In the last few years, a few names have been falling very short of it. Among them:

Carlos Fuentes
Hugo Claus
Juan Carlos Onetti

What have you to say on the matter ?

Did Italo Calvino ever get it? I think he would be a good choice. Also, he may be a bit too recent, but I think Murakami should get one before too long. One last one, did Borges ever win? He would definately be worthy if he hasn't already won.

No one mentioned has won. They often use criteria (social significance, protests of injustice, etc.) which makes it difficult to predict. I'm amazed that Marquez won all the way back in 1982.

Borges definately needs to win, although he's dead, so I guess there's not too much of a hurry.

I thought of another person who probably should be up for the award soon. Milan Kundera. An absolutely amazing writer, Unbearable Lightness of Being has to be one of the very best books of the last 50 years. I've read it twice already and plan on going back to it soon. Made a pretty good movie also. He has many other great books also, although his book testaments betrayed, about respecting the wishes of artists, really bothers me. I understand his point when he says that Kafka's work should have been destroyed when he died as he asked, but I can't imagine not having the few books that Kafka did write.

The prize has gotten so political in nature, I think, but then, what do I know. LOL I know books, but not much about politics.

I think the great Irish writer, William Trevor should win and I'm surprised Peru's Mario Vargas Llosa has yet to win the Nobel.

Here's what Ladbrokes has to say about last year (Pamuk won, of course):

Adonis 4/1
Orhan Pamuk 5/1
Joyce Carol Oates 6/1
Jean Marie Gustav Le Clezio 7/1
Haruki Murakami 8/1
Thomas Transtromer 8/1
Inger Christensen 9/1
Amos Oz 10/1
Ko Un 10/1
Philip Roth 10/1
Ryszard Kapuscinski 10/1

I'm pulling for Roth, my favorite author, next year. Of course, he's coming out with a new (and final) Zuckerman novel this year, so perhaps that will help. I also think Kapuscinski died; since the award is not given posthumously, I would think his chances will have significantly decreased.

But of course Pinter came out of nowhere two years ago, too. So who knows?

hey, unKeMPt, welcome to the forums; great to have another reader with taste..

You like Roth? he was my choice of author to quote over on the 'guess the book' thread.
Got a bit of dissent from the boys over ol' Phil.....what's yr favourite...

Usually, I like to claim The Counterlife as my favorite, but The Human Stain, Operation Shylock, American Pastoral, and of course Portnoy's all have a special place in my heart. Whenever I'm recommending Roth, I usually go for Portnoy or The Plot Against America, as I believe they're probably the most compulsively readable (aside from Shylock, but one should probably have a love of politics to get the most enjoyment out of that one). For my money, though, I think The Counterlife is an absolutely ingenious piece of metafiction and I personally love with how Roth deals with the theme of identity -- I think it's his deepest work.

of course I wouldn't be opposed if Kundera won, either.