Show Notes
What exactly is “a Booker book”? Some might jump to a specific kind of high-minded, serious fiction, while others argue for a broader definition inclusive of more mainstream titles. Over the years, the pendulum has swung between the two and in 2003, DBC Pierre's debut, Vernon God Little, was awarded the prize. In this episode, we take a closer look at the novel and why it was an unexpected winner.
In this episode, Jo and James talk about:
Their childhood reading inspirations
A brief – and slightly spoiler-y – summary of Vernon God Little
The reaction to its 2003 Man Booker Prize win
The author behind the novel, DBC Pierre
Whether Vernon God Little stands up to reading 20 years after its release
Books to read after reading Vernon God Little
Books and authors discussed in this episode:
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Rudyard Kipling
Charles Dickens
Vladimir Nabokov
Virginia Woolf
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy by Philip Pullman
The Moomins books by Tove Jansson
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
Schopenhauer's Telescope by Gerard Donovan
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Us by David Nicholls
The Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St. Aubyn
Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
Philip Larkin
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
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