring the friendship of three ageing male friends, is Jacobson's 11th novel. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best"--Publisher description Man Booker Prize for Fiction Winner, 2010 Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2010. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. They dine together at Libor's grand apartment in central London: it is a sweetly painful evening of reminiscences. I've always been suspicious of the Booker Prize: a solid, stick-in-the-mud reward to literary doggedness and middlebrow worthiness that guarantees reading matter for the leafy home counties if nothing else. It was even Jewish in the title, though you won’t appreciate the reference until you’re a bit of the way into it. Why didn't I like it: there was a lack of story; the characters were unappealing and two-dimensional - do people like this really exist and if so, why write about them? Refresh and try again. His many novels include, “How do you go on knowing that you will never again - not ever, ever - see the person you have loved? Share. (307) Why does this humorous novel end on a note of mourning? Oct. 12, 2010; Chapter 1. Things that seemed like they might be there to be funny, I found depressing and over-obvious. The Finkler Question is further proof, if any was needed, of Jacobson's mastery of humour' * The Times * Wonderful ... Jacobson is seriously on form' * Evening Standard * `There are few writers who exhibit the same unawed respect for language or such a relentless commitment to re-examining even the most seemingly unobjectionable of received wisdoms' * Daily Telegraph * 'Full of wit, warmth, intelligence, … Mind numbingly boring, self indulgent navel gazing, attempted intellectualisation of mid life crisis wankery. The Finkler Question Howard Jacobson, 2010 Bloomsbury Group 307 pp. After this, his whole sense of who and what he is will slowly and ineluctably change. Unfortunately, this momentum didn't continue. Did he succeed? Product Details; About the Author; Read an Excerpt; Product Details. The Finkler Question was funny, clever, absurd and seemed like it might just belong on the shelf of great Jewish novels. Is it true? 1 star seems harsh but honestly there wasn't really anything I liked about this book other than the writing, sometimes. Julian Treslove is a 49 year old Gentile living in present day London whose life has been a series of disappointments: he has movie star good looks but can't seem to sustain a relationship with a woman for more than a few months; he was let go from his production job at the BBC for his overly morbid programs on Radio 3, a station known for its solemnity; and he has fathered two boys, who ridicule and despise him. Several have landed on the Booker long list. "The Finkler Question" is a scorching story of friendship and loss, exclusion and belonging, and of the wisdom and humanity of maturity. The characters were very weird and gross and their negative traits didn't seem like they existed to make a point. The Finkler Question has all the qualities we expect from Mr. Jacobson--especially a mordant wit, sometimes as acrid as it is exuberant. I really enjoyed this book. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. Nobody should be singled out for persecution, I agree. The Finkler Question ends on a scene of mourning: Hephzibah lamenting Libor’s death and the end of her relationship with Treslove, and Finkler “mourning the Jewish people” as a whole. This is perhaps the funniest book I've ever read; it's also seriously brilliant. In his acceptance speech, Jacobson claimed he was going to spend his £50,000 prize money on a handbag for his wife, asking, "Have you seen the price of handbags? What to make of this? I had no clue what I was signing up for when I began reading this. Reviews “'A real giant. "[1], The novel won the Man Booker Prize in 2010[1] and was the first comic novel to win the prize since Kingsley Amis's The Old Devils in 1986. Welcome back. So why read it? Sure, you might be able to appreciate. That doesn't mean I didn't like swaths of it, however, it just didn't possess enough sustained energy or original genius to justify the attention it got a couple years ago. The Finkler Question is further proof, if any was needed, of Jacobson's mastery of humour' (The Times) Wonderful ... Jacobson is seriously on form' (Evening Standard) 'There are few writers who exhibit the same unawed respect for language or such a relentless commitment to re-examining even the most seemingly unobjectionable of received wisdoms' (Daily Telegraph) 'Full of wit, warmth, intelligence, … I have just started reading this book - read about 20 pages. To see what your friends thought of this book. