Out came a thought and then another...

The Other Side of the Bridge is Mary Lawson's second novel, her first one being Crow Lake in 2002.

A summary at the Random House Canada page for The Other Side of the Bridge says

Two brothers, Arthur and Jake Dunn, are the sons of a farmer in the mid-1930s, when life is tough and another world war is looming. Arthur is reticent, solid, dutiful and set to inherit the farm and his father’s character; Jake is younger, attractive, mercurial and dangerous to know – the family misfit. When a beautiful young woman comes into the community, the fragile balance of sibling rivalry tips over the edge.

This review at the NSLS blog rates The Other Side of the Bridge very high while indicating that it may not be the winner given the formidable competition (in comparison with the 2005 heavyweights, a lot of people are of the opinion that 2006 is a lean year. But let's not get into that here) it is up against

This is a powerful book, written in a very understated but lyrical style. It's absolutely gorgeous. But will Lawson be the breakthrough winner of the Booker? I'd be inclined to think not, considering the staggering competition and her comparative newcomer status (though this isn't her first book). However, if she does by some small chance win I would be thrilled. Her style reminds me a bit of two other tremendously skilled native Canadian writers, Margaret Laurence and Margaret Atwood. She seems to be following in the footsteps of these two icons, and I think she's well on her way to achieving her own literary greatness.

But my final bet is no, The Other Side of the Bridge won't be the victor. If it doesn't win it won't be from lack of worthiness, but rather from the lack of a big literary reputation backing her up.

An interview with Mary Lawson on the inspiraton for Crow Lake:

Q. ‘Setting too much store by education can be a subtly dangerous thing’. Do you agree and if so, why?

A. I think setting too much store by any ideal, however admirable, can be dangerous. It can take over; it can damage your sense of proportion and blind you to other things.

Unfortunately there is very little on the Web on this Booker 2006 longlistee. This post will be updated when I find more details (actually, why don't you go buy it, read it and let me know what you think ;)

Update 9/23: The Scotsman review of The Other Side of the Bridge.

Posted by Echo/Lavanya on Sunday, September 10, 2006 at 5:57 PM | Permalink