Conclusion

So, one month, six books, and a lot of thinking to do. Not knowing anything about any of the books (and, Carey aside, any of the authors), I went in with an open mind, and I enjoyed the process a lot. Five of the six books were very enjoyable, and I'd certainly like to read some of the previous works of the authors involved.

The shortlist was varied, with settings from early America to contemporary London, and very different styles of writing, themes raised and emotions evoked.

The book that had the strongest emotional effect on me was 'Room' - perhaps unsurprisingly. It was a story that quickly captured me and that was difficult to put down without finishing. Clearly it's not a book to gladden the heart, but as a demonstration of the power of literature it was a fine work.

'Parrot and Olivier', 'In A Strange Room' and 'The Long Song' were all very enjoyable, well crafted and telling interesting and relevant stories with universal, uniting themes that were easy to follow and captivating. None of these books were too forceful in their approach, they let the stories flow slowly and were well-written.

I didn't enjoy 'The Finkler Question', but it was certainly well-written; as my review says, I just didn't quite get the point of it, and didn't find the tone quite right.

Which brings us onto 'C'. It's a huge favourite with the bookies, and I can see why; of the six books it is the one that seems to be the most full of information and is a tangled web of strands that are hard to separate. Reading it, though, one has the feeling that it may be a masterpiece, just one that is too complicated on the first reading to appreciate. The tightness of the writing contrasts with the more leisurely style of some of the other entries, while the sheer number of themes involved is impressive.

I think 'C' will win. It's not the book that has had the biggest effect on me, but it's the book that I'm most likely to read again, and the book I most want to read about (I haven't read any other reviews since starting this exercise, so may have missed the point in a few!). 'Room' is the book that stirred my emotions the most, but I think Tom McCarthy will be the man celebrating this evening.

Thanks for reading the reviews, it's been fun.

Toby