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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
need to reread years from now because I'm pretty sure everything I hated was just due to it being an audiobook with poor narration
Still, after all this time, one of my favorites. Only gets better. And more disturbing.
I have not hated a character as much I hate David Lurie in a loooonnngggg time. A disgusting misogynist who cares more about the bodies of dead dogs than he does the souls of women. An empty lech who only values the appearance of women. This book was beautifully written and is shockingly blasé about living through horrific trauma. A great character study… but also an honest look at the evils of men (which comes in all different variations on a theme).
this is the most depressing book that I have ever read
Without a doubt one of the most wonderful books I've ever read. I know this is not a book I would have been likely to have picked on my own--I tend to go in the opposite direction. However, the two "middle-aged male" novels I have allowed myself to read have both been wonderful. I think the mind of the middle-aged man is such an intriguing thing for me. Naturally, who am I to say it's authentic, but it does completely pull me in and consume me.
In addition to be one of the most spectacular books I'll ever read, I feel confident saying it was the most difficult, too. There were moments of sheer pain associated with this book.
Multi-themed and as plied as an onion, the associations of life and death, manifested in the ethanization of dogs as well as the brutal murder of six dogs, was nearly impossible for me. Several late nights were involved and I feel confident I've given myself a hand-full of new "concern" wrinkles between my brows.
However, the passages are necessary. Like reading information on the meat and dairy industry, avoiding this knowledge doesn't make it cease, and to read it seemed the only sensible thing to do. It was a perfect tie-in to the devistation of this book, the helplessness that's associated with these characters, so desolate, unstoppable, yet at some level there's a shard of relief to it--the only possible egress.
As a woman perhaps it would be more level-headed of me to focus on the demise of the character Lucy. Or, perhaps demise isn't the appropriate word, but surrender. Personally a plethora of mixed emotions accompanied every passage which revealed more of Lucy's personality. At one level I identified with her, her plight of solitude, to be her own person, rather than a "minor" character. On another level I despised aspects of her, but could not deny there was al ways a level of understanding involved.
To not beat one's head against same wall, to grow, to learn--perhaps there is a level of "giving in" required for aging gracefully, or becoming who we are destined to be.
In the end, I got the impression they all drown. Sad though it was, there was no other option, I suppose. Part of me was enraged with the last passage of this book--the notion of willingly giving up everything simply because you know eventually it will be stripped from you--while I understand the logic, I wanted nothing more than for David, Lucy, Bev and even the music loving dog, to rise up and fight--for rights, futures, happiness. The very idea that every man or woman (or dog) has the right to a pursuit of happiness--well, this book strips every man and thing of this idea. It is not a South African theme, but an American notion. These people are not happy, nor will they ever be, and, more over, they do not seem to have ever been. Perhaps that is reality.
This book was not a happy one, but incredibly thought provoking. I am very glad I've read it, it's definately one of the sorts that make you stronger, more in tune to who you are. But so hard.
In addition to be one of the most spectacular books I'll ever read, I feel confident saying it was the most difficult, too. There were moments of sheer pain associated with this book.
Multi-themed and as plied as an onion, the associations of life and death, manifested in the ethanization of dogs as well as the brutal murder of six dogs, was nearly impossible for me. Several late nights were involved and I feel confident I've given myself a hand-full of new "concern" wrinkles between my brows.
However, the passages are necessary. Like reading information on the meat and dairy industry, avoiding this knowledge doesn't make it cease, and to read it seemed the only sensible thing to do. It was a perfect tie-in to the devistation of this book, the helplessness that's associated with these characters, so desolate, unstoppable, yet at some level there's a shard of relief to it--the only possible egress.
As a woman perhaps it would be more level-headed of me to focus on the demise of the character Lucy. Or, perhaps demise isn't the appropriate word, but surrender. Personally a plethora of mixed emotions accompanied every passage which revealed more of Lucy's personality. At one level I identified with her, her plight of solitude, to be her own person, rather than a "minor" character. On another level I despised aspects of her, but could not deny there was al ways a level of understanding involved.
To not beat one's head against same wall, to grow, to learn--perhaps there is a level of "giving in" required for aging gracefully, or becoming who we are destined to be.
In the end, I got the impression they all drown. Sad though it was, there was no other option, I suppose. Part of me was enraged with the last passage of this book--the notion of willingly giving up everything simply because you know eventually it will be stripped from you--while I understand the logic, I wanted nothing more than for David, Lucy, Bev and even the music loving dog, to rise up and fight--for rights, futures, happiness. The very idea that every man or woman (or dog) has the right to a pursuit of happiness--well, this book strips every man and thing of this idea. It is not a South African theme, but an American notion. These people are not happy, nor will they ever be, and, more over, they do not seem to have ever been. Perhaps that is reality.
This book was not a happy one, but incredibly thought provoking. I am very glad I've read it, it's definately one of the sorts that make you stronger, more in tune to who you are. But so hard.
Es una novela durísima en la que el lector ha de estar dispuesto a lidiar con temas tan espinosos como la cultura de la violación, el abuso de poder, el machismo omnipresente, el racismo estructural y su contrapartida en forma de violencia, también racial. Muchas de estas cuestiones, además, están transitadas sobre la línea, en el terreno de los grises.
Es decir, que bien, lo que se dice bien, pues uno no lo pasa leyéndola… Es una historia que pone en aprietos morales, que remueve y que nos presenta una cara de la sociedad dramática y terrible, con un punto de vista de triste resignación. También es una novela sobre un momento y un lugar en transformación (Sudáfrica en los años 90) y sobre cómo un hecho fortuito puede cambiar tu vida.
Está narrada en tercera persona y se da voz a un personaje con una ética muy cuestionable, lo cual se presta a los típicos malentendidos que pueden identificar a dicho personaje con el propio autor. Esto ya me lo he encontrado en algunas reseñas.
Lo que menos me ha gustado es sentir que los personajes a menudo actúan de manera poco lógica; como guiados, unas veces, por un fatalismo un tanto impostado y, otras, por un extraño síndrome de Estocolmo; pero también sabemos que la vida a veces es exactamente eso.
Es decir, que bien, lo que se dice bien, pues uno no lo pasa leyéndola… Es una historia que pone en aprietos morales, que remueve y que nos presenta una cara de la sociedad dramática y terrible, con un punto de vista de triste resignación. También es una novela sobre un momento y un lugar en transformación (Sudáfrica en los años 90) y sobre cómo un hecho fortuito puede cambiar tu vida.
Está narrada en tercera persona y se da voz a un personaje con una ética muy cuestionable, lo cual se presta a los típicos malentendidos que pueden identificar a dicho personaje con el propio autor. Esto ya me lo he encontrado en algunas reseñas.
Lo que menos me ha gustado es sentir que los personajes a menudo actúan de manera poco lógica; como guiados, unas veces, por un fatalismo un tanto impostado y, otras, por un extraño síndrome de Estocolmo; pero también sabemos que la vida a veces es exactamente eso.
This was a lot. That’s the best way I can describe it.
This was really excellent. It was something I did not enjoy at all over of the first 100+ pages but was fully engrossed by the end. Great writing. I'll leave the plot synopsis to others.
Does Coetzee know how people talk to each other because this sure as hell ain’t it. The extreme level of discomfort created when reading this novel combined with the most unlikeable main character in the history of literature also don’t help the like ability of this novel.