The First Orange Thoughts

Last night I finished our next Not the TV Book Group title, The Illusionist by Jennifer Johnston. We’ll be taking up virtual residence at kimbofo’s Reading Matters this Sunday to pore over all the details, so please do join us then. Even though I’ll be on location in Scotland, I am particularly looking forward to discussing it. I’m saving all my thoughts on it until Sunday, of course, but I will just say this: I loved it.

And now onto what will be the first of many Orange Prize Updates as I amble my way through 19 of the 20 books on the longlist by June 9th. For my thoughts on The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters – the only nominated book I have read up to this point – click here.

The first job of Orange work was to get to the library and see if I could add to the four unread nominees I already had at home. The voyage was a successful one, and I picked up The Woman on the Green Bicycle, The Twisted Heart, and Black Mamba Boy.

Alma Books are also very kindly sending me a review copy of Rosie Allison’s The Very Thought of You (thank you kindly). The Guardian has an article about that book here. But accumulating the titles is all well and good, what about actually reading them?

Well, I’ve started. This morning I read an astonishing 34 pages of Wolf Hall before I had to drag myself out of bed and face the day. I am, somewhat optimistically perhaps, lugging my hardback around in my handbag too, hoping for some lunch hour reading time. I have a sizable handbag, before you ask. 34 pages out of around 670 does not exactly give me much scope for opinion yet, but what I can say is that I really didn’t want to put it down this morning. A very good sign indeed, I think.

Either way, I have the train journey to Glasgow tomorrow during which I can properly settle in with some of Virgin Trains’s finest hot beverages (!) and lose myself in the sixteenth century.

7 Comments

March 18, 2010 by Kirsty in fiction, not the tv book group, prizes, reading the orange prize
Tagged fiction, orange prize, prizes, reading the orange prize

7 Responses

Claire (Paperback Reader)
March 18, 2010 at 11:15 am

Loving the update! Good luck with the progress; I’m sure you’ll manage a sizable chunk of Wolf Hall on the train.

I’m already on location in Scotland (it’s dry!) and have The Help in my bag (here’s hoping we don’t have bad posture by the end).
Anna van Gelderen
March 18, 2010 at 11:22 am

Good luck with Wolf Hall! I read Mantel’s earlier historical doorstop A Place of Greater Safety several years ago and found it very hard-going, so I have been rather hesitant about picking up Wolf Hall. Anyway, I am looking forward to reading you reviews of the entire longlist. It’s an admirable undertaking.
Kirsty
March 18, 2010 at 11:38 am

Claire, I am both amazed and delighted to hear that Scotland is dry. A rarity indeed, recently! I have my heart set on a bracing walk along Irvine beach tomorrow afternoon, you see. As well as it being the town my fiance is from, it’s also a bit of an iconic place of my childhood, and I love getting to the beach whenever I’m up there.

I’m a bit worried about The Help. Not about the book itself, but the fact that there’s an uber-long queue for it at the library! Still, the mass market paperback comes out in May, so hopefully there will be more copies to go around then. I really don’t want to have to break my book-buying embargo!

Thanks Anna, I have been wondering whether I’m completely crazy to take it on, but then I think… why not? It’s an exciting literary adventure. I’ve only read Beyond Black by Mantel before now, and it’s a good couple of hundred pages shorter than Wolfie, but I did love her writing in it.
Victoria
March 18, 2010 at 4:06 pm

I can tell this is going to be a great Orange Prize read-a-long.

If your experience of Wolf Hall is anything like mine it will fly by. I just hope all the Orange books are as quick to read. I started The Wilding last night and am a little uncertain after 27 pages. As for The Help my library doesn’t even have a copy, so to the shops I shall have to go. I already snapped and bought The Still Point and The Rehearsal from the Book Depository.
dovegreyreader
March 18, 2010 at 4:17 pm

Oh Kirsty I’m holding my breath that Wolf Hall will invade your life as it did mine, it was one of the most memorable reading experiences in a long while for me…and did you hear, I’ve written ALL OVER my signed first edition and they are now going for £500!!
Never mind. I have loved The Illusionist too, fabulous read so really excited about NTTVBG. I have some spares of a few Oranges, I’ll e mail you.
KevinfromCanada
March 18, 2010 at 5:25 pm

I am impressed by your project, Kirsty. I read longlists (Booker, Giller, IMPAC last year) and I would not be up to trying one that is 20 books long. I have read five (and one-half) of the 20 and I think starting with Wolf Hall is a good idea. I struggled with it mightily (and even then admit it deserves its reputation). When you are wondering about the scope of your project, here are two thoughts to cheer you up:

1. Byatt objects to the premis of the Orange so you don’t have to read The Children’s Book.
2. Atwood’s truly dreadful The Year of the Flood missed the longlist cut.
Simon (Savidge Reads)
March 19, 2010 at 9:25 pm

Good luck with it all Kirsty. I definately think startingb with Wolf Hall is a wise move.Not just because you will get the biggest one of the way but also its so wonderful it just makes you want to read for eternity (not that we need much of a push to feel that do we ha) hope you have a lovely time up in Scotland, perfect book to read on the way.