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Scenes from Provincial Life #1
兀賷丕賲 丕賱氐亘丕
"賱賵丨丞 卮禺氐賷丞 賵丕賯毓賷丞 賵睾賳賷丞 毓賳 丕賱胤賮賵賱丞貙 鬲鬲賲丕賴賶 賲毓 噩賳賵亘 兀賮乇賷賯賷丕貙 賮賷賴丕 賲夭賷噩 賲賳 丕賱亘乇丕亍丞 丕賱賮胤乇賷丞 賵丕賱毓賳賮 丕賱賲賮乇胤".
"兀賷丕賲 丕賱氐亘丕 鬲毓乇囟 丕賱賴賵丕噩爻 賵丕賱鬲賳丕賯囟丕鬲 丕賱丨賳賯 賵賱丨馗丕鬲 丕賱爻毓丕丿丞 丕賱賳丕丿乇丞貙 賱丨賷丕丞 氐亘賷 賲丕 賯亘賱 丕賱亘賱賵睾貙 亘賵囟賵丨 賵亘乇丕亍丞 賵賲亘丕卮乇丞 丕賱兀胤賮丕賱".
"兀賷丕賲 丕賱氐亘丕 鬲毓乇囟 丕賱賴賵丕噩爻 賵丕賱鬲賳丕賯囟丕鬲 丕賱丨賳賯 賵賱丨馗丕鬲 丕賱爻毓丕丿丞 丕賱賳丕丿乇丞貙 賱丨賷丕丞 氐亘賷 賲丕 賯亘賱 丕賱亘賱賵睾貙 亘賵囟賵丨 賵亘乇丕亍丞 賵賲亘丕卮乇丞 丕賱兀胤賮丕賱".
191 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1997
148 people are currently reading
4,596 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Coetzee
197听books5,100听followersJ. M. Coetzee is a South African writer, essayist, and translator, widely regarded as one of the most influential authors of contemporary literature. His works, often characterized by their austere prose and profound moral and philosophical depth, explore themes of colonialism, identity, power, and human suffering. Born and raised in South Africa, he later became an Australian citizen and has lived in Adelaide since 2002.
Coetzee鈥檚 breakthrough novel, Waiting for the Barbarians (1980), established him as a major literary voice, while Life & Times of Michael K (1983) won him the first of his two Booker Prizes. His best-known work, Disgrace (1999), a stark and unsettling examination of post-apartheid South Africa, secured his second Booker Prize, making him the first author to win the award twice. His other notable novels include Foe, Age of Iron, The Master of Petersburg, Elizabeth Costello, and The Childhood of Jesus, many of which incorporate allegorical and metafictional elements.
Beyond fiction, Coetzee has written numerous essays and literary critiques, contributing significantly to discussions on literature, ethics, and history. His autobiographical trilogy鈥擝oyhood, Youth, and Summertime鈥攂lends memoir with fiction, offering a fragmented yet insightful reflection on his own life. His literary achievements were recognized with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003.
A deeply private individual, Coetzee avoids public life and rarely gives interviews, preferring to let his work speak for itself.
Coetzee鈥檚 breakthrough novel, Waiting for the Barbarians (1980), established him as a major literary voice, while Life & Times of Michael K (1983) won him the first of his two Booker Prizes. His best-known work, Disgrace (1999), a stark and unsettling examination of post-apartheid South Africa, secured his second Booker Prize, making him the first author to win the award twice. His other notable novels include Foe, Age of Iron, The Master of Petersburg, Elizabeth Costello, and The Childhood of Jesus, many of which incorporate allegorical and metafictional elements.
Beyond fiction, Coetzee has written numerous essays and literary critiques, contributing significantly to discussions on literature, ethics, and history. His autobiographical trilogy鈥擝oyhood, Youth, and Summertime鈥攂lends memoir with fiction, offering a fragmented yet insightful reflection on his own life. His literary achievements were recognized with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003.
A deeply private individual, Coetzee avoids public life and rarely gives interviews, preferring to let his work speak for itself.
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July 4, 2023
SCENE DI VITA DI PROVINCIA
David Coetzee, fratello dello scrittore J.M. Coetzee, in un ritratto realizzato dal premio Nobel. Tutte le foto sono scattate dal giovane J.M. Coetzee
Primo capitolo del romanzo autobiografia difficile capire quanto fittizia. Fantabiografia?
