I was shocked several ago to find out that my favourite book of all time, Lonesome Dove had won the Pulitzer Prize.
It was a Western. And they talked about boobs. And they did a lot of spitting. It just wasn't the sort of book I thought won the Pulitzer Prize.
When I thought of books that won the Pulitzer Prize I thought of War and Peace. Crime and Punishment. That sort of thing. You know, books that required effort, a year and a half and a recently acquired British accent to read. At the very least the book would have to be written by a Russian.
Turns out I was wrong.
Turns out the award can ONLY go to American authors, which explains the curious omission of the entire Shopoholic series. Journalists are given more leeway. Any nationality can win a Pulitzer for journalism as long as they work for an American publication (web or print).
The Pulitzer Prize was established in 1917 by publisher Joseph Pulitzer. And any journalist or novelist can submit their work to be considered for a Pulitzer as long as it fits into one of the Pulitzer categories. And As long as they have the $50 entry fee. Which ironically, a lot of writers don't.
So as it turns out, the Pulitzer Prize isn't something that screams "REALLY HARD TO READ BOOK HERE! GET YOUR 1,000 PAGE SNOOZEFEST HERE!". It actually means, "Get your really good book here". Winners have included funny books, serious books, Westerns and snoozefests.
If you're looking for an award winning book to read, these are a few of the Pulitzer Prize winners I've read and how I rate them out of four "♥"'s.
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides ♥♥♥♥ completely fascinating
Empire Falls - Richard Russo I swear to you I can't remember a thing about this book. That says a lot.
The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields ditto for this one.
Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry ♥♥♥♥ favourite book of all time
A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole ♥♥♥½ absolutely hilarious
To Kill a Mockingbrid - Harper Lee ♥♥♥½ classic
To see a list of the entire Pulitzer Prize winners in the fiction category just click here.
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Laura
Hmm, well after looking through the Pulitzer website, I have only read a 1 or 2 on the fiction list. I can tell you that I received the 2014 for Christmas in 2014, still have not finished it. Ughhh. I guess I'm not a Pulitzer kinda gal. :)
Ev Wilcox
Thanks Karen. The main message here is READ! Thanks for helping this idea along. You are the best ever blogger!
Julia
Ok, just Kindled Lonesome Dove (although I should be reading two other books for book club - 'Three Men In A Boat' (shoot me now) and 'The Silent Boy' (intrigue and murder in revolutionary France, better), neither are Pulitzer, so apologies for mentioning them!
Loved 'TKAM', 'Poisonwood Bible', 'Animal, Veg., Min.', and 'Middlesex'.
Hated 'The Lacuna'...
Karen
O.K. Well we seem to be in tune in terms of books, so forget the stupid book club and read Lonesome Dove, lol. Even better, convince them that it's the book they should be reading too. ~ karen!
Julia
I think I just might!
kris
The Power broker
Kirsten
I was going to comment on the Lonesome Dove post with this, but that would meddle with the "good books and no chit-chat" thing you had going on over there, so, here instead!
My English teacher in highschool always said The Lonesome Dove was the best cowboy novel in the world... as long as you could get past the first few chapters which are allegedly about pigs. He issued a challenge to us, and none of us read it in the four years we were there. So when I saw you talk about it, I cracked up! Thanks for the nostalgia!
Karen
It's true! Took me YEARS to get through that first part. ~ karen!
Bols
I don't care much about prizes as I often find that I must operate on a different scale and hardly like the awarded books. To Kill a Mockingbird = boring, boring, boring.
I bet not too many people (at least in North America) actually read War and Peace but I have to say that it is a phenomenal book. I totally enjoy long complex novels with lots of characters (if anybody read A Suitable Boy you will know what I mean) so I really enjoyed it.
mimiindublin
I will add it to my reading list too, and like others, keep it for summer when I can sit in the sun with it.
Didn't this turn into a great post Karen, I read each and every comment with interest. Regular series...good books???
Karen
Thanks Mimi! It is a semi-regular series. 3 or 4 times a year I do a good book post. :) ~ karen!
Maggie O'C
Lonesome Dove is poetry. Reading Lonesome Dove makes me realize that I will never be a writer of any consequence. The mini-series is a fantastic adaptation.
TKAM....fuhgeddaboutit. Every word is perfect.
I really REALLY liked Empire Falls which caused me to read Russo's Bridge of Sighs ,which was an error.
