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artdeco's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I understood the ending or the general meaning because huh
felt more like an allegory than an actual novel
murakami-esque in both a good and bad way
felt more like an allegory than an actual novel
murakami-esque in both a good and bad way
aaronbk's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
karinlib's review against another edition
2.0
Paul, riding his bike is hit by a car, and his leg takes the brunt of the crash. The doctors have to amputate, and Paul refuses to have a prosthesis. I had tried to read this book years ago, but I wasn't able to get through it. Even this time, I felt I had to force myself to finish it. One of the reviewers thought that this book was magical realism, and I see the point.
While Paul is recovering he requires a lot of in home care. Paul falls in love with his nurse, and a woman named Elizabeth Costello walks in on his life off the street, begins orchestrating his life.
While Paul is recovering he requires a lot of in home care. Paul falls in love with his nurse, and a woman named Elizabeth Costello walks in on his life off the street, begins orchestrating his life.
slichto3's review against another edition
2.0
This is a weird and unpleasant book. It seems to have a lot of different ideas, but doesn't really fully follow through on any of them. Still, it's thought-provoking, I guess.
Paul Rayment is our protagonist. On the very first page of the novel, Paul is struck by a car while bicycling. He ends up losing part of a leg (above the knee). Paul used to be an active guy, but after losing his leg he struggles to get around and gets morose. He's provided a nurse, Marijana, and ends up becoming infatuated with her. He thinks that it's love. Marijana is married with three children. One day, he offers to pay for boarding school for one of Marijana's children. Marijana asks - why would you pay for it? And Paul says that he loves her. It's awkward and inappropriate. Marijana leaves, and we wonder: what will happen next?
What happens next is weird. Elizabeth Costello, presumably the author of the story that Paul is living in, shows up. She inserts herself into Paul's life and exhorts him to be more active in his story. Paul resists. He wants to move more methodically, more slowly (get it: Slow Man! It works on so many levels). They argue a lot about this - neither changes their mind.
Paul navigates how to handle his unwelcome advance towards Marijana, and tries to determine what to do about Elizabeth Costello and her mysteries. Eventually, the novel concludes.
My biggest gripe about the book is how unrelatable it all becomes. At first, it's very easy to empathize with Paul. The story seems like it really connects with him, and you get a feel for the hopelessness that's beginning to envelope him, and his anger and difficulty to accept this random tragedy. When Elizabeth shows up, though, the book becomes completely unrealistic and difficult to connect to. Are the things happening in the story even really happening? I was unclear about this very basic fact. This all comes to a head very quickly when Elizabeth introduces Paul to Marianna, another character in the book with an oddly similar name to Paul's nurse.
Apparently, Paul had noticed Marianna when he was first at the hospital and thought that she was very attractive. Elizabeth explains that Marianna suffered her own tragedy: she had tumors around her eyes, and ended up having at least one removed. She is blind and feels unattractive, but she still has strong sexual urges. She explains to Paul that, instead of Marijana, he could be with Marianna instead. How fortuitous!
Paul is a little reluctant, but ultimately agrees, so Elizabeth brings Marianna over. At this point, she explains that, first, Paul has to put on a blindfold because Marianna is a bit shy of her appearance, and, second, that Paul actually will have to pay Marianna for this experience. Paul doesn't seem particularly thrown by either revelation. He and Marianna have sex, he gives her money, and she leaves. This doesn't have a strong effect on the story - Paul continues to be into Marijana and doesn't think seriously of Marianna again. But what was going on?! This whole section is difficult to understand or feel for because it is so weird. It makes Paul, Marianna, and Elizabeth all completely unbelievable. It gets better after that, but there's still a strong feeling that this a story of a story that's very aware that it's a story. Thus, you're more aware that it's a story and that what happens in it doesn't really matter. Not a strong recipe for success.
Further, the book plods. It's dull, and it doesn't move fast. It's already feeling this way a little before Elizabeth shows up. Once she shows up, it gets even worse, because there are many chunks of the book where Elizabeth complains, essentially, that Paul and the book are too boring, and Paul wonders what Elizabeth really expects of him. It puts a fine point on the tedium of the book. The book knows it's boring, and points out that it's boring in the hope that you'll find this wink an interesting wrinkle in the plot. I didn't think so.
On the same note, there are so many arguments in the novel. I heard once that arguments are kind of like stateless conversations. Nothing really changes with them, they're just churn. Well, that's what you get in Slow Man, especially between Paul and Elizabeth. Argue, argue, argue, play coy, play coy, play coy. It's boring the first time, and gets worse afterwards.
The plot is actually fairly interesting, if awkward. Paul's actions are uncomfortable. I wish he had seen and acknowledged how awkward and inappropriate his actions were. Still, most in that same position would not recognize that, so I found it believable, if frustrating. If the book stuck with this plot without the whole addition of Elizabeth, I think I would have enjoyed it more.
I wouldn't recommend Slow Man. Are other books by Coetzee better?
Paul Rayment is our protagonist. On the very first page of the novel, Paul is struck by a car while bicycling. He ends up losing part of a leg (above the knee). Paul used to be an active guy, but after losing his leg he struggles to get around and gets morose. He's provided a nurse, Marijana, and ends up becoming infatuated with her. He thinks that it's love. Marijana is married with three children. One day, he offers to pay for boarding school for one of Marijana's children. Marijana asks - why would you pay for it? And Paul says that he loves her. It's awkward and inappropriate. Marijana leaves, and we wonder: what will happen next?
What happens next is weird. Elizabeth Costello, presumably the author of the story that Paul is living in, shows up. She inserts herself into Paul's life and exhorts him to be more active in his story. Paul resists. He wants to move more methodically, more slowly (get it: Slow Man! It works on so many levels). They argue a lot about this - neither changes their mind.