Ad accelerare il processo di crescita del giovane John, qui seguito in terza persona dai dieci ai tredici anni, 猫 la realt脿 del secondo dopoguerra nel suo paese natale, il Sudafrica.
Siamo in provincia, come indica il sottotitolo, che si protrae ad abbracciare anche i capitoli seguenti, 骋颈辞惫别苍迟霉 e Tempo d'estate. E con provincia s鈥檌ntende la periferia di Worcester, a centosessanta chilometri da Citt脿 del Capo.
A casa di un compagno.
John adora la madre in modo viscerale, ma per forza di cose non 猫 un sentimento sereno, quanto piuttosto un attaccamento morboso.
Anche perch茅 dall鈥檃ltra parte detesta suo padre, uomo manesco e irascibile dedito all鈥檃lcol, che gli suscita vera e propria (esagerata) rabbia.
Rabbia che scompare appena fuori dall鈥檃mbiente domestico, dove invece si presenta quasi implume, agnello.
E data la sua esasperata sensibilit脿, non ha vita facile ad adattarsi, a inserirsi, a fare parte.
St Joseph鈥檚 Marist College.
脠 l鈥檈t脿 dei primi turbamenti, vuoi per la religione e vuoi ancor pi霉 per la sessualit脿, il senso di inadeguatezza e il senso di colpa, vita amore e morte.
Con chi parlarne, con chi condividere?
Amare 猫 essere in una gabbia, correre avanti e indietro come un povero babbuino disorientato.
Il suo paese 猫 in pieno apartheid, e il nostro giovane bianco anche su questo tema non riesce ad abbracciare la posizione dominante della sua razza.
Ne risente l鈥檈ducazione scolastica che procede in solitario e autosufficienza: quasi come se John vivesse gi脿 nell鈥檃ttesa di partire per l'Europa.
Ros e Freek, nati nel Karoo, sulla spiaggia di Strandfontein 鈥� la prima volta che hanno visto il mare.
David Coetzee, fratello dello scrittore J.M. Coetzee, in un ritratto realizzato dal premio Nobel. Tutte le foto sono scattate dal giovane J.M. Coetzee
Primo capitolo del romanzo autobiografia difficile capire quanto fittizia. Fantabiografia?
Ad accelerare il processo di crescita del giovane John, qui seguito in terza persona dai dieci ai tredici anni, 猫 la realt脿 del secondo dopoguerra nel suo paese natale, il Sudafrica.
Siamo in provincia, come indica il sottotitolo, che si protrae ad abbracciare anche i capitoli seguenti, 骋颈辞惫别苍迟霉 e Tempo d'estate. E con provincia s鈥檌ntende la periferia di Worcester, a centosessanta chilometri da Citt脿 del Capo.
A casa di un compagno.
John adora la madre in modo viscerale, ma per forza di cose non 猫 un sentimento sereno, quanto piuttosto un attaccamento morboso.
Anche perch茅 dall鈥檃ltra parte detesta suo padre, uomo manesco e irascibile dedito all鈥檃lcol, che gli suscita vera e propria (esagerata) rabbia.
Rabbia che scompare appena fuori dall鈥檃mbiente domestico, dove invece si presenta quasi implume, agnello.
E data la sua esasperata sensibilit脿, non ha vita facile ad adattarsi, a inserirsi, a fare parte.
St Joseph鈥檚 Marist College.
脠 l鈥檈t脿 dei primi turbamenti, vuoi per la religione e vuoi ancor pi霉 per la sessualit脿, il senso di inadeguatezza e il senso di colpa, vita amore e morte.
Con chi parlarne, con chi condividere?
Amare 猫 essere in una gabbia, correre avanti e indietro come un povero babbuino disorientato.
Il suo paese 猫 in pieno apartheid, e il nostro giovane bianco anche su questo tema non riesce ad abbracciare la posizione dominante della sua razza.
Ne risente l鈥檈ducazione scolastica che procede in solitario e autosufficienza: quasi come se John vivesse gi脿 nell鈥檃ttesa di partire per l'Europa.
Ros e Freek, nati nel Karoo, sulla spiaggia di Strandfontein 鈥� la prima volta che hanno visto il mare.
August 11, 2024
賲賱禺氐 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賰丕賱丌鬲賷:
"兀賳丕 賰賳鬲 亘賱毓亘 賲毓 氐丨丕亘賷貙亘丕亘丕 賵丨卮貙賲丕賲丕 丨賱賵丞..
