50-41…
50. In a Free State, V. S. Naipaul (1971) – 6.5
(GoodReads ranking: 51, equivalent score 7)
AKA the one I feel a bit bad about because I didn’t read the original edition – which is not a novel but a novella and a few loosely thematically related short stories and fragments. The novella is what I read and I remember a kind of moody, evocative ambience, some very hard to like characters, and an overwhelming sense of seriousness. Make of that what you will.
49. Heat and Dust, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (1975)– 6.5
(GoodReads ranking: 47, equivalent score 7)
More quintessential early Booker reading, with two intertwining stories set in India, one during the heyday of colonialism and one in the present day of the 1970s. Intriguing and rather cinematic in feel (unshocking given Jhabvala’s Merchant Ivory creds), but ultimately a little on the “slight” side compared to earlier winners.
48. Holiday, Stanley Middleton (1974) - 7
(GoodReads ranking: 54, equivalent score 6.5)
Speaking of which, here’s one of the most understated of all the Booker winners. Its focus on domestic strife and the simple pleasures of an escape to the British seaside is a world away from many of the “issues” based winners we’ve had over the years. It’s far from essential reading, but definitely has its charms, and like all the winners from here on in, it’s definitely worth a look.
47. The Conservationist, Nadine Gordimer (1974) - 7
(GoodReads ranking: 56, equivalent score 6.5)
Seemingly nobody can separate the two 1974 winners! The Booker judges, GoodReads reviewers, me… there’s apparently nothing between them. Odd, since you could hardly find two more different novels. This one is a challenging but important book written from the heart of Apartheid South Africa, railing against the hypocrisies of the white elite. It isn’t an easy book to get through, but if you do you’ll be rewarded with a hugely memorable conclusion. I’m inclined to say I under-scored this.
46. The Elected Member, Bernice Rubens (1970) - 7
(GoodReads ranking: 40, equivalent score 7.5)
Year 2 of the Booker produced another unconventional choice in the shape of this novel about a mentally ill former barrister obsessed with silverfish. A deeply odd but interesting read, with vague Cuckoo’s Nest echoes.
45. Last Orders, Graham Swift (1996) – 7
(GoodReads ranking: 41, equivalent score 7.5)
A seaside journey from the East End to Margate to scatter a partner’s ashes provides the setting for a decent story that explores aging and death with considerably more heart than The Old Devils and builds to an interesting reveal. No Waterland, though.
44. Offshore, Penelope Fitzgerald (1979) – 7.5
(GoodReads ranking: 44, equivalent score 7)
The very definition of the “understated” strand in early Booker winners, this thin sliver of a novel takes place among a boat-based community on the Thames in Battersea. It’s not massively memorable, but I remember it being a beautifully written, immersive read.
43. True History of the Kelly Gang, Peter Carey (2001) – 7.5
(GoodReads ranking: 28, equivalent score 7.5)
Australian legend brought to life in a highly unique voice (imitative of a fragment of text by the OG Ned Kelly) that you’ll either love or hate. For me, it grated after a while and probably dented my overall rating of a novel that’s extremely strong on storytelling and world-building.
42. The Gathering, Anne Enright (2007) – 7.5
(GoodReads ranking: 57, equivalent score 6)
A large Irish family gather at a wake and slowly reveal the story of the dead character’s demise. One of the less “showy” later winners, it’s nonetheless well told and with a genuinely engaging voice in the shape of bereaved sister Veronica.
41. Rites of Passage, William Golding (1980) – 7.5
(GoodReads ranking: 46, equivalent score 7)
A priest’s undoing on a vividly described nineteenth century sea voyage. Undeniably different and the work of a genuine master in his later years. The first part of a trilogy which I should really finish at some point…