Karen
After reading my post on books and everyone's coments my mother marched right out to the bookstore to buy Lonesome Dove (my copy is a first edition and not for hire). If she doesn't love it there's something wrong with the woman. ~ karen!
Fawn
I LOVE Lonesome Dove too! I had no idea that it's a Pulitzer Prize winner AND that so many other women like it! Heehee when they use the word "carrot". I'm so immature.
Brook
Makes that 'archives' : )
Brook
I happened to listen to Tim O'Brien's, "The Things They Carried," on the Selected Shorts podcast last weekend. What a powerful story. Highly recommended and worth digging back in their archies.
There are books on the Pulitzer list that I haven't been able to get through, even on multiple attempts, and others that have become all-time favourites.
Part of it is literary taste, but I think sometimes it's just the right (or wrong) book at the right (or wrong) time:
"To reread what you loved most at a particular moment is to risk the possibility that you might love it less." -- Katherine Boo.
Barbie
"A Confederacy of Dunces" This may be the one for me !
Tricia
I reluctantly read Lonesome Dove - I honestly thought I would hate it. Was I ever wrong.
I also bawled when it was over because while I admired Call, I loved Gus! He made me laugh out loud and wish I knew someone so charming.
I bought the first two books in the series after I read Lonesome Dove. I also really enjoyed Dead Man's Walk and I'm halfway through Comanche Moon. I'll let you know what I think.....
Karen
I've read both and they're O.K. There's only one Lonesome Dove. It's a remarkable piece of work. ~ karen!
Missy
I have been an avid reader my entire life. I have read many of the books on your list (although, not Lonesome Dove, I will need to read it now!) but the book that affected me the most was The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006 Pulitzer Prize winner). I think, because it's hard to read, maybe people don't finish it, but if The Road was read by every person on this planet and if it's message was understood by every person on this planet, there would never be war. There would be an understanding that there are things you don't do in life because it you do them, the result would be the world that McCarthy paints so darkly in his book. The movie was pretty true to the book, but the writing in the book is absolutely haunting.
Naomi
That's a great list! Have you read Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie? It's another Pulitzer prizewinner that I wouldn't qualify as a snoozefest (I reviewed it here: http://theteatimereader.wordpress.com/?s=foreign+affairs). I also liked two of the finalists - The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver and Swamplandia by Russell. And yes, The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields is worth a read, but for what it's worth, I think Larry's Party is more fun.
sera
I love love love Confederacy of Dunces! and To Kill a Mockingbird. And Middlesex is on my shelf right now. Thanks for the history lesson. I was a lit major and never knew that about the Pulitzer. Perhaps I shouldn't have admitted that. oops.
Debbie
Lonesome Dove, loved it so much that I felt like I lost some friends when it was finished. I also listend to it on books on tape, or I guess books on CD these days. The reader made this even more of a joy. I never bothered with the movie, it might have ruined the story for me.
Karen
Me too! I've never read a book where the characters seemed like they were a part of my life like that. ~ karen
Nancy Blue Moon
I know what you mean Karen..I love it when I read a book that I wish would never end. Where there are characters that you would love to be friends with..I think "To Kill A Mockingbird" would be my all time favorite..I will try to read "Lonesome Dove" this summer when I can sit outside and not have cats trying to squeeze between me and the book for attention since it is such a long read..Don't your cats do that?
Karen
My cat is currently sitting in my lap staring at me, directly between me and my laptop. ~ karen
gloria
I also listened to Lonesome Dove on CD. What a wonderful experience. I do my listening in bed with headphones. It's like going to a movie in my mind every night. I would whip through my day in anticipation of bedtime so I could get back to those great characters. And yes, the reader was terrific.
qtpuh2tme
Seems to me that any book that can be described as a 'szoozefest' and be awarded a Pulitzer, kinda negates the whole importance of receiving one for any other writer who is actually good. ~:/
But, hey, maybe that's just me.
Liz
Love this post ~ thanks for sharing! The only book I read on your list was "To Kill A Mockingbird", which was wonderful. I got hooked on Anne Tyler back in the day with her Pulitzer Prize winning "Breathing Lessons".
Janet
So...looking at the list...why were there no winners for a couple of years? Did they not have the prize money to give out? Did they just not think any of the novels nominated were worthy? Was there a big fight in the Pulitzer jury room and no one could come to an agreement? These are the things I'm curious about.
Ok, Lonesome Dove now goes on my reading list. Thanks, Karen. I'm always looking for a great read....never even thought to read Lonesome Dove before.