噩丿賴 賰丕賳 毓賳丿賴 賲夭乇毓丞..禺丕賱鬲賷 賵賯毓鬲 賵乇噩賱賷賴丕 丕鬲賰爻乇鬲 賵亘毓丿賷賳 賲丕鬲鬲.."
丕賱賲賮乇賵囟 廿賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲匕賰乇丕鬲 賱賰賵賷鬲夭賷 賲賳 兀賷丕賲 胤賮賵賱鬲賴 賵丕賱氐乇丕丨丞 丕賱丨丕噩丕鬲 丕賱賱賷 賰鬲亘賴丕 賱丕 鬲爻鬲丨賯 兀賳 鬲購賰鬲亘 賮賷 賰鬲丕亘 賲賳 佗贍贍 氐賮丨丞 兀賵 亘賲毓賳賷 兀氐丨 賱丕 鬲爻鬲丨賯 兀賳 鬲購賰鬲亘 兀氐賱丕賸!
賰鬲丕亘 賲賲賱 賵賲卮 賲賮賷丿 賵賱丕 賷賳氐丨 亘賴..
"兀賳丕 賰賳鬲 亘賱毓亘 賲毓 氐丨丕亘賷貙亘丕亘丕 賵丨卮貙賲丕賲丕 丨賱賵丞..
噩丿賴 賰丕賳 毓賳丿賴 賲夭乇毓丞..禺丕賱鬲賷 賵賯毓鬲 賵乇噩賱賷賴丕 丕鬲賰爻乇鬲 賵亘毓丿賷賳 賲丕鬲鬲.."
丕賱賲賮乇賵囟 廿賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲匕賰乇丕鬲 賱賰賵賷鬲夭賷 賲賳 兀賷丕賲 胤賮賵賱鬲賴 賵丕賱氐乇丕丨丞 丕賱丨丕噩丕鬲 丕賱賱賷 賰鬲亘賴丕 賱丕 鬲爻鬲丨賯 兀賳 鬲購賰鬲亘 賮賷 賰鬲丕亘 賲賳 佗贍贍 氐賮丨丞 兀賵 亘賲毓賳賷 兀氐丨 賱丕 鬲爻鬲丨賯 兀賳 鬲購賰鬲亘 兀氐賱丕賸!
賰鬲丕亘 賲賲賱 賵賲卮 賲賮賷丿 賵賱丕 賷賳氐丨 亘賴..
June 7, 2017
Boyhood (Scenes from Provincial Life #1), J.M. Coetzee
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕: 讴賵丿讴蹖 - 爻賴 诏丕賳賴 氐丨賳賴 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳 - 讴鬲丕亘 丕賵賱貨 倬爻乇丕賳诏蹖 - 爻賴 诏丕賳賴 氐丨賳賴 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳 - 讴鬲丕亘 丕賵賱貨
賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 噩蹖.丕賲. (噩丕賳 賲讴爻賵賱) 讴賵鬲爻蹖貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 賳賴賲 賲丕賴 丕讴鬲亘乇 爻丕賱 2006 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 讴賵丿讴蹖 - 爻賴 诏丕賳賴 氐丨賳賴 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳 - 讴鬲丕亘 丕賵賱貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 噩蹖.丕賲. (噩丕賳 賲讴爻賵賱) 讴賵鬲爻蹖貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲丨爻賳 賲蹖賳賵禺乇丿貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳卮乇 賯氐賴貙 1383貙 丿乇 184 氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇: 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賲蹖賱讴丕賳貙 1393貨 丿乇 142 氐貨 卮丕亘讴: 9786007443088貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕賮乇蹖賯丕蹖蹖 丕賳诏賱蹖爻蹖 - 亘乇賳丿賴 蹖 倬丕丿丕卮 賳賵亘賱 - 賯乇賳 20 賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 倬爻乇丕賳诏蹖 - 爻賴 诏丕賳賴 氐丨賳賴 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳 - 讴鬲丕亘 丕賵賱貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 噩蹖.丕賲. (噩丕賳 賲讴爻賵賱) 讴賵鬲爻蹖貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 卮賴賱丕 胤賴賲丕爻亘蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 讴鬲丕亘 倬賳噩乇賴貙 1393貙 丿乇 194 氐貨 卮丕亘讴: 9789647822725貨
爻賴 诏丕賳賴 氐丨賳賴 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳 讴賵鬲爻蹖 毓亘丕乇鬲賳丿 丕夭: 讴鬲丕亘 賳禺爻鬲: 讴賵丿讴蹖 (倬爻乇丕賳诏蹖)貨 讴鬲丕亘 丿賵賲: 噩賵丕賳蹖貨 讴鬲丕亘 爻賵賲: 鬲丕亘爻鬲丕賳 夭賳丿诏蹖貨
賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 讴賵趩賳丿诏丕賳 爻賮蹖丿 倬賵爻鬲 亘賴 丌賮乇蹖賯丕蹖 噩賳賵亘蹖 賴賱賳丿蹖鈥屬囏� 亘賵丿賳丿貙 讴賴 禺賵丿 乇丕 芦 亘賵卅乇 禄 賳丕賲蹖丿賳丿 (亘賵卅乇 亘賴 夭亘丕賳 賴賱賳丿蹖 亘賴 賲毓賳丕蹖 讴卮丕賵乇夭 丕爻鬲). 爻倬爻 丕賳诏賱蹖爻蹖鈥屬囏� 丿乇 賯乇賳 賳賵夭丿賴賲 亘賴 丌賮乇蹖賯丕蹖 噩賳賵亘蹖 賴噩賵賲 丌賵乇丿賳丿貙 賵 賴賱賳丿蹖鈥屬囏� 乇丕 亘賴 爻賵蹖 卮賲丕賱 乇丕賳丿賳丿. 噩賵乇噩 賲讴爻賵賱 讴賵鬲爻蹖 (賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴鈥� 蹖 乇賲丕賳) 賳蹖夭 丕夭 賴賱賳丿蹖 鬲亘丕乇賴丕蹖 丕蹖賳 爻乇夭賲蹖賳 丕爻鬲. 讴賵鬲爻蹖 丿乇 夭賲丕賳 讴賵丿讴蹖貙 亘賴 丌賮乇蹖賯丕蹖 噩賳賵亘蹖 倬賳噩丕賴 爻丕賱 倬蹖卮 亘丕夭賲蹖鈥屭必� 賵 丕夭 乇賵夭诏丕乇 讴賵丿讴蹖 賵 夭賳丿诏蹖 丿乇賵賳蹖 禺賵丿 賲蹖鈥屬嗁堐屫池�. 乇賵丕蹖鬲诏乇 芦讴賵丿讴蹖禄 丿乇 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳蹖 讴賵趩讴 亘夭乇诏 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 倬丿乇蹖 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 賴賲 丕夭 丕賵 鬲賯賱蹖丿 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 賵 賴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屫堌з嗀� 亘賴 倬丿乇卮 丕丨鬲乇丕賲 亘诏匕丕乇丿貙 賵 賲丕丿乇蹖 讴賴 賴賲 賲蹖鈥屫池й屫� 賵 賴賲 丕夭 賲丕丿乇 乇賳噩蹖丿賴 禺丕胤乇 丕爻鬲. 丕賵 乇丕賴 禺賵蹖卮 乇丕貙 丿乇 噩賴丕賳蹖 讴賴 丕夭 鬲賵囟蹖丨 賯賵丕毓丿 賵 賲賯乇乇丕鬲卮 亘乇丕蹖 丕賵 爻乇亘丕夭 賲蹖鈥屫操嗀� 乇賮鬲賴 乇賮鬲賴 賲蹖鈥屭簇й屫� 賵賱蹖 賲蹖鈥屫з嗀� 讴賴 亘丕蹖丿 丕夭 賯賵丕毓丿 賵 賲賯乇乇丕鬲 賳蹖夭 倬蹖乇賵蹖 讴賳丿貙 讴賵丿讴蹖 诏乇賮鬲丕乇 丿乇 趩賳亘乇 鬲賳丕賯囟鈥屬囏ж� 亘丕 乇蹖夭亘蹖賳蹖 賵 丿賯鬲蹖 亘賴 蹖丕丿 賲丕賳丿賳蹖貙 讴卮丕讴卮鈥屬囏ж� 爻乇禺賵卮蹖鈥屬囏� 賵 賴乇丕爻鈥屬囏й� 丌賳 丿賵乇丕賳 乇丕貙 亘賴 鬲氐賵蹖乇 賲蹖鈥屭┴簇�. 讴賵鬲爻蹖 讴賵丿讴蹖 禺賵丿 乇丕 亘丕 讴賳噩讴丕賵蹖 亘蹖鈥屫贺必敦з嗁団€� 蹖 倬賵蹖賳丿賴鈥� 丕蹖 讴賴 丿乇 倬蹖 讴卮賮 噩丕倬丕賴丕蹖 诏匕卮鬲賴鈥� 蹖 禺賵蹖卮 丕爻鬲貙 賲蹖鈥屭┴з堌� 賵 诏夭丕乇卮蹖 丿乇禺卮丕賳 賵 爻乇丿 丕夭 噩爻鬲噩賵蹖 禺賵蹖卮 亘賴 禺賵丕賳卮诏乇 丕乇丕卅賴 賲蹖鈥屫囏�. 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕: 讴賵丿讴蹖 - 爻賴 诏丕賳賴 氐丨賳賴 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳 - 讴鬲丕亘 丕賵賱貨 倬爻乇丕賳诏蹖 - 爻賴 诏丕賳賴 氐丨賳賴 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳 - 讴鬲丕亘 丕賵賱貨
賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 噩蹖.丕賲. (噩丕賳 賲讴爻賵賱) 讴賵鬲爻蹖貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 賳賴賲 賲丕賴 丕讴鬲亘乇 爻丕賱 2006 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 讴賵丿讴蹖 - 爻賴 诏丕賳賴 氐丨賳賴 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳 - 讴鬲丕亘 丕賵賱貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 噩蹖.丕賲. (噩丕賳 賲讴爻賵賱) 讴賵鬲爻蹖貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲丨爻賳 賲蹖賳賵禺乇丿貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳卮乇 賯氐賴貙 1383貙 丿乇 184 氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇: 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賲蹖賱讴丕賳貙 1393貨 丿乇 142 氐貨 卮丕亘讴: 9786007443088貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕賮乇蹖賯丕蹖蹖 丕賳诏賱蹖爻蹖 - 亘乇賳丿賴 蹖 倬丕丿丕卮 賳賵亘賱 - 賯乇賳 20 賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 倬爻乇丕賳诏蹖 - 爻賴 诏丕賳賴 氐丨賳賴 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳 - 讴鬲丕亘 丕賵賱貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 噩蹖.丕賲. (噩丕賳 賲讴爻賵賱) 讴賵鬲爻蹖貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 卮賴賱丕 胤賴賲丕爻亘蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 讴鬲丕亘 倬賳噩乇賴貙 1393貙 丿乇 194 氐貨 卮丕亘讴: 9789647822725貨
