Book of the Week (and Booker Prize shortlist!)

The shortlist for this year's Booker Prize has been announced: you can find out more details here. The shortlisted novels are:

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

Western Lane by Chetna Maroo

Book of the Week

The Wind Singer by William Nicholson
Recommended by Leau Roch

I really enjoyed this book because it has a constant aura of uncertainty that made me want to keep reading to know what would happen next.

It follows the life of two siblings, Kestrel and Bowman, who are unknowingly destined to save their city by repairing the mysterious 'Wind Singer'. The story starts off by portraying the various aspects of everyday life in Amaranth - their home city - and detailing the heavy social stratification systems they must endure, before propelling them into a set of events that quickly lead them to embark on a perilous journey. They set off on their quest joined by an unwanted guest, Mumpo, to whom they eventually warm as the journey goes on. Along the way, they encounter several obstacles which they must overcome by relying on each other, effectively creating a team spirit between the characters, despite frequent skirmishes and arguments.

However, what sets this story apart from others is how it is never guaranteed that the protagonists will succeed. [SPOILER ALERT] One of them may perhaps be lost to an army of murderous, zombified soldiers who they had set out to defeat, even after having reached their journey's supposed end. This shows how even after making it to their destination, they are not completely secure, something I rarely see in other books. In addition to this, they often come within inches of being burnt alive, hanged or sent into wind-sailing chariots at breakneck speeds, both by their enemies and allies.

The adventure doesn't stop there, either, as after this book are a further two to complete the trilogy, which both provided equally as much thrill and wonder as the first edition. In conclusion, I greatly enjoyed reading The Wind Singer, as it had features that truly distinguished it from other books where the protagonists always ultimately succeed.

Poetry Talks, Prizes and Book of the Week

It's a packed post today, as Mr Gardner reports on last Saturday's Edward Thomas Prize Poetry Lectures, 2023 (and announces the winner), plus we have our usual Book of the Week - Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata, recommended by Edward Buss.

Edward Thomas Prize Poetry Lectures

Mr Gardner

Saturday saw the return of the English Department’s annual poetry lectures, with five speakers from the Lower and Upper Eighth presenting on poets of their choice. There was a pleasing and impressive variety in the selections of this year’s participants, with poems in disparate forms from different periods, together providing an eclectic array of voices and ideas.

 

Edward Thomas  

Book(s) of the Week

Welcome back! We hope you've all have a great summer, with plenty of time to relax (and read). In our first post of the term, we're featuring several books of the week, all of them kindly recommended by members of 5B.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Recommended by Edouard Traissac

This book is about a world where people can only think out loud, and there are only men. There are no more children as they have all grown up. One day, the main character, Todd, and his dog (who can also only think out loud) walk into a place which is completely quiet, something that should be impossible. The story is about Todd trying to hide this from the rest of his town.