No David Mitchell on the Man Booker short list, which was something of a surprise; his new novel, "The Bone Clocks," had been pegged as a likely winner.
And no Siri Hustvedt; she, too, did not make the cut from the long list.
But any fears the Brits had that the American writers were going to take over their award are unfounded; just two American writers--Joshua Ferris, and Karen Joy Fowler--are among the six finalists.
Here's the list. The winner will be announced Oct. 14, and the prize of 50,000 pounds is equal to about $85,000.
"To Rise Again at a Decent Hour," by Joshua Ferris. (Our review runs Sept. 21.)
"J," by Howard Jacobson. Jacobson won the Man Booker Prize in 2010 for "The Finkler Question."
"We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves," by Karen Joy Fowler. Her novel, published in the United States in 2013, won the PEN/Faulkner Award.
"The Narrow Road to the Deep North," by Australian writer Richard Flanagan, is now the odds-on favorite to win.