爻賴 诏丕賳賴 氐丨賳賴 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 卮賴乇爻鬲丕賳 讴賵鬲爻蹖 毓亘丕乇鬲賳丿 丕夭: 讴鬲丕亘 賳禺爻鬲: 讴賵丿讴蹖 (倬爻乇丕賳诏蹖)貨 讴鬲丕亘 丿賵賲: 噩賵丕賳蹖貨 讴鬲丕亘 爻賵賲: 鬲丕亘爻鬲丕賳 夭賳丿诏蹖貨
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October 9, 2021
Boyhood is a book of contrasts. Young vs. old. Mother vs. son. Afrikaans vs. English. Country life vs. city life. Black vs. white. The childhood Coetzee describes would have been the childhood of someone my grandfather's age, but I could nevertheless make connections to my own. Gone were the days of railway work and radio serials, but a haircut, to my embarrassment, still always seemed to turn out to be too short. And yes, Afrikaners still don't call anyone more than few years older than themselves by their name or refer to them as 'you.' There were musings on cricket, and farm life, and the divides created by apartheid, but because this isn't strict autobiography--has any of it been invented?--I got about halfway before beginning to crave a more substantial narrative thread.
January 24, 2010
Inside the front cover of Coetzee's Boyhood, in the police line-up of ejaculatory blurbs -- which I tend to find outrageously embarrassing -- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is alleged to have called the book 'a liturgy of wisdom.' (Like me, you probably have a hunch that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the pimply-faced geek in school who never had a date and spent his lunch hour doing geometric proofs with the head of the math department.) Newsday, meanwhile, says it's comprised of 'pithy urgent sentences from which emotion seems to explode.' (So wear your rain poncho or you'll get covered in emotion. Yuck.) Good ol' Michiko Kakutani scoured the earth for histrionic adverb-adjective combos and came up with 'fiercely revealing' and 'bluntly unsentimental.' I'd gladly agree with the latter but was sadly immune to any fierceness in this book. In fact, it was mostly fiercely perfunctory in my opinion, which, it should be noted -- in the interest of full disclosure -- is not regularly published in The New York Times and may be fiercely deficient.
