Blindsided By The Accolades
Are popular books really always justified in their popularity?
Full disclosure, this is coming off the back of reading some fairly disappointing recent recommendations, so I might be tarring unfairly with the same brush here, but it has nonetheless left me a little mistrusting of popular, well-received reads. Which has got me thinking: can you always trust a critically raved about book to actually be…well, decent?
I like to think that I choose books intuitively, sometimes enticed by the blurb, mostly suckered in by the cover, but never because it is a popular or well awarded read. Before sitting down to write this article I think I would’ve wholeheartedly (nay, proudly) felt the awards and public attention served the author more than it does in choosing a new book.
My opinion of late had been that books which ride the wave of a public obsession (or in other words are ‘Instagram approved’) seemed to read more like depositions, prone to tropes and at times (ironically) inauthentic. I realise this standpoint may come across dripping in scathing judgement of my fellow readers, but that is not my intention at all! I get it, popular books are popular precisely because they are one note. Mediocracy pleases the majority, because it sits in the realm of not displeasing any one group by being too fringe. It’s also what makes it derivative and blinds us to the fact that it is so. After all, if it’s popular, it must be good right?!
Of course, this isn’t the rule. The masses do have an eye for upholding greatness, and I have often cut my snooty, stubborn nose off despite my know-it-all face, almost missing out on perfect reads just because they were ‘mainstream’. Had I not been heavily persuaded by a friend I would have missed out on Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. A tale that is simple in form, but packs a punch with its eloquent, sophisticated writing and doesn’t shy away from topical content, nor social commentary, in a way that also doesn’t belittle the reader but instead takes you along for the ride. A true readers book, a real testament to showing and not telling. This book not only won the audience vote but is dazzling with critical accolades (and well deserved too): Waterstones Fiction Book of the Month for February 2018 / Winner of the 2017 Costa Book Awards First Novel Award / Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018 / Shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2018 / Sunday Times Bestseller / Winner of the British Book Awards Book of the Year 2018.
Who knows how many numerous treasures I’ve haughtily steered away from just because the book donned an infuriatingly large and cover-distorting ‘Best Seller’ sticker.
Then, (sigh) we come to Olive Kitteridge. I’m so sorry to those who heart-wrenchingly loved this book, (and I wanted desperately to love it too!) but I bring up this one next to compare. I think in regard to story type, it tries to evoke a similar quaint yet punchy tale of humanity, as Eleanor Oliphant […] does, however (for me) it does not pull it off the same. I found it didn’t strike the right balance with heavy topics and much needed levity, which took me out of the book and left me a little unsympathetic towards the characters. And the writing itself felt simple but without the elegance I craved. Now I know this book has a lot of love, and if it struck a chord with you, then that’s brilliant, and my opinion on it should in no way diminish that connection. Taste is taste. However, looking at it from the point of view of prize receiving, there’s no contest, I don’t think it’s worthy of Pulitzer when compared. And I wonder had it not won such a prize, would it have been as well received?
Having said that, (if you can bear putting up with my contrarian flittering), after meticulously trawling through my bookcase and conducting research for this article, I’ve come to realise that perhaps I am not only regularly swayed by the popular vote, but it is clear the accolades do (sometimes) have a point. My recently finished read: The Goldfinch, is most definitely an epic worthy of high praise, and I kick myself for allowing it to dust and wane on my side table for so long.
So, let’s not be hasty in suggesting the Pulitzer Group is wholly wrongly opinionated - but I would say, they definitely have a ‘type’. Even the kingmakers themselves are swayed by the social climate and can be blinded by a tale just because it strikes the right popular movement at the time. It feels a little disingenuous to me, surely these institutions should be agnostic of the sway, setting the tone because the writing is excellent and not because it pleases the zeitgeist (which of late seems to be buzz word roulette wrapped up in lecturing prose). It’s either that or the predictable fall back on typically masculine tales and private school boy love letters to Steinbeck or Tolstoy. I’m not absolved from this, I’m a sucker for a Bookstagram approved book, feminist tales and commentary on social agendas - as long as it doesn’t distract from the story or belittle the reader - I found Assembly somewhat struck the right note here, Pachinko perhaps even better. And I loved A Gentleman in Moscow, which (unsurprisingly) is a NY Times Bestseller, and is in my opinion, a classical tale for the modern reader.
Have I been blindsided by the accolades? Whether that’s in avoidance of good book or being hoodwinked into a bad one. And do we like any book because it’s good, or because someone told us it was good? How much of good reading is our own intuition and how much is it peer persuasion? And without it, would we have anything to read at all?
I may be over-thinking this.
