Each year an author is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the medal for the award is pictured above.
The medal of the Swedish Academy represents a young man sitting under a laurel tree who, enchanted, listens to and writes down the song of the Muse.
The inscription reads:
Inventas vitam juvat excoluisse per artes
It is loosely translated as "And they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery."
(Word for word: Inventions enhance life which is beautified through art.)
The words are taken from Vergilius Aeneid, the 6th song, verse 663;
Lo, God-loved poets, men who spake things worthy Phoebus' heart;
and they who bettered life on earth by new-found mastery
The question you are asked to ponder is: Based on what we have learned about Ondaatje and his novel In the Skin of a Lion, do you think it would qualify for the Nobel Prize? Why or why not?
19 comments:
Although Michael Ondaatje's novel, "In the Skin of a Lion" can be said as a celebrated novel, I don't think it qualifies for a Nobel Literature Prize. The search for identity and truth has always been a universal theme in literature and I don't see why this novel, in particular, stands out. In my opinion, Nobel Prizes have to be given to books that provide a unique interpretation of human behavior and mentality and I don't think Ondaatje's novel reached that point.
minsoo's post is gonna anger mrs. lav...
i think she wanted to use this opportunity to start a petition to get ondaatje a nobel prize. minsoo's comment kinda made her plan backfire on her.
hm. good novel tho. interesting..provoking..descriptive..ah, way too descriptive. too abstruse sometimes.
John, that's funny! I never thought about a petition to get Ondaatje (a fellow Canadian, of course!) a Nobel Prize. But now that you've mentioned it... :)
I don't think it qualifies for a Nobel Prize either. The Skin of a Lion is a BEAUTIFULLY written novel with many hidden symbolisms and messages, however, I don't think it "bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery." After reading this novel I should feel greatly "impacted" or "changed" or "have this feeling in my gut", but I didn't (I really didn't get the symbolism until after mrs. lav explained it to me!haha sorry mrs. lav, it's a good book but not that great...:P)
I believe that In the Skin of a Lion should be qualified for the Nobel Prize.
I've seen the medal for the Nobel Prize for Literature award multiple times on the cover of various books. Of course, I knew that the award went to award-winning books, but I never actually took the time to research exactly what kinds of books were award-winning books. Nevertheless, here it is "And they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery."
Ondaatje uses a very creative and realistic storyline that presents to us an overall theme about how ‘grief can make you lose yourself & your identity BUT, out of grappling with your grief, hope and transformation of the individual may occur’. The theme may sound just a bit cliché and whatnot, but this theme is universal and it is definitely something to think about for each individual out there. Ondaatje uses this book to remind us that we are just as vulnerable and dependent on others as Patrick and Clara were. For this reason, the author also creates characters such as Nicholas and Alice in order to remind us that we are capable of doing much more than we think we can. He reminds us that we are able to fight for what is wrong and for those who don’t have a voice but wish they could. This expose was for Ondaatje to illuminate the lives of the immigrant workers who were in Toronto long ago, as their history began to fade and become part of whatever was left after their hard labor.
For these reasons I believe that it is through this book that can alter one’s perspective about their lives. It’s a matter of reading the novel, thinking about it and putting it away or thinking about it and letting it morph whatever hopeless dreams you may have and ‘think’ you cannot pursue. It’s about “lights”; hope.
"And they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery."
If this is the standard for qualifying for Nobel Prize for Literature, I think all the novels we have read should be qualified for the prize. In my opinion, all novels have universal truths in their stories and meaningful lessons of their own, depending on the author. This standard is extremely vague and this makes me wonder, who decides which novel bettered life and how do you know if the meaning of life portrayed through the novel is indeed, a newly found mastery? I think this brings up a debatable TOK issue and if Ondaatje qualifies for the Nobel Prize, then all the other novels that I have read in the past do, too. I think this is too subjective and too dependent on human perceptions which all vary and are limited.
I thought the Nobel Prize for Literature is given to an author and is not decided by a single novel. I actually think Ondaatje is a genius writer; his ability to leave the story open-ended and readers guessing is quite amazing. If he produced other works that gave him a unique style, I definitely think he would qualify for the Nobel Prize for Literature. Just looking at In the Skin of a Lion, I think the book is worthy to be included in the collection of books written by a Nobel Prize winner because it is so unique.
