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dllh's review against another edition
3.0
It's a well-made book but not, for me, an especially interesting one. It's good-but-not-interesting in the way James is, I suppose. At least it's briefer.
katherineharnisch's review against another edition
reflective
slow-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
1.5
I’m sorry, this book was NOT it. The problem with this book does not lie in the actual content, but in what it is trying to achieve. This book was supposed to be about this man (John Coetzee, how original), but the actual time spent discussing him or reading about his life was minimal. I do know and agree that there is some merit to understanding a person through their family/friends/acquaintances, but we need to see those people interact (more than briefly) with the person in question to make that effective. Unfortunately this book did not do that.
Another problem I have with this book is that it was originally (and may still be) marketed as an autobiographical fiction book. I cannot wrap my mind around why that is, as only the smallest elements of this book seem to be true to the real Coetzee’s life. This is the third in a series, and the first two books were written as and marketed as memoir. So naturally, the reader expects that this will be heavily rooted in Coetzee’s life. For that, I feel tricked.
The writing itself was okay, which is why I am giving it a couple of stars. I did underline a few quotes (none from fictional Coetzee, since he barely showed up in his own book). In Margot’s section, she says, “…this is not a new source of pain, no, it returns again and again like a toothache, to the extent that it has now begun to bore her.” The secondhand emotional damage I received from that comment was…a lot lol
Anyway, marketing this as autobiographical fiction is ethically questionable at best, ethically reprehensible at worst. I don’t recommend reading this UNLESS you are fully aware that this does NOT follow Coetzee’s actual life. It is NOT autobiographical fiction and should never have been marketed as such.
maizie_77's review against another edition
reflective
slow-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
2.0
kaylamarnitz's review against another edition
reflective
slow-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
3.5
bettyvd's review against another edition
4.0
Heel erg van genoten.
De gekende stijl van Coetzee: uitgepuurd en droog. Maar ook nu weer het elegante spel met de perspectieven. Een roman over een biografie over een schrijver die misschien ook de auteur zelf is, maar misschien ook niet...Het boek doet nadenken over in welke mate het mogelijk is om iemand of jezelf te kennen. Een aanrader.
Gelezen in het Engels.
De gekende stijl van Coetzee: uitgepuurd en droog. Maar ook nu weer het elegante spel met de perspectieven. Een roman over een biografie over een schrijver die misschien ook de auteur zelf is, maar misschien ook niet...Het boek doet nadenken over in welke mate het mogelijk is om iemand of jezelf te kennen. Een aanrader.
Gelezen in het Engels.
harleyburch's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hollymarshall's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mazza57's review against another edition
3.0
The concept of someone writing his biography whilst it being auto biographical is clever. The use of just 5 people who knew him to tell his own story. All describe cooetze as a loner, poor at integration some take a stronger stance and say he is autistic. A good but not riveting read
davijar's review against another edition
4.0
A fictionalized biography, this book seems to obfuscate as much as it reveals. It features some beautiful prose, but the main draw is the way in which Coetzee interrogates every character in the book, including himself. The main issue revolves around the difficulty in communicating just about anything effectively: all characters struggle and fail to understand one another. This process gives us glimpses of truth, but only glimpses.
In this dance of confusion is found a very honest portrayal of human life. At the centre of the book is Coetzee himself, but whether we really get to know him is questionable. His actions and his life are interpreted by several rather tertiary players. We are left to wonder if this is Coetzee as he knows himself, as he feels others interpret him, or something else altogether. As with much of his work, these questions will never be answered.
In this dance of confusion is found a very honest portrayal of human life. At the centre of the book is Coetzee himself, but whether we really get to know him is questionable. His actions and his life are interpreted by several rather tertiary players. We are left to wonder if this is Coetzee as he knows himself, as he feels others interpret him, or something else altogether. As with much of his work, these questions will never be answered.
iammandyellen's review against another edition
3.0
to be read in conjunction with Coetzee's essay "Confession and the Double" fresh in the mind. have put it aside for the moment...