I was lured into checking out those blurbs because I found myself without any strong feelings whatsoever about Boyhood, and I wanted to see what was causing its fans to get off. Sure, it's an okay, entirely palatable autobiography. (There's a blurb for you. 'Entirely palatable!' - David K.) It's not a difficult slog, by any means. But the problem is that, if, before reading, you were to imagine to yourself what an autobiography of Coetzee's childhood would be like, this is exactly the sort of thing you'd come up with. Spare, unemotional, prosaic, insightful but oddly removed.
In his allegorical novels, his detachment and clinical analysis work just fine. They actually serve the material very well. But here, where he's reflecting upon his childhood, I guess you'd hope he'd invest the telling with a little animation, a hint of passion or energy, and attempt at least to convince us that the ten-year-old Coetzee wasn't as grim and emotionally ascetic as the sixty-five-year-old Coetzee. But maybe he was a tiny Nobel laureate even then. (Fiercely unchildlike?) It probably didn't help to imbue his childhood with liveliness when he chose to write the autobiography in the third person. It keeps the whole enterprise very arm's-length and white-gloved. (As a stylistic device, the once-removed narration also makes the readers a little skeptical at the authenticity of the memoir. Is it puffed-up, over-dramatized? Of course, most autobiographies are to some extent, but it feels more conspicuous in this format.)
This makes it sound like I didn't like this book. Not true. It's just that Coetzee has kind of built up expectations for me: I want to really, really like his stuff, not just think it's okay. Plus, I probably didn't get all I could out of this thing in that it discusses the finer points of race and caste in South Africa, the history and social composition of which I know little about. The only things I know about South Africa are apartheid, Mandela, and that 'Sun City' song by Steven Van Zandt (remember that?). But these are all very vague concepts in my mind because I am (apparently) a self-obsessed American who is ignorant about the world around him. Sure, when I was splayed on the couch reading this thing, I could've gotten up and wiki'd 'South Africa' but I wasn't motivated enough, so the subtleties of Afrikans, 'Coloured People,' 'Natives,' and the English were mostly lost on me. I don't think a familiarity with these distinctions is essential to enjoying the book, but it surely couldn't hurt. And in one chapter he talks a bunch about cricket, and I was, like, 'Who cares?' I have no idea how cricket is played so I couldn't even conjure up any approximate images in my head of what Coetzee was talking about.
The format of the book is generally one of vignettes. Each chapter usually serves as a stand-alone, non-cumulative story of his childhood about one or more subjects. It's almost like an autobiographical short story collection. I think this is probably a good route for recollecting young childhood because let's face it... our memories of that time are pretty scattershot, and thus we aren't able to understand the true correlative effect of our experiences because some of them are missing or incomplete. So, all in all, the episodic nature of the book is a good strategy, but it was still a little bland.
I was lured into checking out those blurbs because I found myself without any strong feelings whatsoever about Boyhood, and I wanted to see what was causing its fans to get off. Sure, it's an okay, entirely palatable autobiography. (There's a blurb for you. 'Entirely palatable!' - David K.) It's not a difficult slog, by any means. But the problem is that, if, before reading, you were to imagine to yourself what an autobiography of Coetzee's childhood would be like, this is exactly the sort of thing you'd come up with. Spare, unemotional, prosaic, insightful but oddly removed.
In his allegorical novels, his detachment and clinical analysis work just fine. They actually serve the material very well. But here, where he's reflecting upon his childhood, I guess you'd hope he'd invest the telling with a little animation, a hint of passion or energy, and attempt at least to convince us that the ten-year-old Coetzee wasn't as grim and emotionally ascetic as the sixty-five-year-old Coetzee. But maybe he was a tiny Nobel laureate even then. (Fiercely unchildlike?) It probably didn't help to imbue his childhood with liveliness when he chose to write the autobiography in the third person. It keeps the whole enterprise very arm's-length and white-gloved. (As a stylistic device, the once-removed narration also makes the readers a little skeptical at the authenticity of the memoir. Is it puffed-up, over-dramatized? Of course, most autobiographies are to some extent, but it feels more conspicuous in this format.)
