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i read this for a college class. no one will argue that Coetzee isn't a deft hand at crafting sentences but my gods what a waste of time
An enigmatic story told mostly through dialogue about the boy David and his godfather Simon. The narrative hints at the title as being allegorical. There are mysterious events happening, the boy lisas things that don't make sense. And throughout the book, actual sayings of Jesus are sprinkled like I Am the Truth.
While the writing is excellent, and the narrative flows well and is interesting, I wanted a little but more explanation. Overall, good but only if you're willing to be a little underwhelmed and confused at the end.
While the writing is excellent, and the narrative flows well and is interesting, I wanted a little but more explanation. Overall, good but only if you're willing to be a little underwhelmed and confused at the end.
3,5*
I don't quite know what to make of this very strange book. For example: no one talks in normal dialogue, everyone is uttering all kinds of philosophical ideas all the time, speaking effortlessly in beautiful sentences.
But it was thought-provoking and I it enjoyed a lot. You have to see the book for what it is, and what it's setting out to do. I don't exactly know what Coetzee was setting out to do with this novel, but I think he succeeded nevertheless :-)
I don't quite know what to make of this very strange book. For example: no one talks in normal dialogue, everyone is uttering all kinds of philosophical ideas all the time, speaking effortlessly in beautiful sentences.
But it was thought-provoking and I it enjoyed a lot. You have to see the book for what it is, and what it's setting out to do. I don't exactly know what Coetzee was setting out to do with this novel, but I think he succeeded nevertheless :-)
Undoubtedly one of the greatest novelists ever...
"Five and three more. How many is that?"
"This time... this time..." says the boy in the same tiny, lifeless, voice, "it is eight."
"Good. Write 'Conviene que yo diga la verdad - I must tell the truth.' Write it. 'Con-viene.'"
Writing from left to right, forming the letters clearly if slowly, the boy writes: Yo soy la verdad - I am the truth.
A man and a boy arrives, washed clean of their past, as everyone is after an ocean voyage, into a new community where they are assigned new names, and through the goodwill of others find their place in this new life. But for the man, something is missing, and for the boy a lot is missing... the foundation of knowing his parents being paramount. The boy has a lot of questions, and the man has a lot of patience answering them. The man is also on the lookout for the boys mother, whom he will know when he meets here, not having seen her before, or even known her name...
A fabulous delving into the foundations of who we are and where we come from. Philosophical fiction at its finest.
"Five and three more. How many is that?"
"This time... this time..." says the boy in the same tiny, lifeless, voice, "it is eight."
"Good. Write 'Conviene que yo diga la verdad - I must tell the truth.' Write it. 'Con-viene.'"
Writing from left to right, forming the letters clearly if slowly, the boy writes: Yo soy la verdad - I am the truth.
A man and a boy arrives, washed clean of their past, as everyone is after an ocean voyage, into a new community where they are assigned new names, and through the goodwill of others find their place in this new life. But for the man, something is missing, and for the boy a lot is missing... the foundation of knowing his parents being paramount. The boy has a lot of questions, and the man has a lot of patience answering them. The man is also on the lookout for the boys mother, whom he will know when he meets here, not having seen her before, or even known her name...
A fabulous delving into the foundations of who we are and where we come from. Philosophical fiction at its finest.
1. This is a novel.
2. It is not about Jesus.
3. Its depiction of a father-son relationship between people thrust together by fate is poignant.
4. But the story is underdeveloped.
2. It is not about Jesus.
3. Its depiction of a father-son relationship between people thrust together by fate is poignant.
4. But the story is underdeveloped.
Good lord this book is a SLOG. Characters you don't attach to and a storyline that's boring at best. Thanks, but no thanks.
really really absurd/bizarre but not like Beckett because it's so grounded and mundane, the practical details of Simon's work at the docks and the boy's education. I don't love how Coetzee's characters are prone to becoming signifiers of a loftier idea/philosophy far more than real, emotional and natural people but there were soooo many interesting conversations in this to make up for that. made plenty of notes on Bear but I would say this book was rather peculiar but I kind of embraced its peculiar quality.
Strange and unsatisfying. The writing is simplistic and Coetzee makes it clear that the philosophically-inclined passages are the real bones of the story, while the nature of David is the great question mark. Make of it what you will, I didn't come away much wiser.