J. M. Coetzee

[Igu Soni]

Coetzee is one of my favourite writers. Not because he is so much better, but because
a) his range of voices appeals to me.
b) He, with his Waiting for the Barbarians, got me into serious reading.
c) I found this forum by googling Disgrace.

He is a really depressed guy, judging from his books, but he handles that depression well, analysing it rigorously and in a detached(I spelt this wrong, didn't I?) manner. Very often, we see his own depression extending to the world and the world working its way into him.

Oeuvre:
Dusklands: A story in two parts, something like a rehash of Lord of the Flies. The first part is about a propaganda creator in the Vietnam war, and the second the story of a merchant/explorer in the early days of South African colonialism. Both of these pieces are highly psychedelic, and (surprisingly enough) come together quite well as a novel. My rating:
In The Heart of the Country: Set of diary entries of a lonely young woman trapped in a South African farm. Again, psychedelic. My rating:
Waiting for the Barbarians: A district magistrate of the border town of an unnamed empire trying to deal with Government officials wreaking havoc in the barbarian situation. Possibly his best(all such claims on general consensus).
Life & Times of Michael K: Black (never actually said in the book) hare-lipped not-too-bright young man finds true freedom. Second of three candidates for the title of his best.
Foe: Interpretative rehash of/sequel to Robinson Crusoe. Haven't read it.
Age of Iron: Dying college professor coming face-to-face with horrors of Apartheid. Haven't read it.
The Master of Petersburg: Written after Coetzee's son's death, account of the life of Dostoevsky right after his stepson's death. Too searing; coudn't finish it (because of lack of time, actually ).
Boyhood: Semi-memoir, vol I
Disgrace: Old man coming to terms with a new paradigm of power in his native South Africa. Third candidate for his best. (going to reread this properly in December).
Youth: Semi-memoir, vol II
Elizabeth Costello: Coetzee-ish female writer giving life-lessons or something of the sort. Couldn't get past the first chapter.
Slow Man: Some guy loses his leg, gets grumpy, Costello from above comes to help him. Will read after former.
Diary of a Bad Year: Arrogant author shown his place in life by hot young woman and snobby boyfriend in a delightfully experimental novel. , because the human story was a bit too thin.
Summertime: Semi-memoir, vol III (final one, it would seem).

Achievements:
First guy to get Booker twice(Life & Time of Michael K and Disgrace)
Won the Nobel in '03

He used to be South African, but has now shifted to Australia.

Threads here about his books:
Disgrace
Diary of a Bad Year
Elizabeth Costello
Waiting for the Barbarians
Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life

[Igu Soni]

Additional piece of info: Eric hates/is creeped out by this guy.

[Stiffelio]

I like Coetzee, to a certain extent. I find him uneven. Ironically, his best books - the early ones - are his less personal. His superb Waiting for the Barbarians reads like a re-make of Dino Buzzatti's The Desert of the Tartars. And his best book, The Life and Times of Michael K, is a direct homage to Kafka. I also read Disgrace, but was not all that impressed by it. I thought it was a clever but conceited book. I guess at some point I shall revisit Coetzee and give him another chance.

[Igu Soni]

I like Coetzee, to a certain extent. I find him uneven. Ironically, his best books - the early ones - are his less personal.

I like his first four best too.

His superb Waiting for the Barbarians reads like a re-make of Dino Buzzatti's The Desert of the Tartars. And his best book, The Life and Times of Michael K, is a direct homage to Kafka.

Thanks for reminding me: the title Waiting for the Barbarians was lifted from this brilliant poem.

I guess at some point I shall revisit Coetzee and give him another chance.

I'd suggest In the Heart of the Country, based on your preference of Waiting for the Barbarians.


Also, whoever put that flag, thanks; I didn't know whether to put Australian or South African.

[Stewart]

Also, whoever put that flag, thanks; I didn't know whether to put Australian or South African.

I chose South African. He may have attained Australian citizenship, but the majority of his life - not to mention his work - belongs in South Africa.

[Daniel del Real]

Coetzee is one of my favorite writers, although I've only read 5 of his books. His ability to describe the cruelty and the pain existance in the world is like no one else. His books are always full of anger, frustration and hope comes like a small window, not knowing if it will come or if it will last.
Personally, along with Pamuk, the best Nobel awarded this decade.
These are the books I've read in chronological reading order:

Waiting for the Barbarians
Disgrace
Life & Times of Michael K
Age of Iron
Slow Man

All of them are great novels, but I have to say my personal favorite is Disgrace

P.S. Don't worry, Eric is creeped out by everything that is not European

[Clarissa]

South African - I have read Coetzee - Disgrace, Life and Times of Michael K and The Master of St. Petersburg.The last one a far cry from South Africa as the title indicates. He is a very literary writer; by that I mean he refers to other writers either to their work or directly to the author himself. This is the case for The Master of St. Petersburg, where Dostoyevsky is the main protagonist.

Other South African writers whose work is worth reading, Andr? Brink, Breytenbach and, of course, Nadine Gordimer.

[miercuri]

I only read Disgrace, a very powerful book, in the sense that it strikes you. I couldn't put it down but at the same time it felt uncomfortable to read. One of the best I've read this year, I plan on reading The Life and Times of Michael K next.