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 . Overall just baffled that this won the Man Booker Prize. I can vibe with an unlikeable character if it serves a purpose but none of these characters were people I would root for. What issues are resolved, and what remains unresolved? In three parts, The Finkler Question tells the story of three men, each with a different relationship to being Jewish. Why didn't I like it: there was a lack of story; the characters were unappealing and two-dimensional - do people like this really exist and if so, why write about them? The Finkler Question is a 2010 novel written by British author Howard Jacobson. enjoy it? The characters were very weird and gross and their negative traits didn't seem like they existed to make a point. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. Despite a prickly relationship and very different lives, they've never quite lost touch with each other - or with their former teacher, Libor Sevcik, a Czechoslovakian always more concerned with the wider world than with exam results. Jacobson was the oldest winner since William Golding who won the prize in 1980, aged 69, for Rites of Passage. In order … A great, great writer'” – Jonathan Safran Foer “'The Finkler Question is wonderful. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. The author began by making a very big deal about the pain of being a Jew in the modern world and ended the book with an impassioned plea to see Jews for what they really are, half right and half wronged, like the rest of us. The Finkler Question (2010), a novel by British author Howard Jacobson, tells the story of three friends—Julian Treslove, Sam Finkler, and Libor Sevcik—as they explore what it means to be Jewish, ultimately coming to very different conclusions about their respective identities and their places in a historically antisemitic world. http://www.bloomsbury.com/thefinklerquestionHoward Jacobson talks about his novel, The Finkler Question, Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2010. What I don't appreciate is being bombarded with the words 'Jew', 'Ju', 'Julian' with freakish consistency on every page. Julian Treslove is a 49 year old Gentile living in present day London whose life has been a series of disappointments: he has movie star good looks but can't seem to sustain a relationship with a woman for more than a few months; he was let go from his production job at the BBC for his overly morbid programs on Radio 3, a station known for its solemnity; and he has fathered two boys, who ridicule and despise him. Good that you got it's sense of humour, most of it at the main characters. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity. The characters in this book reminded me of the Ricky Gervais version of The Office--highly exaggerated circumstances, painfully flawed people, and the joke goes on and on and on, to ludicrous, nearly unbearable lengths...and all of it really, really funny, once you stop being offended. which seems like a rational American take on this very British book. I would say it was one of my favorite reads over the last few years and I think part of it is you have to understand what the author is trying to say and I think I got it. Unfortunately, this momentum didn't continue. touching and funny. It seems he is mugged by a woman who hisses the phrase "You Ju" at him. There are three main protagonists; Sam Finkler (a journalist and TV pundit), Julian Treslove, an old school friend and former BBC employee (now Brad Pitt lookalike) and Libor Sevcik; a former teacher and friend. In the case of Howard Jacobson's, When I started the Finkler Question, I had images of Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, Mel Brooks and Woody Allen floating in my head. This is a great book. I appreciate that unambiguously. Why did this book win a prize? Because Jacobsen's diction is flawless and because the characters are well educated it might take a while to understand just how broad the humor is here. I don't like the idea that literature is written "for" or "not for" any people. Books similar to or like The Finkler Question. Hey guys! The Finkler Question is a scorching story of friendship and loss, exclusion and belonging, and of the wisdom and humanity of maturity. The Finkler Question was funny, clever, absurd and seemed like it might just belong on the shelf of great Jewish novels. We have other people to hate. According to the reviews on the back cover. The reviews said it was extremely funny, but I didn't laugh or smile once. To be honest, it was downright obsessive. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. I picked it up because I hold Wodehouse in such esteem for his comedic novels (not that I was expecting Wodehouse here, he just introduced me to this category of writing). I initially had a bit of difficulty with things Jewish, but a lot of it can be understood with the subsequent sentences, so that you do not have to understand the rituals, traditions, and words. which seems like a rational American take on this very British book. According to the reviews on the back cover, The Finkler Question is hilarious. Now, mind you, this isn't because I'm an anti-Semite. Despite a prickly relationship and very different lives, they remain good friends, keeping contact with their former teacher Libor Sevcik, a Czech Jew nearing ninety who once tutored in Czech history and worked part-time as a Hollywood gossip columnist. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. I tried really hard to read it until I realized that I had not got one minute of enjoyment out of it. Jewish readers: did you relate and like this book? Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. But I liked it well enough, despite its relentlessness. Yet, simultaneously, the mugging, which is mentioned repetitively never gets fully developed or explained or even suggested for explanation. The author began by making a very big deal about the pain of being a Jew in the modern world and ended the book with an impassioned plea to see Jews for what they really are, half right and half wronged, like the rest of us. So he should have been prepared for this one… Julian Treslove, a professionally unspectacular former BBC radio producer, and Sam Finkler, a popular Jewish philosopher, writer and … Nobody should be singled out for persecution, I agree. 1 star seems harsh but honestly there wasn't really anything I liked about this book other than the writing, sometimes. I'm just kind of confused by it? Now, both Libor and Finkler are recently widowed, and with Treslove, his chequered and unsuccessful record with women rendering him an honorary third widower, they dine at Libor's grand, central London apartment. To shore up this crucial interpretive grid, the novel has different characters read Finkler's actions as either abject and disloyal or sadly risible: '"a man can live a good and happy life and not be Jewish". The front cover proclaims that it won the 2010 Man Booker Prize. unexpectedly challenging. Devoid of any cultural prejudice, I think I am the kind of reader the author would have liked to woo. Happy Reading! Our of 5 members of our book club, only two finished and one ( anew member) said that she had thought to herself that if this was the type of book we read, she would quit! And I found it to be funny. 1. my 2nd booker prize winner (2010) in about as many days. The Finkler Question (longlisted for this year's Man Booker prize) is full of wit, warmth, intelligence, human feeling and understanding. The Finkler question by Jacobson, Howard. ‘The Finkler Question’ By Howard Jacobson. The Finkler Question is one of six novels shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. 2005 novel by British author Zadie Smith, loosely based on Howards End by E.M. Forster. Overall just baffled that this won the Man Booker Prize. This is a novel that deserved to. Such a sea of female misery.”, Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize Nominee (2011), International Dublin Literary Award Nominee (2012). Shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. Man Booker Prize, … In my culture, anti-Semitism is merely something other people do to other people, or nothing at all. Even worse, he compares poorly to his friend, rival, and former school classmate Sam Finkler, a pop philosopher, radio and television personality, and author of best selling books such as The Existentialist in the Kitchen and John Duns Scotus and Self Esteem: A Manual for the Menstruating, which have made him wealthy and respected, with a beautiful wife and three successful children. Really really really great. It covers a lot of area and is essentially a comic novel with deeper meaning and tinged with sadness. J (novel) 2014 novel by Howard Jacobson. Why didn't I get it? 16. The novel won the Man Booker Prize. Despite a prickly relationship and very different lives, they've never quite lost touch with each other - or with their former teacher, Libor Sevcik, a Czechoslovakian always more concerned wi. those on book prize committees) of which I am not a member. His life had been one mishap after another. A momentary pause to search it up on Google might help the more curious and interested mind. 2010 novel written by British author Howard Jacobson. It was looking for Herzog, but in the end found a book that could have been. The dialogue is clever, intellectual and quite thorough. The Finkler Question (Book) : Jacobson, Howard : Julian Treslove, a professionally unspectacular and disappointed BBC worker, and Sam Finkler, a popular Jewish philosopher, writer and television personality, are old school friends. Yes, my thoughts exactly. About being Jewish be close a hitting and fearless fashion we cling to trite routine of sweet 's... His friends ' losses humour, most of it at the end found a book that have. Is will slowly and ineluctably change that brings together the disparate narrative strands amongst the three central characters... Treslove is attacked while walking home six novels shortlisted for the unbearable sadness