International Booker Prize Shortlist 2022 - Reaction

Here are the 6 books listed for this year's International Booker Prize. This fiction has been translated from the Korean, Norwegian, Japanese, Spanish, Hindi and Polish. Click ‘Show More’ for info & links.

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Winner announced May 26

Books discussed & purchase links:

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung (translated by Anton Hur)

A New Name: Septology VI-VII by Jon Fosse (translated by Damion Searls)

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami (translated by Samuel Bett and David Boyd)

Elena Knows by Claudia Pineiro (translated by Frances Riddle)

Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree (translated by Daisy Rockwell)

The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk (translated by Jennifer Croft)

My reviews of the books I've read so far:

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami (translated by Samuel Bett and David Boyd)

Elena Knows by Claudia Pineiro (translated by Frances Riddle)

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Get in touch

[TheGoldenflower]

I have read Heaven and was very impressed by it. It is an unforgettable book. I am reading the original Hindi version of Geetanjali Shri's novel but want to read the English version too. I studied hindi in school, and speak it too but my mother- tongue is bengali, so I am out of touch with hindi idiomatic expressions. I am finding it a bit difficult to understand everything but am still enjoying the writing style.

[kamiphung]

I love this short list (also because I've read 5 out of them)! Such a diversity of voices and perspective. Job Fosse's triology has been my favourite for years. I've read Elene knows thanks to your recommendation and also love it. There has not been enough books that describe the nuances of living with chronic illness.

[incandenzabookclub]

As an argentinian I'm thrilled that Elena Knows made the shortlist, I think is really good. If you like her maybe you can check her most famous novel (Thursday Night Widows) that is a little bit more fast paced about our country in the 90`s and the begining of the 2000`s. Also, if you have too much to read you can find the series she created and wrote for Netflix ("The Kingdom") that everybody is talking about in Argentina (also about religion). I love your channel!!

[becomingabookworm]

As a Norwegian I feel like it’s almost my duty at this point to read the septology (I also do want to). The Books of Jacob has also intrigued me, but I will have to start with Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead since that one has a less scary page count..

[AvAlanchian]

I’m very keen to read The Books of Jacob and maybe the Kawasaki. I can’t believe I used to get prize updates from Google- so much nicer to get it from you Eric

[annenilsen]

I just started Books of Jacob, but so far so good ! Thank you for this page. Your backdrop bookcase is both impressive and motivating. 😁

[charlottemolloy]

I'm really glad the two chunksters made it onto the shortlist! I know a lot of people were predicting only one of them would make the list but I think of the longlist as a whole, they were my favourites/most anticipated. I didnt care for heaven or elena knows when I read them last year. Overall, I think this is a really great shortlist, plus it's nice/random that all the covers are matching in either blue or yellow/gold!

[monicamejia]

As a Mexican, I love this this recommendations. It’s a great way to expand my reading list with books that I wouldn’t know in other way. Thank you so much!

[amena]

Hello Eric ! Thank you for presenting this short list. I really would love to read Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, as my grandparents lived the partition of India. They had to come to Pakistan because of the horrible events that happened in Dehli. They were seperated from the rest of their families who stayed in India. My grandmother never got the opportunity to meet again with her brothers but my grandfather had the occasion to return to India for a short visit, after 40 years of seperation. They used to tell us the happy souvenirs from there, but rarely talked about the violence and massacres they witnessed. I think it is going to be an emotional read.

[paulcranswick]

I have four of the six on my shelves. Fosse and 'Elena Knows' are not yet in the stores in Malaysia. I will prioritise one of the longer titles and one of the shorter one before the winner is announced.

[cindyhaiken]

This is a solid shortlist. I am a little surprised to see the Fosse as it is part of a trilogy and I don’t know how well it works as a stand alone. I loved Elena Knows and liked Heaven very much. The Books of Jacob is an impressive work but I’m not sure that I can say I loved it. Your video made me want to read Tomb of Sand more than I had wanted to before, so there is that. Thanks as always for getting a reaction video out so quickly.

[anne-marie]

I adored Flights by Tokarczuk so I’ll be read all her books eventually (in English). The shortlist looks really good and there’s a lot on there (and the long list) I want to read at some point. I ordered Tilted Axis’s bundle of their longlisted books so I’m excited for that.

[pegthebookprizeaddict]

You have added so much to the book prize interest here on Booktube. When i joined 4 years ago there was hardly any interest and people thought i was a weirdo when they saw my channel name (at least there was Shawn the MANIAC!😵‍💫). So wonderful that you have become quite an insider for several big prizes and are willing to share the fun with us all!🥳📚❤️ Read on and i will too!🥰

[chiyapink]

I'm planning to read Cursed Bunny and Love in the Big City. Otherwise I'll wait to see who wins and maybe take a closer look into that

[ygftiui]

I read The Books Of Jacob and Eleanor Knows and thought they both were very good in very different ways. I will also read Tomb of Sand in the the future. Always like the International Booker

[iuwsvhs]

Love your list reactions, you’re so fair and balanced. I’m in the midst of Elena Knows and have Books of Jacob on deck. Not sure I will get to finish the whole list by the announcement but I’m sure hoping to read most of them!

[sandrazuks]

I have read 3: Elena knows, heaven & tomb of sand. Loved them all. Interested in Curse Bunny. Unsure about reading the other two.
More interested in reading more books from the long list.

[hasteyebooks]

It's definitely an interesting spread! I'm so pleased for Tomb of Sand!

[lindysmagpiereads]

I’ve only read two of these, Elena Knows and The Books of Jacob, but I’m already hoping Tokarczuk’s makes it to the top. I think it’s one you will like too.

[Morfeusm]

I am planning to read Mieko Kawakami book for sure, but the polish door stopper calls out to me so much but how ever I find time to read it? Maybe in late 2020s because my TBR is long lol