The Prize

By: Irving Wallace

Narrated by: Gavin Bruce

Novelist Andrew Craig has not been sober in a very long time. After losing his wife in an auto accident he believes to have been his own fault, he turned to the bottle and to his sister-in-law, Leah, who acts as his caretaker and live-in nurse. Then, when he is awarded the Nobel Prize in literature for his novel, The Perfect State - a historical jab at communism - he heads for Stockholm, hoping to find a reason to live, and to write. The other laureates have their own problems: a heart surgeon who believes that sharing his award with an Italian colleague robs him of his glory, a married couple awarded the prize in medicine in the middle of a serious marital crisis, and others - including Max Stratman, whose heart isn't really up to the trip, but who needs the prize money to provide for niece, Emily.

This novel delves into the lives, loves, dreams, and nightmares of these characters, and others, building a panoramic view of the Nobel Prize, life in Stockholm, and the state of world politics in the years following World War II. It is rich and compelling, driving the reader from the pits of despair to the heights of inspiration. A wonderful novel by one of America's finest novelists, The Prize was made into a movie starring Paul Newman.

©1962, 2011 David Wallechinsky & Amy Wallace (P)2012 David N. Wilson

an intriguing novel about the Nobel Prize

I was born in 1962 and was looking for a book from that year for a challenge. This one was available on Audible and so I decided to listen to it, and I am so glad that I did. Incredibly thoroughly researched and filled with information, it is still a story about people and I found all of them to be complex, unique and real.

The Prize came very close to 5 stars, however it felt a bit like two separate stories. One story involves how people are chosen to win the Nobel Prize and all the history of those prizes. The other story is a bit of a mystery/thriller about Communists and Nazis... and while he embroiled his characters in the mystery and used it to tie their stories together, I didn't enjoy this part as much. I know that he was writing about propaganda, but actually this part of the book just felt like he was writing the propaganda rather than writing about it.

The story involves six fictional Nobel Prize winners, as well as a huge supporting cast of their relatives and the Swiss people they meet when they are in Stockholm. Each character was fully fleshed out, and completely vulnerable and flawed. And this made them relatable even though most of us will never meet people like them. The week unfolds slowly, with the author including great detail about the things they do during their week in Stockholm. I especially loved the scenes when they were all talking to the press. It was so real that it felt like I should be able to find old footage n youtube. These conversations exposed things about each of them that they hoped to hide. And it quietly exposed some of what goes on behind the scenes.

I have seen reviewers complain about the historical bits and travelogue bits, but I loved them. Yes, they are lengthy, quiet and detailed and I am happy for it. There is no other book I can think of that can give me this kind of information. But, I have discovered that I read for both entertainment and education. If you are looking only to be entertained you may find these sections dull and overly-long.

There is one thing that lingers in my mind today, and that is the two questions I would ask Mr. Wallace if he were alive and accessible to me. What do you think about the recent #metoo scandal on the literary prize academy, which resulted in the suspension of the prize in 2018? And, how do you react the the fact that only 53 women, compared to 866 men, have won the prize across all categories?