Nobel prize in literature

[Ekphantos]

What do you think about Doris Lessing getting the nobel prize?
I was quite surprised, her name didn't come up in discussions this year. There are quite a few people who think that the decision was wrong, but I guess this is the same every year.
I didn't expect another woman to get it so soon after Jelinek and the same goes for another British writer, as in literature they seem to try to get laureates from as many different countries as possible.

[Maija]

I feel a bit ashamed now: I haven't read one single book by her

I didn't expect another woman to get it so soon

Sorry, you just stepped on one of my pet peeves there. What does the gender of the author in question have to do with anything? I honestly don't think that gender should enter into the equation at any point when settling on a candidate for the Nobel prizes. And no, not even the ones that are normally dominated by men. If you are the best, you are the best, there's no need to assign anyone extra points for having a vagina (or indeed a penis).

[Ekphantos]

The jury seems to prefer men, so I was surprised.
I don't quite understand your reaction.

[Maija]

I might've read too much into that statement, or it is something dreadfully Scandinavian, this neverending struggle to balance any and every board etc into a 50/50 % of male/female participation. It has also not been unheard of that female artists get prizes not because they're necessarily the best, but because it was felt that there were too many male names on the list of previous winners.

I only meant to say that I hope the best author won. Sorry about the rant

[Monique]

I might've read too much into that statement, or it is something dreadfully Scandinavian, this neverending struggle to balance any and every board etc into a 50/50 % of male/female participation. It has also not been unheard of that female artists get prizes not because they're necessarily the best, but because it was felt that there were too many male names on the list of previous winners.

I only meant to say that I hope the best author won. Sorry about the rant

I'd like to second Maija's reaction. I work in IT an area where males are heavily domimant! It irritates me to no end when people apply what they call "discrimination positive" (sorry I don't know how to translate this without betraying the politically correct meaning of it ...). This actually is a way of patronising women. And it discredits them all. When you, as a woman, actually succeed, there is always this suspiscion that ... well you got there because, being a woman, you were "favoured" and not on merits. I hate it!
Sorry also for the rant and the out of topic.

[Ekphantos]

Uh, I triggered some reactions here
The funny thing is: I completely agree with you, I didn't mean that more women should get the nobel prize because it should be 50/50. I just sometimes get the feeling that the jury doesn't treat them equally. Looking at the list though, it isn't that bad and I maybe got a wrong impression from the newspapers.
I had endless discussions about the 50/50 rule with one of my best friends, a rather serious feminist. It just doesn't make much sense in a field, where 90% of the students are male... the chances of finding a male physicist suited best for a certain job are much higher because you have bigger pool of people you can choose from.
I have worked in men-only research groups for the past years, but so far I have never got the feeling that people think they took me to increase the quota of women. I am just a PhD student though, so it might be different higher up...

[Ekphantos]

I only meant to say that I hope the best author won.

So, going back to the actual topic. Did the best writer win? How do you define the "best" in literature?
Some rather important writers didn't receive it (James Joyce would be first on my list, but also Zola and Ibsen), partly due to reasons that had nothing to do with their works. Others seem to have been honoured rather for their role within society than for their writings (partly true for Jelinek, it would have been much better for her had she received it a few years earlier or later)

[daveinaustria]

People tend to make the mistake that the Nobel Prize for Literature is about being the best. The fact is if you write about certain subjects eg. post-colonialism, feminism and take a certain idealogical standpoint ie. liberal, left wing, you will be guaranteed at least a nomination. Have a look at the list of winners (especially in recent years) and what they've written about if you don't believe me. The art of writing just doesn't come into it.

In short, you don't have to be good; you just have to be 'noble'.