There's soon to be a new Yann Martel book out--his first since 2002 Booker Prize winner LIFE OF PI. Any big Martel fans here and are you looking forward to the new offering?

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2009/...

I liked Life of Pi and will probably read this new one, but I have mixed feelings about his efforts to educate our Prime Minister. Seems like a hopeless endeavor.

I met Monsieur Martel when he was writer in residence at the Saskatoon Public Library. He read a portion of the manuscript that became my novel SO DARK THE NIGHT and I found his comments on the mark and diplomatically framed. I was feeling a tad too smug about the book at that point and his input showed me that I still had a lot of work to do and I put nose to grindstone and applied myself to the task much harder than I had before.

Nice guy and SMART...

I am looking forward to this new book. I have read his blog- What is Stephen Harper Reading? Martel sends him a book every other week with a review explaining why he should read it- I think that Harper's office acknowledged the first book. I heard that Martel's reviews were going to be published as a book as well.

http://www.whatisstephenharperreading.ca...

( for non-Canadians - Stephen Harper is the Prime Minister of Canada not noted for his support of the arts)

Well, that can only be good news (and about time too) but I'm afraid Pi is one of those books that I have slim hopes of being surpassed - especially taking into account Martel's earlier work Self.

I LOVE Martell's blog/letters to the PM more than i like his books (and i liked Life of Pi, though not as much as some..4 stars by me, our son liked it too, Patty hated it). But I'm going to pick up some books on the basis of Martell's reviews, starting with Short and Sweet: 101 very short poems.

I really liked the blog also. It's interesting that the PM has never responded at all. You would think he could at least get a lackey to pretend to have read the book.