For the past few years now, the Exclusive Books Boeke Prize has had two winners – one chosen by a selected panel of judges from the media in South Africa and the other by Exclusive Books Fanatics members.
This year’s winners were announced last Friday in Johannesburg and I was hardly surprised when media judges picked Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl”as the winner.
The Fanatics readers’ choice of Rachel Joyce’s “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” was a bit of a surprise considering the amazing reads on this year’s list, but then I’ve often been told my taste is not always “popular”.
“The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” is Joyce’s debut novel and is a captivating story of Harold Fry who takes a walk to save a life and whose journey will prove life-changing for him, the wife he leaves behind, and the people he meets along the way.
The novel was also featured on the Man Booker shortlist.
Just how well can you ever know the person you love?
This is the heart of the subject in “Gone Girl” – a truly brilliant novel that has you guessing and changing allegiances right till the very end.
It is the question that Nick Dunne must ask himself on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears.
In this novel, marriage truly is the art of war. A frightening thought.
Other brilliant reads on the Boeke Prize 2012 shortlist this year were: “A Walk Across The Sun” by Corben Addison, “Age Of Miracles” by Karen Thompson Walker, “The Watch” by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya, and “The Light Between Oceans” by ML Stedman. I will be reviewing my favourites in due course. – Meneesha Govender