Disgrace by J.M.Coetzee
Disgrace by J.M.Coetzee. Winner of the 1999 Booker Prize
Now, I have actually read this novel once before, way back in 2000 however all I seem to remember is being very unsatisfied with it. Acknowledging that reading tastes may change over time I decided to pick this novel back up – especially since it was shortlisted for the “Best of Booker” award. Maybe I was wrong, maybe…
No. I still don’t get this novel. I have read others glowing reviews, ‘Exhilarating” they say – I just can’t see it.
David Lurie is the middle-aged, academic, womanizing protagonist of the novel – he has an affair with a student and is disgraced. He retreats to his daughters farm on the East Cape (South Africa) where bad things occur. Now, I can see that the writing is very good, that Coetzee is making a comment on life in post-aparteid South Africa. But I found it very cold, everything seemed so sort of mean. What is with all the stuff about dogs? There is not a single person in the novel who’s actions made any sense to me – why was everyone just sort of letting stuff happen to them passively. I didn’t care at all about David’s Byron Operetta. The character of Petrus, annoyed me as much as he did David. Frustratingly, I wanted to know more of the female characters thoughts, so much is left unexplained. The only positive is the novel is short..
So, as you may have gathered this novel won’t make my list of favorite Booker prize winners. It also does not make me want to rush out and read more Coetzee, (please convince me if you think I am wrong…).
Another review from the Guardian Book Blog
2 stars
Next up : The Unknown Terrorist by Richard Flanagan
C.B. James said,
June 13, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Here I have to disagree. I loved this book. I would not act like any of the people in it, and to be honest I probably would not want them as friends, but I found their story compelling.
BTW: I think your reviews are very interesting and the books you read are too. I’m putting up a link to your site on my blog.
redheadrambles said,
June 13, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Great – I was hoping someone would disagree with me, because I know just about every review I have read of this novel is glowing…. I would love to be convinced that I was missing something.
Trevor Berrett said,
July 6, 2008 at 7:59 am
Hi Readhead. Thanks for visiting my blog! When I post my review of The Ghost Road, I’ll let you know because I would love your insight to help me like it more.
Also, though it’s also bleak, I enjoyed Coetzee’s The LIfe and Times of Michael K quite a bit. There was hidden beauty that I found more appealing than Disgrace . . . if you are at all tempted to give Coetzee another chance!
redheadrambles said,
July 6, 2008 at 8:16 am
Trevor,
I am always prepared to give an author another chance to win me over, in fact I read Disgrace twice with the hope of liking it more. So I will take your advice and put Michael K on my TBR list !