Paul navigates how to handle his unwelcome advance towards Marijana, and tries to determine what to do about Elizabeth Costello and her mysteries. Eventually, the novel concludes.
My biggest gripe about the book is how unrelatable it all becomes. At first, it's very easy to empathize with Paul. The story seems like it really connects with him, and you get a feel for the hopelessness that's beginning to envelope him, and his anger and difficulty to accept this random tragedy. When Elizabeth shows up, though, the book becomes completely unrealistic and difficult to connect to. Are the things happening in the story even really happening? I was unclear about this very basic fact. This all comes to a head very quickly when Elizabeth introduces Paul to Marianna, another character in the book with an oddly similar name to Paul's nurse.
Apparently, Paul had noticed Marianna when he was first at the hospital and thought that she was very attractive. Elizabeth explains that Marianna suffered her own tragedy: she had tumors around her eyes, and ended up having at least one removed. She is blind and feels unattractive, but she still has strong sexual urges. She explains to Paul that, instead of Marijana, he could be with Marianna instead. How fortuitous!
Paul is a little reluctant, but ultimately agrees, so Elizabeth brings Marianna over. At this point, she explains that, first, Paul has to put on a blindfold because Marianna is a bit shy of her appearance, and, second, that Paul actually will have to pay Marianna for this experience. Paul doesn't seem particularly thrown by either revelation. He and Marianna have sex, he gives her money, and she leaves. This doesn't have a strong effect on the story - Paul continues to be into Marijana and doesn't think seriously of Marianna again. But what was going on?! This whole section is difficult to understand or feel for because it is so weird. It makes Paul, Marianna, and Elizabeth all completely unbelievable. It gets better after that, but there's still a strong feeling that this a story of a story that's very aware that it's a story. Thus, you're more aware that it's a story and that what happens in it doesn't really matter. Not a strong recipe for success.
Further, the book plods. It's dull, and it doesn't move fast. It's already feeling this way a little before Elizabeth shows up. Once she shows up, it gets even worse, because there are many chunks of the book where Elizabeth complains, essentially, that Paul and the book are too boring, and Paul wonders what Elizabeth really expects of him. It puts a fine point on the tedium of the book. The book knows it's boring, and points out that it's boring in the hope that you'll find this wink an interesting wrinkle in the plot. I didn't think so.
On the same note, there are so many arguments in the novel. I heard once that arguments are kind of like stateless conversations. Nothing really changes with them, they're just churn. Well, that's what you get in Slow Man, especially between Paul and Elizabeth. Argue, argue, argue, play coy, play coy, play coy. It's boring the first time, and gets worse afterwards.
The plot is actually fairly interesting, if awkward. Paul's actions are uncomfortable. I wish he had seen and acknowledged how awkward and inappropriate his actions were. Still, most in that same position would not recognize that, so I found it believable, if frustrating. If the book stuck with this plot without the whole addition of Elizabeth, I think I would have enjoyed it more.
I wouldn't recommend Slow Man. Are other books by Coetzee better?
pao_mente's review against another edition
3.0
A veces lees un libro que te hace preguntar…. Como puede este señor haber ganado un Nobel? Con este libro? No se lo dieron a Borges, no se lo dieron a Fuentes y no se lo quieren dar a Murakami… pero esto gana? Aún no entiendo cuál fue el punto de este libro donde el protagonista, parte de lento, es insoportablemente indeciso, pasivo. Pensé que al menos el final sería más interesante.
superzygote's review against another edition
3.0
As always, I find it hard to relate to Coetzee's aging intellectual has-been male characters and their tortured, uncomfortable relationships with younger women. But Coetzee has such a marvelous command over the English language that I can always lose myself in the language if not in the characters. He can convey in a few sparse sentences what it takes other writers entire paragraphs.
This novel felt more intensely personal than his other works, and seemed set against a much smaller worldview as a backdrop. Also, Elizabeth Costello reappears, but I never really quite figured out what to make of her.
This novel felt more intensely personal than his other works, and seemed set against a much smaller worldview as a backdrop. Also, Elizabeth Costello reappears, but I never really quite figured out what to make of her.
nattynatchan's review against another edition
3.0
metafictional Disgrace with a reversal of the sexual/power dynamic
tani's review against another edition
1.0
I hate to say this, but I really did not like this book. This had nothing to do with the writing style, which was quite lovely at times. It had to do with the main character. One of the main reasons that I read is to gain some kind of understanding or sympathy for the characters of the book. Unfortunately, Paul Rayment was a character I just couldn't sympathize with. I usually don't say this kind of thing, but I really felt like I was outside the intended audience, which must have been male, older, and immigrant/Australian. Every single time I started to be drawn into the story, he would think something that would remind me of just how much I disliked him. Sure, making you like the main character doesn't necessarily make for good literature, but making you dislike the main character isn't exactly productive either.
I say to say that unlike some of the other people, I actually didn't mind the addition of Elizabeth Costello, though. She made things a little more interesting for a while, even if my interest was short-lived.
I say to say that unlike some of the other people, I actually didn't mind the addition of Elizabeth Costello, though. She made things a little more interesting for a while, even if my interest was short-lived.
johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
4.0
For 70-odd pages, Nobel-er Coetzee’s 2005 novel seems straightforward enough. Paul’s a 60ish photographer in Australia who loses his leg in a bicycle accident. As he’s adjusting (poorly), he falls for his Croatian caregiver, rekindling something like passion in his life. So far, so good—until the off-the-rails entrance of novelist Elizabeth Costello from Coetzee’s previous book. The uninvited—& unwelcome—cranky writer forces Paul to take stock of himself. She challenges him (us?) to be the lead in his own narrative. Is Paul in a Costello book? Weird, sure, but unexpectedly moving & profound. It crept up on me.