The Man Booker Prize is awarded to the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. It is not only one of literature's highest honors but quite lucrative as the winner takes home £50,000.
1. 2008 - Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
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The White Tiger approaches themes of class and race inequalities through the eyes and crudely cynical voice of Balram Halwai, a chauffer who recounts and accounts for the crimes of his past.
2. 2007 - Anne Enright, The Gathering
A epic portrait of a large Irish family grieving the loss of Liam, a brother drowned at sea.3. 2006 - Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
An aging judge and his family make their lives in a village at the foot of the Himalayas amidst a Nepalese insurgency.4. 2005 - John Banville, The Sea
The story of Max Morden, a middle-aged art historian, who attempts to face the trials of later life by flinging himself headlong towards the mysteries of his youth.5. 2004 - Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
In The Line of Beauty, Hollinghurst's gay antihero, Nick Guest, finds his life dramatically altered when he takes up residence with conservative Parliament member, Gerald Feddens, his wealthy wife and two children.6. 2003 - DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
Teenager, Vernon Little is pinned as an accomplice in a tragic high school shooting and splits for Mexico.7. 2002 - Yann Martel, Life of Pi
After the ship carrying his family from India to North America capsizes, Pi Patel finds himself alone in a lifeboat with a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.8. 2001 - Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
Australian folk hero / killer / outlaw, Ned Kelly scribbles his narrative on scraps of paper in semi-literate prose as he flees the police.9. 2000 - Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
A science fiction tale wrapped in a post-WWII narrative of two sisters, showcasing Atwood's ability for complex narrative.10. 1998 - Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
A prominent composer and editor come together at the funeral of a woman they both shared. Unforeseen consequences ensue.11. 1999 - J M Coetzee, Disgrace
A professor and his daughter struggle to survive and relate in post-apartheid Cape Town, South Africa.