A review by sloatsj
Elizabeth Costello by J.M. Coetzee

3.0

I enjoyed Elizabeth Costello – the ideas kept my interest despite the book being lean on plot and character development. The relationships the protagonist has with her son and sister seem like they ought to be explored, but instead they’re mostly abandoned, the characters being used only as instruments to play off Elizabeth Costello’s ideas and convictions. I found the second half of the book lost momentum. Still, Coetzee’s prose is marvelous, among the best being written, and I admire him in this book for doing something different. Recommendation: if you like “idea” novels, yes. If you need a story to propel your reading, no.