Disgrace: A Novel
by J. M. Coetzee
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Book Summary Information
Author: J. M. CoetzeeEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-08-27
ISBN: 0143115286
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of Disgrace: A Novel
Book Review: A Fall From Disgrace
Summary: 5 Stars
Many of the best books I have read leave you in a state of confusion at the end and "Disgrace" is no exception. The final indignity of this story left me murmuring aloud, "Why, why, why...?" at its fateful conclusion. At first I wondered why I had bothered reading it, but upon further reflection I am very glad that I did. This is the signature of a very good novel.
"Disgrace" is an allegory which professes not to be one. A bit like the logical conundrum, "This sentence is a lie." Well which is it then, if it's true it's a lie and if it's a lie then it must be true. This is a story about the many permutations of disgrace and the ways in which the human psyche reconciles reality with unwelcome life experiences. The title of the novel only really grabs ahold of your heart and twists after reading the final words of the story, which is when I ultimately realized what it was all really about.
In many ways this is a very sad fable although it is extremely well written throughout. The plot starts off slowly but then jerks the reader through a roller coaster of excitement and despair, with some sexual titillation mixed in for good measure. It is a story of the new South Africa. Of course Coetzee won the Nobel Prize for literature and this particular book won the Booker PrIze, so it hardly needs my recommendation. Still, I praise it wholeheartedly as a masterwork in the art of storytelling.
The funny thing is, although the plotline is rather depressing and the main character suffers the trials of Job, one comes out of it feeling strangely enlightened. I suppose that it reminds me of "The Life of Pi" in that respect and the writing reminds me a lot of Camus and Stegner, two of the best wordsmiths I have ever read. Perhaps my favorite line from the book appears smack dab in the middle of the story, "May people who do not believe in souls yet have them, and may their souls lead an independent life?" It's a question at the very heart of this remarkable novel.
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