Ultimately, there’s a sweet spot to a true deservedly revered book, and it lies somewhere between the realms of popularity and critical success; pausing before etching over the point of ‘dumbing down’ to suit the mainstream but steers away from the pit of indecipherable pretention; teeters upon the apex of originality vs relatability; a book that is written for all but feels preciously brought to life just for you to read. How hard can it be to write that? Right?
The moral of this article is: sometimes this heaven on earth of a book will garner warranted recognition, and sometimes you’ll get blindsided by the accolades and slam a book shut in rage at having been so unfairly duped, questioning everyone’s taste in everything.
Acclaimed books that did not live up to the hype.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout -
Pulitzer Prize Winner
TV show adaptation
Widespread audience popularity
The Furrows by Namwali Serpell - (note: the first half was brilliant; the second half was like a dfferent book entirely and felt either forced on by the publisher or missed by an editor)
NY Times Best Book 2022
Barack Obama Best Books of 2022
Guardian Best Fiction of 2022
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie -
Sunday Times Best Seller
Widespread audience popularity
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González -
Widespread audience popularity
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Debut Novel
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafa - (note: this one is 50/50 for me. An enjoyable read but I’ve read stronger books which have won similar awards - see The Paper Palace)
Shortlisted for Women’s Prize for Fiction Award
Costa Novel Award - Shortlisted
Books with both critical and audience successes, which I recommend.
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller -
Longlisted for Women’s Prize for Fiction Award
Widespread audience popularity
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt -
Pulitzer Prize winner
Audie Award for Literary Fiction (2014),
National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Fiction (2013),
Australian Book Industry Award
Nominee for International Book (2014),
Women's Prize for Fiction Nominee (2014),
Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction (2014),
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction (2013).
Film Adaptation
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller -
NY Time Best Seller
Orange Prize for Fiction (2012),
Gaylactic Spectrum Award for Best Novel (2013)
Women's Prize for Fiction (2012)
Chautauqua Prize Nominee (2013)
Lovelybooks Leserpreis Nominee for Romane (2020)
Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles -
NY Times Best Seller
Kirkus Prize Nominee for Fiction (2016)
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Historical Fiction (2016)
Book of the Month Book of the Year Award Nominee (2016)
International Dublin Literary Award Nominee (2018)
Assembly by Natasha Brown -
Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2022
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for First Fiction (2021)
Desmond Elliott Prize Nominee for Longlist (2022)
Goldsmiths Prize Nominee for Shortlist (2021)
Rathbones Folio Prize Nominee for Shortlist (2022)
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee -
Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nominee for Fiction (2018)
National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (2017)
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Historical Fiction (2017)
Reading Women Award for Fiction (2017)
Litsy Award for Historical Fiction (2017)
International Dublin Literary Award Nominee (2019)
TV show adaptation
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid -
Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction (2019)
Book of the Month Book of the Year Award Winner (2019)
Lovelybooks Leserpreis Nominee for Romane (2020).
TV show adaptation
Acclaimed books added to my TBR.
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung -
Bookstagram noterirty
International Booker Prize Nominee for Shortlist (2022)
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason -
Women's Prize for Fiction Nominee for Shortlist (2022),
Nominee for Ann Medlicott Acorn Prize Fiction (longlist) (2021)
Shuggie Bane by Douglas Stuart -
Booker Prize Winner(2020),
British Book Award for Book of the Year (2021),
Orwell Prize Nominee for Political Fiction for Longlist (2021),
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for First Fiction (2020),
Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nominee for Fiction (2021),
National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (2020),
Kirkus Prize Nominee for Fiction (2020),
Saltire Society Literary Award Nominee for Scottish Fiction Book of the Year (2021)
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Historical Fiction and for Debut Novel (2020)
PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel Nominee for Shortlist (2021)
Books I love that deserve more critical or audience success.
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel -
Prix des libraires du Québec for Roman-Nouvelles-Récit Hors Québec (2021),
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Historical Fiction (2020)
Ladies of Horror Fiction Award Nominee for Best Novel (2020)
The Incarnations by Susan Barker -
Kirkus Prize Nominee for Fiction Finalist (2015)
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith -
Audie Award for Classic (2002)
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
No awards or much recognition (which is a huge shame!)
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri -
Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nominee for Fiction (2020)
Aspen Words Literary Prize (2020)
My sister the serial killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite -
Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2019)
Anthony Award for Best First Novel (2019)
Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller (2018)
Women's Prize for Fiction Nominee (2019)
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Mystery & Thriller and for Debut Novel (2019)
BUT a low Goodreads score & not enough audience recognition!