The Wodehouse Prize, which goes to humorous books of literary fiction, has been awarded to Gary Shteyngart for his novel Super Sad True Love Story. He isthe first American ever to win the prize. U!S!A! U!S!A!
Shteyngart, of course, was the headliner for Verse Chapter Verse, The Stranger‘s books-and-music series, last year.
“I don’t rate him as a writer at all. I made it clear that I wouldn’t have put him on the longlist, so I was amazed when he stayed there. He was the only one I didn’t admire – all the others were fine,” said Callil … “Roth goes to the core of [Booker judges Justin Cartwright and Rick Gekoski’s] beings. But he certainly doesn’t go to the core of mine … Emperor’s clothes: in 20 years’ time will anyone read him?”
The thing is, people are still reading Goodbye, Columbus, which Roth wrote over 50 years ago. So, yeah, I think his work will be around in 20 years. It doesn’t make any sense to ask if his work will stand the test of time when it already has.