I think the words “newly found mastery” are a key component for deciding who qualifies. So I have done a little research and found that Albert Camus is a Nobel Laureate in Literature. After studying his work, we really see that his work is very, very fresh and thought-provoking; in other words, a result of a “newly found mastery.” We see the idea portrayed in The Stranger repeated in the Myth of Sisyphus. Thus, an author needs to be a pioneer of his/her time in order to qualify for the prize.
Why not??
My answer may evoke a nonchalant attitude, but with all the seriousness I ask, "why not?"
The thing is, awarding a work as a "mastery" is completely subjective. While I'm pretty certain that the judges for the nobel prize will have some kind of strict rubric they fallow to maintain some objectivity (at least they think it does), depending on the point of view they're in, the decision may alter greatly. So, with that said, if the judgers feel that In the Skin of the Lion is a "mastery" (due to some powerful experience they went through that is closely related to the theme of the book) then what's it gonna stop it from getting the nobel prize?
This "And they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery."
(Word for word: Inventions enhance life which is beautified through art.) can be interpreted in many ways. As we read and discussed this book as a class, I felt most of us had different approaches of interpreting the symbols, as well as the pathos we each felt for the characters. I think that this difference had much to do with our reader response aspect. Each of us has a different personal approach which is hidden in our interpretations. Therefore, I think that it is really hard to decide using those qualities alone, whether this book qualifies for the Novel Prize for Literature since all of us have different ways of relating to and judging this book.
If examined closely, I feel that almost all novels are full of subtle symbols and other literary devices. In our discussions we wondered whether ALL the literary devices we found were purposely included in the book, or whether it was the reader who was trying to ‘fit the puzzle together.’ So, I feel that even though this novel is so poetic and full of profound and detailed descriptions, I do not think that it deserves the Novel Prize of Literature. I don’t think I can be able to judge this book as being ‘life-changing’ because I have a limited knowledge of other books out there.
Like many people have mentioned, search for identity and truth has always been a common theme in literature. Though the theme of the novel kind of mundane, there is something very unique about Ondaatje’s writing. His novel is very much like No Great Mischief, in terms of its beautiful description of wilderness, but Ondaatje still maintains his own style at the same time. There is always something to ponder about in his usage of literary devices particularly symbols. I think Ondaatje is a risk taker. Considering the time period, the novel was first written, writing about Alice and Clara’s relationship must have been a risk for him. However, he beautifully portrayed their sex scene and further implied their struggles to find their identities.
In the Skin of a Lion is definitely not a novel that a reader can acquire a full understanding at a first try, but it is a novel that reveals something new every time a reader rereads it. Yes, people may find the theme of the novel as banal, but they way he presents his message and his ability to cleverly take risks definitely make this novel to stand out from others. Thus, I believe that this novel is qualified for the Nobel Prize.
my bad. yes i guess the prize is given to an author not just the work. but i still stand by what i said before and if ondaatje deserves the nobel prize for literature, then so do the many other authors that made me, personally, ponder over newly found mastery of my own. so, i guess it all comes down to how differently people interpret, understand, and appreciate the author's work.
First of all, I just want to say that if this was Nobel Prize material, it would have received it already. Obviously it isn't because it has not received the Nobel Prize. I do not think that i have the authority to say anything on whether this book deserves the Nobel Prize because authorities do not consider it worthy enough. I love repitition. It really emphasizes things, doesn't it?? Now, I would have to say that John has a great point. Mrs. Lavender will probably gather all the "good" responses and send off to Switzerland or wherever...Okay, to really answer the question, I truthfully do not think Michael Ondaatje's novel "In the Skin of a Lion" deserves the Nobel Prize because it does not stand out. At least it did not for me. Yes, the writing was good with lots of descriptive writing and all, but it did not feel like it had the extra special something to qualify it for a Nobel Prize.
in my opinion, frankly, no.
i find in the skin of the lion beautiful, but not exactly life changing or exceptionally artful.
it does not really better life on earth by a newly found mastery (in my opinion) maybe im just tres stuck up and pessimistic. maybe its just that i don't find it particularily dazzling, and i like a little dazzle. for me the nobel prize winner must be something very innovative but classic; and i'm just not sure that ondaatje fulfills the innovative/breakthrough part.
i don't find it a literary geek's dream novel (not that i am one, but if i was one, you know). and its just that....there are so many books that are better crafted,or exhibit more mastery.
Even though I wasn't here when you read the book by the other Canadian author, No Great Mischief, it still seems to everyone finds all too many connections between the two. When I think of art I think of something original, engaging, and altogether artistic. Yes, Ondaatje's "In the Skin of a Lion" has the flow and consistency of a beautiful novel, but is it work of art?
