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A review by demo
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
4.5
cw: sexual assault, animal deaths, violence and gore
Disgrace is a punch to the gut. It is confronting, exasperating and uncomfortable. It offers no hero, no one you can truly get behind and rally for. The characters are flawed, disappointing, unappealing, destructive, and make terrible decisions, which is further emphasised when presented alongside the good and pure nature of animals. But instead of exploiting the characters' short-comings and their trauma for entertainment value Coetzee uses them with intent. This careful curation of the reader's discomfort is what makes the book so impactful.
Disgrace left me emotionally wiped for days after I finished it, borderline ill. I've never had such a strong physical reaction to reading a book before. It is a brilliant piece of writing but don't read it if you're in a bad place. It will do you no favours.
Disgrace is a punch to the gut. It is confronting, exasperating and uncomfortable. It offers no hero, no one you can truly get behind and rally for. The characters are flawed, disappointing, unappealing, destructive, and make terrible decisions, which is further emphasised when presented alongside the good and pure nature of animals. But instead of exploiting the characters' short-comings and their trauma for entertainment value Coetzee uses them with intent. This careful curation of the reader's discomfort is what makes the book so impactful.
Disgrace left me emotionally wiped for days after I finished it, borderline ill. I've never had such a strong physical reaction to reading a book before. It is a brilliant piece of writing but don't read it if you're in a bad place. It will do you no favours.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence