Giller Prize Short List

The following books have made it to the short list:
Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis
Arvida by Archibald Samuel
Outline by Rachel Cusk
Daydreams of Angels by Heather O'Neill
Martin John by Anakana Schofield

I have not read any of these. In fact, other than Daydreams of Angels I have not even heard of them. Only Andre Alexis and Heather O'Neill are familiar authors. I checked last night with a friend who reads even more Canadian literature than I do and she was not familiar with any of the books either. Did the Giller Prize committee this year deliberately look for obscure books and authors? Have you read any of these books? Would you recommend them? I have put holds on Daydreams of Angels, Outline and Fifteen Dogs at my library but I doubt I will even get some of them before the prize ceremony.

Anakana Schofield is not that obscure. Her first novel, Malarky, won the Amazon First Novel award. Martin John has received rave reviews everywhere (the Globe, the National Post, the Star, Maclean's, Quill & Quire, etc.) and would be the bookie's favorite to take the Giller. She is at present one of the most exciting writers in Canada. I have read Martin John and it lives up to the hype. Some readers may find it rather challenging, though, both in subject matter and style -- it's not conventional.

Samuel Archibald (for some reason his name is reversed on LibraryThing) is unknown in English Canada but is a significant writer in Quebec -- Arvida was a prize winner in French. I'm reading Arvida now and it is very good. But it is a fairly obscure book because it has not been widely reviewed yet.

Rachel Cusk is probably the most controversial name on the list, because although she was born in Canada she has not lived here since she was a small child. The rules make her a "Canadian writer" when in fact she may not even consider herself Canadian. She lives in the UK, IIRC.

If these names are obscure, it's only because they haven't been on major English-language prize shortlists before.

I read Daydreams of Angels and really liked it ( as I have liked all of Heather O'Neill's work)
I am reading Fifteen Dogs now and it is very interesting!

I loved Malarky and have Martin John on the TBR pile.

>2 ajsomerset: Thanks for your response. I guess I will have to see if I can get Martin John (when I use that touchstone LT keeps suggesting Animal Farm LOL) so I can raise myself out of obscurity.

I don't think you'll regret it. :)

Her first novel Malarky as LynnB says is quite something also.

Finished Arvida. This is a dark and fascinating story collection, full of ghosts and supernatural elements. Memorable.

Just finished Daydreams of Angels which is also a collection of short stories. I gladly admit that I don't especially like short fiction. I also am not a fan of magic in fiction. So that made it hard for me to praise this book. Those stories that didn't feature magic of some sort were well done and O'Neill writes very well. I wouldn't be surprised if this won because I know lots of people are favourably disposed to magic. It's just not my cup of tea.

I quite enjoyed Fifteen Dogs. I did not create a review, but put some comments on my thread in the 75 books in 2015 thread. Perhaps enjoy is the wrong word, more appreciated the brilliance of the story. It is rather dark and more or less an allegory, where 15 dogs gain human consciousness. I read Pastoral by Andre Alexis last year and enjoyed it.

( Fifteen Dogs just won the Writers Trust Award for Fiction.)

>10 torontoc: I was quite pleased to read that last night. I felt that Fifteen Dogs deserved the prize.

Fifteen Dogs- 2015 Giller Prize winner!

Interesting to read that the "Shadow Giller Prize" was given to Martin John on KevinfromCanada's website-I like the discussion by that group- this year the actual debate was not available.

Martin John was also picked by Mark Medley at the Globe & Mail; Kate Taylor noted that if Martin John won, booksellers would take to the streets in protest. Her pick was Fifteen Dogs.

After watching the Giller presentation I am looking forward to reading Fifteen Dogs but I'm still waiting for it and Martin John to make their way through the library holds. Maybe the library will order more copies now.

> 12 I follow Kevin from Canada too - though he has been unwell for quite sometime. From what I read about Martin John in reviews and by the author, Anakana Schofield tried hard to push the boundaries of what a novel is, and I suspect I would had a difficult time "liking "Martin John, the person. That said, I will wait in the queue at my library. I don't have to like a character, but he/ she must be at least relatable to me in some way.

A link from Kevin from Canada and the rationale for picking Martin John, https://kevinfromcanada.wordpress.com/ My observation would be that it was an evenly matched bunch, with no one title rising above the others. We opted to go with the Schofield because both Trevor and Kim said they were happy with it as a choice.

>13 ajsomerset: Kate Taylor noted that if Martin John won, booksellers would take to the streets in protest

Care to elaborate on what that means?

I paid no attention to the Giller this year, but I heard a summary of all the books on CBC the other day, and Martin John did sound worth tracking down.

You'd have to get Kate Taylor to elaborate on that fully. But I take it she was referring to the unconventional nature of the narrative, which supposedly would alienate readers.

In the real world, that doesn't seem to have actually happened ... you can usually trust readers more than some people seem to think.

>17 Nickelini: Joyce, here is the context in which Kate Taylor noted that if Martin John won, booksellers would take to the streets in protest

I had read the article over the weekend. I found it interesting.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/the-great-debate-over-the-me...