Three Monkeys Online - the free current affairs & arts magazine

This blog has often focussed on great openings to novels, interested particularly in that magical moment where you, the reader, accept an opening contract from the author. What makes us choose one book over another is an area where the ending doesn’t come into play. 
A handy  approach that also spares us the risk of ruining [...]

Just for the record, this year’s Man Booker Shortlist has been announced:

The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga
The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
Sea of Poppies - Amitav Ghosh
The Clothes on Their Backs - Linda Grant
The Northern Clemency - Philip Hensher
A Fraction of the Whole - Steve Toltz

Perhaps the most notable absences from the longlist are John [...]