My New Favourite Booker

Honestly, I meandered my way through Keri Hulme's "The Bone People" over the past eleven days, not even trying to finish it 'on time'. It was simply that exquisite.
Delicious.
Heart-breaking.
Superb.
I didn't want to let go of these characters, and now that I've finished the book I want to start it again. It's my new favourite Booker book, and it's probably broken into my all-time top ten list, as well. Except that I don't actually have such a list, so please don't ask for the other titles!

This novel centers around three deeply damaged people, a Maori widower trying to raise his mute foster son and an artistic hermit who has lost her muse, delving into what makes a family and what love is. There are lots of really tough issues, such as child abuse, alcoholism, death, spirituality, and sexuality, but it is devoid of the usual preachy tone that comes with such heavy fare. Nothing is really black and white, but they seem to have a live and let live mentality. The child abuse is slightly more contentious, but it's very much a 'none of my business'-type attitude, which I did find difficult to read. If you are deeply sensitive to these matters, you may not enjoy this book. I was able to compartmentalize, saying to myself, "it's just fiction". That may not work for you, so please consider yourself warned.

Hulme's writing is divine. She is a poet, and it absolutely comes through in this novel. There is an obvious love for words and also rhythm, and the overall flow of the prose is hypnotic. In the introduction she speaks about the manuscript being rejected by publishers who wanted to edit her word use, and I'm so glad she was able to find one who would print it as written. It is a work of art, in the best possible way! I loved that she used so much Maori language, and it's fantastic that there is a Maori phrase section at the end of the text! I wish all the Booker prize winners that utilize languages other than English in their text were so thoughtful - after all, it's a prize for novels written in English. I wish she were a more prolific writer, and I'm trying to get my hands on some of her other work, but so far with very little luck.

Anyway, I don't want to spoil the beauty of the story in case you decide to read it, so there isn't much I can say about the novel other than I found it deeply engaging, and I loved it. It has thrown a wrench into my contest plans, however! I intended to give a hardcover copy of my favourite Booker book from the first 6 months of my reading to the winner of my draw next month, and I was 98% certain that book would be J.G. Farrell's "Troubles" - which is being released in a special edition with "The Siege of Krishnapur". Now, the prize may have to be "The Bone People"! By the way, if you haven't entered yet, there's still plenty of time to get in the draw. Just leave a comment telling me what your favourite book is and why you love it, and I'll enter you in the draw.

My next Booker book is "The Old Devils" by Kingsley Amis, who I've heard is quite an entertaining author, so I'm excited to start that one this evening.

Happy reading!