Tale Of A Tall List
The Crossword 2009 longlist looked more like a laundry list—a record 72 books listed in the fiction category, making it hard to spot the usual prize-winning types among the chicklit, ladlit, Chetan Bhagat, thrillers and folktales. The jury could not make up its mind on time, and no wonder—who can read through 72 books in six weeks?