Reviews with content warning for Racism - Disgrace

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Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

32 reviews

emilystsa's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Disgrace isn't a book I would ever pick up or have any interest to read autonomously; but having read it for my English Lit course, I can understand the book's importance and popularity. Can I say I enjoyed it? No? I'm not sure. It's definitely a tough read, especially for a female reader, but the writing style and plot devices make it a somewhat entertainting story despite the glaring flaws of its narrator.

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saskiahill's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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arnolevin's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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celaeno's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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guardachuva's review

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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_f_rancesca_200_2's review

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challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This is exactly the kind of book that I feel would really benefit from a reader or short op-ed to accompany it. Up until the end of the book, I was doing alright and invested in how the story would conclude, but was left thinking "What's the dying dog supposed to represent??" which I think is never a good sign. It felt like the book was missing a couple of scenes, or even an extra chapter. Had I found the final chapter more engaging I would have given this maybe 3.5 stars, because it is a very interesting book. The plot at times moved very quickly and there were some reveals where I could not put the book down. I really hated the main character - which you're absolutely supposed to - and found him misogynistic, predatory, narcissistic and frequently racist. However, the author does a great job of forcing you to root for him as he attempts to unravel mysteries surrounding a genuinely heinous crime and try and seek justice for his much nicer daughter - you're rooting for him for the sake of her, until she reminds you that she has a will of her own and actually doesn't always want her father's input and interference. This book is also interesting because it feels like you're watching a man's very believable psychological breakdown. Perhaps the (for me) unclarifying, confusing and anticlimactic ending ensures that the main character does not reach some clear character arc of moral redemption, which he does not deserve. This is not a book about learning to change your ways. It is an insight into how the legacy of South Africa's history gets overlayed on top of and refracted through modern interpersonal conflicts. For a non-South African that was a big positive, and I would cautiously recommend this for anyone willing to sit with a chauvinistic male narrator and an ambiguous ending.

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swaggypsyduck's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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surdiablo's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Where do I even begin... It's one of the most disturbing books I have read so far, which didn't even enter the gratuitous territory. As dark as it was, I was also intrigued by the premise, a cautious curiosity that turned into excruciating misery as the plot progressed, leaving me emotionally exhausted and numb by the end. The writing is simple but effective with good pacing, and there's a permanent sense of dread throughout the book which was well done. This book evoked such an abundance of discussions in our read-along, and I simply can't talk further about it without getting into spoilers, so it's best to stop reading here if you haven't read it.

We follow the POV of

David Lurie, an English professor in his 50s who loves seducing young women, especially his students, which sets the unsettling tone right from the beginning. We get to see his thought process in detail and also his fall from grace, how he keeps digging a hole for himself constantly with his actions. How he abuses that position of power over others and remains egotistic until there's a change of environment that puts him in a helpless spot, a rather severe reverse of his old circumstances theme-wise, which you may or may not sympathize with. The book also delves into post-apartheid South Africa so it offers a rather bleak insight into the social environment back then. David always felt like an outsider because of his interests and upbringing in general, which made him feel alienated in the city, and even more in the countryside. We see him struggle to deal with the injustices and his daughter Lucy's choices, which the reader may also have trouble accepting at first, but by the end, I found the entire arc of Lucy to be tragic. She's a traumatized woman who thinks she has no choices left or simply doesn't want to leave the place she loves. She submits to her fate just like the dogs that David held onto during their dying breath. As for David, he seeks solace in the poems he teaches and there are moments where we see the humanity in him come out. With the way the book ends, you can say he's on the road to redemption, although I couldn't bring myself to root for him regardless of his choices

.

Ultimately, it's indeed a disgrace. The MC, the situation, and the society itself that normalized this moment, all of them are terrible. This book pulls no punches, wastes no words, and shows you the dark reality of life. It makes you question your values and leaves you very conflicted about what to feel regarding the MC, although I felt plenty of empathy for his daughter. I don't have more to say, it's just one of those books that leaves you broken. You can expect several triggering events like animal cruelty as well, so don't bother reading this if you are easily affected by such things.

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calcijade's review

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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embla_sigun's review

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challenging dark reflective tense

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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