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A review by serendipitysbooks
Lost for Words by Edward St Aubyn
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In a lovely case of bookish serendipity I came across the book Lost for Words, just in time for a busy week or two in the bookish awards world . The Wainwright winner, Women’s Prize winner, Booker shortlist and Baillie Gifford longlist are all due to be announced in the next ten days.
Lost for Words takes us behind the scenes of the (sadly fictional) Elysian Prize for Literature. The reader is privy to the private lives and thoughts of the judges and several authors whose works are eligible for this prestigious award. It’s wonderfully satirical, perfect for those of us who’d love to be a fly on the wall during the judges’ deliberations and/or harbour suspicions about why our favourite book didn’t win. Publishers forgetting to submit books in time, judges horse-trading titles, shifting personal and political allegiances among the judging committee, authors drafting acceptance speeches before even the longlist is announced, and so much else is laid out in juicy detail. Plenty of fun is poked at pseudo-intellectual, self-important literary types as well. There is lots of fun to be had trying to predict which book (extracts are incorporated in the text) the judges will select as the winner. Delightfully witty and irreverent. Perfect for both my current mood and for this point in the literary calendar.
Lost for Words takes us behind the scenes of the (sadly fictional) Elysian Prize for Literature. The reader is privy to the private lives and thoughts of the judges and several authors whose works are eligible for this prestigious award. It’s wonderfully satirical, perfect for those of us who’d love to be a fly on the wall during the judges’ deliberations and/or harbour suspicions about why our favourite book didn’t win. Publishers forgetting to submit books in time, judges horse-trading titles, shifting personal and political allegiances among the judging committee, authors drafting acceptance speeches before even the longlist is announced, and so much else is laid out in juicy detail. Plenty of fun is poked at pseudo-intellectual, self-important literary types as well. There is lots of fun to be had trying to predict which book (extracts are incorporated in the text) the judges will select as the winner. Delightfully witty and irreverent. Perfect for both my current mood and for this point in the literary calendar.