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bub_9's review against another edition
3.0
I won't bother with a plot summary; there are enough of that already.
What makes Foe certainly worth reading is its subtlety. Unlike Coetzee's earlier works, he does not overtly discuss colonisation; instead, he gently introduces its concerns through the means of Friday, the African slave who accompanies Susan on the island. Yet I had my doubts about Friday: though he is bereft of speech, he did not too need to be stripped of character and personality in the way Coetzee treats him; while the mindless singing and flute-playing perhaps alludes to a comment on the exploitation of colonies and slavery, it also has the unfortunate effect of robbing us of Friday's story.
This is a shame because the novel is ultimately a comment on narratives. Coetzee demands (rather explicitly) that we examine more closely the mechanisms of storytelling, with Susan at times openly ruminating upon the fictive and fictitious devices and anecdotes storytellers of her day use to increase circulation of their allegedly true stories. Of course, we are not privy to the reality of the story she tells us - we can only assume from Coetzee that she tells us the truth. Nonetheless, even if Coetzee is rather heavy-handed in his approach - I'd say look to Barnes, for instance, for more careful critiques of narrativisation - he does give us a thought-provoking look at narrativisation.
Where the text falls rather flat for me is in the characters of Robinson and Friday. Perhaps there is more of a point to Robinson's peculiar behaviour than I am seeing, but if it is merely a mocking parody of the colonisers, then I am doubtful about its effectiveness - it seems rather too trope-ish, with Friday similarly falling into the role of the silenced native.
I do think, however, that Coetzee's ending chapter (very brief, at just four pages) is a masterstroke, some of the most well-written, best-conceived writing I have read in a while. Without giving too much away, Coetzee sublimely interrogates Friday's silence as well as the overriding concern of narrativisation. The book is worth reading simply for this ending chapter.
What makes Foe certainly worth reading is its subtlety. Unlike Coetzee's earlier works, he does not overtly discuss colonisation; instead, he gently introduces its concerns through the means of Friday, the African slave who accompanies Susan on the island. Yet I had my doubts about Friday: though he is bereft of speech, he did not too need to be stripped of character and personality in the way Coetzee treats him; while the mindless singing and flute-playing perhaps alludes to a comment on the exploitation of colonies and slavery, it also has the unfortunate effect of robbing us of Friday's story.
This is a shame because the novel is ultimately a comment on narratives. Coetzee demands (rather explicitly) that we examine more closely the mechanisms of storytelling, with Susan at times openly ruminating upon the fictive and fictitious devices and anecdotes storytellers of her day use to increase circulation of their allegedly true stories. Of course, we are not privy to the reality of the story she tells us - we can only assume from Coetzee that she tells us the truth. Nonetheless, even if Coetzee is rather heavy-handed in his approach - I'd say look to Barnes, for instance, for more careful critiques of narrativisation - he does give us a thought-provoking look at narrativisation.
Where the text falls rather flat for me is in the characters of Robinson and Friday. Perhaps there is more of a point to Robinson's peculiar behaviour than I am seeing, but if it is merely a mocking parody of the colonisers, then I am doubtful about its effectiveness - it seems rather too trope-ish, with Friday similarly falling into the role of the silenced native.
I do think, however, that Coetzee's ending chapter (very brief, at just four pages) is a masterstroke, some of the most well-written, best-conceived writing I have read in a while. Without giving too much away, Coetzee sublimely interrogates Friday's silence as well as the overriding concern of narrativisation. The book is worth reading simply for this ending chapter.
kilcannon's review against another edition
2.0
I barely remember it, honestly. I remember kind of liking it, but also missing the point, and finding the prose kind of squishy and unyielding.
This rating might be unfair, because I'm really enjoying the Coetzee book I'm reading now.
This rating might be unfair, because I'm really enjoying the Coetzee book I'm reading now.
trishayye's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
svetlanasterlin's review against another edition
5.0
"It is the home of Friday" - a sentence that had me breathless. The whole sequence to which this fragment belongs is incredible, and almost cinematic. Reading this book was a visceral experience.
I think that more important than the tale is the writing. The narrator/s tell the most unique stories from unique perspectives. Their voices are distinct and unusual.
The originality and new take on Robinson Crusoe is refreshing and clever. Readers are challenged and encouraged to think and consider, even though the reading itself is easy. The author constructs sentences in a seamless, flowing manner. I never found myself pausing to make sense of an awkward phrase, or distracted by sloppy punctuation, or rereading paragraphs until my brain processes them.
I am very glad that I read this book, and I feel much more informed for it. The insight offered readers by the narration widens the restrictions that society places on our minds. The sophistication, grace, and skill with which the story tellers impart their knowledge and experiences on readers make the experience of reading enjoyable.
The story itself is also engaging and interesting. From the first page, I felt immersed in the happenings of the story, the adventures of Susan, Friday, and Cruso. All of the characters intrigue me and are revealed to be complex, clever, and a little mysterious.
The author is very conscious of his words, of the language choices that he can make, and he wields words with such authority that I was unaware of the repetition of key phrases and emphasis of plot points until I finished reading the novel.
I highly recommend this book to everyone - seriously, this is an important book.
I rate this book 9.5/10.
I think that more important than the tale is the writing. The narrator/s tell the most unique stories from unique perspectives. Their voices are distinct and unusual.
The originality and new take on Robinson Crusoe is refreshing and clever. Readers are challenged and encouraged to think and consider, even though the reading itself is easy. The author constructs sentences in a seamless, flowing manner. I never found myself pausing to make sense of an awkward phrase, or distracted by sloppy punctuation, or rereading paragraphs until my brain processes them.
I am very glad that I read this book, and I feel much more informed for it. The insight offered readers by the narration widens the restrictions that society places on our minds. The sophistication, grace, and skill with which the story tellers impart their knowledge and experiences on readers make the experience of reading enjoyable.
The story itself is also engaging and interesting. From the first page, I felt immersed in the happenings of the story, the adventures of Susan, Friday, and Cruso. All of the characters intrigue me and are revealed to be complex, clever, and a little mysterious.
The author is very conscious of his words, of the language choices that he can make, and he wields words with such authority that I was unaware of the repetition of key phrases and emphasis of plot points until I finished reading the novel.
I highly recommend this book to everyone - seriously, this is an important book.
I rate this book 9.5/10.
carlotta_mah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
jonbot666's review against another edition
3.0
This is a retelling of the tale of Robinson Cursoe of which I am not incredibly familiar. For me it became solely about colonialism and how stories are stolen and retold in ways that are unrepresentative of the people it purports to speak for. History is merely “his story” which is one perspective. Colonialists having enjoyed a monopoly on information and history itself were able to weave whatever narratives they desired with little chance for any minority group to rebut. The lack of agency Africans in this work and the character’s assumption that they are unintelligent is representative of how colonialism views cultural differences upon invasion. Many cultures and peoples took decades and centuries to recoup. In the immediate aftermath, irrespective of ability, were thought unable to use their own voice; to be unworthy of telling a story, incapable of communication. This slight novella makes me want to read the source material and compare the telling of the tale of Cursoe to the dissection of its construction.
irina_maria's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
1.25
This book fell incredibly flat for me. It went by so fast and I feel as though I was left with barely anything. I can appreciate the budding ideas about the mechanism of a narrative, but everything else it attempts to convey is so on the nose that the whole thing comes across as mediocre. I think you have much more to gain (in terms of interesting narrative structures, meditations on life and the horrors of colonialism) by carefully reading Defoe's text.
summmmmmmeeerrrt's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
helenhawken's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0