Lots of words

It's that time of year again - The Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist was published a few days ago. And this is half of it - 8/16. I have read two - Girl, Woman, Other, which I liked and which won the Booker last year, and A Thousand Ships, the retelling of the Trojan War from the female point of view - I also liked this. I will have a go at reading at least some of the list, as will my daughter, but I do have a problem . . . Hilary Mantel.

I think the reading world is divided into two - (one) those who have read, at least once, both of Hilary Mantel's books about Thomas Cromwell, have loved them, have watched the TV versions and have been waiting anxiously for the publication of the third book. In this group are my husband, one of my daughters, friends, and Blippers. (two)the rest of us, including me and our other daughter, who have tried but failed to read either of the books, have not watched the TV versions and have no interest in the new book. I don't know why I can't read her books, they are sitting on our bookshelves and I occasionally have a go, but I don't get very far. I think a lot of it is to do with not having any interest in kings, queens, politicians etc, going around out-manoeuvering each other, torturing and beheading each other. 

So, it's a problem, as The Mirror and the Light has had some excellent reviews, is already on this longlist and could easily win the prize. It will almost certainly win the Booker, making her the only author to have won it three times. And I really don't think I want to even try to read it. A dilemma.

An appropriate blip for International Women's Day. It's been interesting listening to Radio 3 today - a whole day of the work of female composers.