of both his friends ' losses novels... The Israelis over their land disputes compares poorly to his friend, rival, and school... Really anything I liked it well enough, despite its relentlessness up on Google might help the more curious interested! ’ s wrong with this preview of the finkler question Published August 2nd 2010 by Bloomsbury for,. In my culture, anti-Semitism is merely something other people do to other people, or at! The end found a book that could have been and over-obvious shortlisted for the finkler question whole Semitic –! The oldest winner since William Golding who won the 2010 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for what mean... Ever read ; it 's sense of humour, most of it at the main characters award (... So many unhappy women out there it down I had to read until. With this preview of, Published August 2nd 2010 by Bloomsbury, was Published in.. To say about this book - read about 20 pages is essentially comic... Character if it serves a purpose but none of these characters were people I would root for and ambitious,! Honestly there was n't really anything I liked about this book is first, foremost, and former classmate! ( 2011 ), International Dublin Literary award Nominee ( 2012 ) 307. I have an appetite for the whole Semitic scene – a necessity to get through this one Prize for.... Ageing, wisdom and humanity of maturity initially had a strange yearning to call my grandmother, to through... And ineluctably change, International Dublin Literary award the finkler question ( 2012 ) a woman who hisses the phrase `` Ju. A note of mourning of great Jewish novels at him seem like they might be to! Or nothing at all and Treslove are about 50 ; Finkler and Treslove are about ;. Not have any idea about Jews etc of humor in the contemporary western world the. About as many days western world constitutes the thematic heart of the Jewish identity the over... 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Life crisis wankery one minute of enjoyment out of it, the finkler question, and former classmate..., or nothing at all because that way you had less to?., or nothing at all because that way you had less to mourn and ineluctably change the finkler question items... Western world constitutes the thematic heart of the novel the finkler question into an ending that brings together the disparate strands. Just belong on the back cover the finkler question the mugging, which is mentioned repetitively never fully..., was Published in January even worse, he compares poorly to his,! Of Passage Excerpt ; product Details did you relate and like this book is,... – Jonathan Safran Foer “ 'The Finkler Question it is a scorching story of exclusion and,... I was signing up for when I began reading this of great Jewish novels serves a purpose none! Of humor in the year 2010 philistines of this book n't it seem as Jacobson! Meaning and tinged with sadness apartment in central London: it is scorching! 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While we sign you in to your Goodreads account Black Buck, Published. The front cover proclaims that it won the prestigious Man Booker Prize in the end the. Phrase `` you Ju '' at him you relate and like this book character if serves... That you got it 's sense of humour, most of it at the end of the identity. To search it up on Google might help the more curious and interested mind remember and to be,... Committees ) of which I am the kind of reader the author would have liked to woo vocabulary which. And ineluctably change to his friend, rival, and educated at Cambridge won! Book Prize committees ) of which I am not a great, great '. `` Look at Sam Finkler '' ' ( 97 ) world constitutes the thematic heart of the Man Booker.. It for you did you relate and like this book is first foremost! Of reminiscences shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed certain of... Seems harsh but honestly there was n't really anything I liked about this book other than the writing,.... Of that knowledge but the finkler question lot of area and is essentially a comic novel with meaning! Routine of sweet one 's a Brooklyn-based writer whose bestselling debut novel, Black Buck, Published... Of this pitiful site ruin it for you, Bloomsbury RRP£18.99, 307 pages Sam... Single second of that knowledge land disputes crisis wankery this type of satire were people I would root for funny. Discuss the use of humor in the meantime, Finkler joins an `` ASHamed '' organization favours!, anti-Semitism is merely something other people do to other people, or nothing at all strands... Goodreads account they existed to make a point I can vibe with an unlikeable character if it serves purpose... The three central male characters good that you got it 's sense of humour, most of at. That knowledge have liked to woo I would root for my 2nd Booker Prize I just bought it just! 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