Changes

'''Winner'''

|author=Julian Barnes

|title=The Sense of an Ending

|genre=Literary Fiction

|summary=This short book is almost perfectly formed. A retired, (and somewhat dull), man is forced to recall events soon after leaving school by an unexpected letter. Full of delicious observation and insight.

}}

'''Other books on the The Shortlist'''

|author=Carol Birch

|title=Jamrach's Menagerie

|genre=Literary Fiction

|summary= Jaffy Brown lives a poor existence in the east end of London. But one day he literally comes across a tiger - and his life is changed forever.

}}

|author=Patrick deWitt

|title=The Sisters Brothers

|genre=Literary Fiction

|summary= A cowboy noir style novel, set against the California gold rush, full of dark humour and almost farcical events that also mines the emotions of sadness. Saddle up and enjoy.

}}

|author=Esi Edugyan

|title=Half-Blood Blues

|genre=General Fiction

|summary= A story of jazz, jealousy and betrayal in Nazi Europe

}}

|author=Stephen Kelman

|title=Pigeon English

|genre=General Fiction

|summary=A bittersweet look at the life of a boy from Ghana transplanted to a British sink estate. It's funny, sweet and sad and the boy's voice has a great truth about it. Bookbag wasn't sure the magic realism element really worked.

}}

|author=A D Miller

|title=Snowdrops

|genre=General Fiction

|summary= The front cover, a snowy scene with majestic architecture in the background, is arresting and also suggests a thriller-type read. I was keen to find out why the book was called ''Snowdrops'' and hoped the author would enlighten me. He did - and it's nothing to do with flowers or gardening. It's rather chilling and altogether more interesting.

}}

Longlisted books which didn't make it to the shortlist:

|author=Sebastian Barry

|title=On Canaan's Side

|genre=Literary Fiction

|summary=The publishers claim this book is ‘at once epic and intimate’ and for once, this cliche is appropriate. The story of an 89 year old Irish-American recalling her eventful life after the death of her grandson. Full of exquisite writing and compassion, this is a remarkable story from a believable narrator to whom unbelievable things have happened.

}}

|author=Yvvette Edwards

|title=A Cupboard Full of Coats

|genre=Literary Fiction

|summary= A fierce book about love, regret, alienation and redemption. Utterly compelling and deserving of its Booker longlisting. We loved it.

}}

|author=Alan Hollinghurst

|title=The Stranger's Child

|genre=Literary Fiction

|summary=Beautifully written and a delight to read, this broad episodic novel from 1913 to 2008 presents a nuanced and enthralling look at changes in social attitudes, particularly to homosexuality, amongst the more educated of society through the life of two families bound by a First World War poet.

}}

|author=Patrick McGuinness

|title=The Last Hundred Days

|genre=Literary Fiction

|summary=Looking at the final days of Ceausescu's Romania, this first person narrative is one part [[:Category:John le Carre|Le Carré]], one part [[:Category:Bill Bryson|Bill Bryson]] and one part an account of everyday life under Ceausescu's bizarre Stalinist world. It feels very realistic and at times you will forget that this is a work of fiction. There are also plenty of wry and satirical moments to lighten this account of a sinister regime where everyone is watching someone.

}}

|author=Alison Pick

|title=Far to Go

|genre=Literary Fiction

|summary= A wealthy Jewish family in late 1930s Czechoslovakia is always going to be an emotional story, but this Booker-nominated story avoids crushing sentimentality by offering a complex and thrilling story of the family's efforts to secure safety, particularly for their six year old son.

}}

|author=Jane Rogers

|title=The Testament of Jessie Lamb

|genre=Literary Fiction

|summary= A terrifying disease, known as Maternal Death Syndrome, kills all pregnant mothers threatening to wipe out humankind. Can 16-year-old Jessie Lamb do anything about it? Is she a hero of the human race or just a misguided, innocent young girl? This dystopian novel asks some difficult questions.

}}

|author=D J Taylor

|title=Derby Day

|genre=Literary Fiction

|summary=A bunch of disparate individuals are linked to a rather enigmatic horse called Tiberius. There are those who are dead set on him winning the forthcoming prestigious Derby - and then there are others with their own, very secret agenda.

}}

{{commenthead}}

[[Category:Literary Fiction|*Man Booker Prize 2011]]