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meatspaceproblems's review against another edition
Evocative, infuriating, cruel and strong. Def not a favorite or something to reread, but absolutely no regrets pushing through and being totally engrossed. Very much about where power settles as we age/society changes. Plan on reading more from this author, but my heart can’t take returning to this even though so much of it is sticking in my mind.
couuboy's review against another edition
5.0
The kind of book that keeps you up at night considering the tests of character that life hurls at you. Well, I hope I’ve done enough…
stephibabes's review against another edition
5.0
This left me feeling hollow. My feelings towards characters changed without me even really realising as I was so absorbed. I will definitely be seeking out other novels by Coetzee!
gadicohen93's review against another edition
3.0
I've rarely come across a book this evocatively written, with such well-developed characters, set in such a distinctive setting, and probing such (arguably) fundamental questions, that I felt so tepidly about.
Perhaps it was the protagonist -- an objectionable guy, a literature professor who practices his hedonism with total disregard for his effect on others. But despite the way he exploits and "Cat Person"s his student, and despite his neglect of his daughter, blindness to her needs, and denial of her autonomy, the professor is someone I identified with. He is in a constant state of thought, always trying to balance his desires and actions with the way they fit into his framework of the world.
But perhaps this was the problem -- this "framework", the character's constant and seemingly offhand attempts to observe and understand the society around him. E.g., a foreshadowing:
Yes, his thinking is often dirtied by puerile and even despicable ideas, as demonstrated here. That's not the part that bothered me. I think what bothered me is how the character eventually became so useless, so isolated, so nearly irredeemably disgraced so as to render all of his ideas -- not just the barefaced despicable ones -- as silly and trivial. His redemption (is there a redemption? This seems like a question ripe for book club consensuses) is unbelievable; his trials and tribulations feel "sloppily" plotted -- maybe in the way that life can resemble a rambling course, but more in the way that symbols and motifs and moments of buried character insights flow out casually.
Anyway. 3.5 stars for a book I can acknowledge as great.
Perhaps it was the protagonist -- an objectionable guy, a literature professor who practices his hedonism with total disregard for his effect on others. But despite the way he exploits and "Cat Person"s his student, and despite his neglect of his daughter, blindness to her needs, and denial of her autonomy, the professor is someone I identified with. He is in a constant state of thought, always trying to balance his desires and actions with the way they fit into his framework of the world.
But perhaps this was the problem -- this "framework", the character's constant and seemingly offhand attempts to observe and understand the society around him. E.g., a foreshadowing:
A risk to own anything: a car, a pair of shoes, a packet of cigarettes. Not enough to go around, not enough cars, shoes, cigarettes. Too many people, too few things. What there is must go into circulation, so that everyone can have a chance to be happy for a day. That is the theory; hold to the theory and to the comforts of theory. Not human evil, just a vast circulatory system, to whose workings pity and terror are irrelevant. That is how one must see life in this country: in its schematic aspect. Otherwise one could go mad. Cars, shoes; women too. There must be some niche in the system for women and what happens to them.
Yes, his thinking is often dirtied by puerile and even despicable ideas, as demonstrated here. That's not the part that bothered me. I think what bothered me is how the character eventually became so useless, so isolated, so nearly irredeemably disgraced so as to render all of his ideas -- not just the barefaced despicable ones -- as silly and trivial. His redemption (is there a redemption? This seems like a question ripe for book club consensuses) is unbelievable; his trials and tribulations feel "sloppily" plotted -- maybe in the way that life can resemble a rambling course, but more in the way that symbols and motifs and moments of buried character insights flow out casually.
Anyway. 3.5 stars for a book I can acknowledge as great.
jcc23's review against another edition
4.0
Novela muy dura de leer pero disfrutable, no apta para personas sensibles. Trata temas como el abuso del poder y la problemática de si debemos resignarnos a las injusticias o hacerles frente y combatirlas. Excelente el arco del personaje principal. Me hubiera gustado que la historia se extendiera varias páginas más. Del autor he leído también Foe, El hombre lento y sus novelas autobiográficas, todas recomendables, pero esta sin duda las supera.
lulu665's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shes_book_obsessed's review against another edition
2.0
Vanære
⭐️⭐️
Så mange refleksjoner og referanser jeg ikke orker å holde styr på.
⭐️⭐️
Så mange refleksjoner og referanser jeg ikke orker å holde styr på.
siggerella's review against another edition
3.0
Masterful writing; extremely hard to read subject matter. As a reader, I was torn between utter disgust at the main character, David Lurie, and awe at Coetzee’s skill in writing characters that embody the complexity of post-apartheid (and, more generally, post-conflict) life. A part of me was compelled to finish this book; another part of me wanted to avert my eyes from the volatility and turmoil that fills the plot. I can’t say I enjoyed this novel but I will admit to admiring it.