You can't go giving nobel prizes to every great book you read otherwise Dr. Suess books would be getting all of my votes! :)
As I think about Ondaatje’s In the Skin of a Lion and the Nobel Prize, the underlying question to whether the novel qualifies for a Nobel Prize would be: doe Ondaatje’s novel present a universal truth about human nature that enhances the quality of life itself? My initial response would be: no, it does not.
As disappointing this may sound to Mrs. Lavender, I cannot say that In the Skin of a Lion has left an imprint on my very soul that affects who I am as a person. Surely, it has presented many thought provoking ideas, but the book does not prove itself worthy for the most prestigious award any scholar can receive. The book does an outstanding job expressing the sorrows and the grievances of loss, and the struggle to find one’s identity through these hardships. In addition, it covers a variety of audiences—the rich, the poor, immigrants, non-immigrants, female, male, and many more. Though the book seems very much well written and well thought-out, that’s the precise reason for its fallout; it exceeds expectations but does not pass the boundaries of a “good book” and provide a celestial experience for its readers. Perhaps this is too high of a standard to achieve; maybe one should not feel such out-of-this-world experience from a novel. However, if a novel is to add something extra to the very existence of humanity and “enhance life,” it deserves to be more than just a well written book.
There has been only a few that truly changed the lives of people. But when those books did change the world, they have been given recognition that still lives on today. So, does Ondaatje’s In the Skin of a Lion prove itself to be a book meant to be remembered for ages and ages and centuries and on? Despite its positive qualities and thought provoking ideas, the answer is “no” for it has not achieved the status only a few novels have achieved in the past.
absolutely not; it in no way will affect its readers so thoroughly as to have them affect the earth in a meaningful way. I actually do not think by it s standards the noble prize could be awarded anywhere but the bible and self-help books. Of course their are a few exceptions. Also I believe that the noble prize has been turned into a popularity award for those books which have an artistic quality and have been extremely popular.
Pathetic pathetic award which is sought after for no purpose....
In the skin of a lion was creatively written by Michael Ondaatje and I do appreciate his style and his devotion to his work however, I don’t believe this book is worthy of a Nobel Prize. In my opinion the book is sort of cliché though Michael Ondaatje does approach the novel a bit differently like with a lot of profound symbolisms and embedded truths. It seems very redundant as he emphasizes on the theme of searching for truth and identity which is repeated often in literature and even movies. He does stick to a very nice style of writing the novel where he’s able to intertwine sex scenes with deeper meanings that help with characterization and help to understand life’s journey even more. He’s also able to use literary devices that work very well to emphasize the theme about man’s search for identity and truth. Also, since Michael Ondaatje embeds very profound truths in his novel, it’s very hard for the reader to understand the novel and its importance at the first try reading it. This could be another thing that hinders it from officially earning a Nobel Prize. Its complexity could be a good thing but also a hindrance to its success. I think though the book is impressively written it doesn’t really have the capability to “change” people’s lives. Especially with its complexity and profound truths it’s even harder to impact a wide range of people and since this book doesn’t necessarily better the life of people on earth with a “newly” found mastery I don’t think In the Skin of a lion deserves a Nobel Prize.
I don't think "In the Skin of a Lion" by Michael Ondaatje qualifies for the Nobel Prize. This is strictly my opinion, but I did not feel like this novel stood out among all the other books we read in class. To me, it had the same Canadian feeling as "No Great Mischief." It wasn't a "newly found mastery," but a sort of a cliche. In my opinion, "The Stranger" by Albert Camus, which was awarded Nobel Prize, was very different from any other books I have read and challenged me to think in a different way. I don't think "In the Skin of a Lion" achieved that. Also, the novel talks about loss of identity, love, and hardships, which I think are very redundant topics for a theme of a novel.
I think "In the Skin of a Lion" should be considered for the Nobel Prize. Ondaatje has created mastery in his characters because they are so believable and in the poetic way that he weaves the story togehter. Though the theme of identity has been in novels for centuries, I think the message that there can be a transformation and hope if you grapple with your grief is profound in the way that it is presented because it's so applicable to real life. I think the problem is that I lack the life experiences that would make this book have a big impact in my life as I have been fairly sheltered for my life and I've not been exposed to the grief or real world situations presented in the novel. However for a vast majority of people I think if they really dug into the novel and pondered it, it would 'better life on earth by [the] newly found mastery'. The impactful question the book presented to me is what does it really mean to grapple with your grief? and how is anyone supposed to do that in real life? I think the answer would be something that would 'better lives'.
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