This makes it sound like I didn't like this book. Not true. It's just that Coetzee has kind of built up expectations for me: I want to really, really like his stuff, not just think it's okay. Plus, I probably didn't get all I could out of this thing in that it discusses the finer points of race and caste in South Africa, the history and social composition of which I know little about. The only things I know about South Africa are apartheid, Mandela, and that 'Sun City' song by Steven Van Zandt (remember that?). But these are all very vague concepts in my mind because I am (apparently) a self-obsessed American who is ignorant about the world around him. Sure, when I was splayed on the couch reading this thing, I could've gotten up and wiki'd 'South Africa' but I wasn't motivated enough, so the subtleties of Afrikans, 'Coloured People,' 'Natives,' and the English were mostly lost on me. I don't think a familiarity with these distinctions is essential to enjoying the book, but it surely couldn't hurt. And in one chapter he talks a bunch about cricket, and I was, like, 'Who cares?' I have no idea how cricket is played so I couldn't even conjure up any approximate images in my head of what Coetzee was talking about.
The format of the book is generally one of vignettes. Each chapter usually serves as a stand-alone, non-cumulative story of his childhood about one or more subjects. It's almost like an autobiographical short story collection. I think this is probably a good route for recollecting young childhood because let's face it... our memories of that time are pretty scattershot, and thus we aren't able to understand the true correlative effect of our experiences because some of them are missing or incomplete. So, all in all, the episodic nature of the book is a good strategy, but it was still a little bland.
October 6, 2013
I find it amazing that there can be so much content in a 166-page book, and that the result is so spellbinding and perfect. J.M. Coetzee's "Boyhood: scenes from provincial life" is a portrait of the author as a 10-year-old boy growing up in South Africa. I have never read a more insightful analysis of a child's thinking and emerging personality; well, it is hard to find this level of psychological profundity in any writing. At the same time, the novel gives an amazingly rich and deep depiction of the South African society, with its class and racial divides.
Mr. Coetzee, in this "fictionalized autobiography" writes about a 10-year-old boy in the third person. The "he" is little John Coetzee, a precocious child, who loves and hates his mother and is ashamed of his father. The author reaches to the deepest and most private layers of a child's psyche, layers that one is usually too embarrassed to get to. One of the magnificent passages describes how the boy creates his first memories (yes, creates and edits them). The essential question are raised: Who am I? Where do I belong? As the author writes: "What he does not yet know is why he is in the world." The boy tries to figure out how the world works - who the good people are. He experiences something almost like the first love, and is fascinated by the beauty and mystery of other children's bodies.
The year is about 1950, just after the United Party's downfall and the ascent of the National Party rule. The boy lives in a society that is racially much more complex than that of the U.S. and probably of most countries in the world. The racial divides are between four distinct groups: the English, the Afrikaners, the "Coloureds", and the "Natives". Mr. Coetzee shows the racial fissures in the South African society sharply yet subtly. So many books in which the well-meaning authors try to present the problems of race on hundreds of crudely written and superficial pages read like predictable sermons. Here, the author writes four sentences about the meaning of the word "mustn't", and these four sentences perceptively convey the nature of racial inequality.
I can pleasantly waste about two hours of my life reading 166 pages of Connelly, Kellerman, or Grafton. I have spent about 12 hours over four days to read 166 pages of "Boyhood". These were some of the best spent 12 hours in my life.
Five stars.
Mr. Coetzee, in this "fictionalized autobiography" writes about a 10-year-old boy in the third person. The "he" is little John Coetzee, a precocious child, who loves and hates his mother and is ashamed of his father. The author reaches to the deepest and most private layers of a child's psyche, layers that one is usually too embarrassed to get to. One of the magnificent passages describes how the boy creates his first memories (yes, creates and edits them). The essential question are raised: Who am I? Where do I belong? As the author writes: "What he does not yet know is why he is in the world." The boy tries to figure out how the world works - who the good people are. He experiences something almost like the first love, and is fascinated by the beauty and mystery of other children's bodies.
The year is about 1950, just after the United Party's downfall and the ascent of the National Party rule. The boy lives in a society that is racially much more complex than that of the U.S. and probably of most countries in the world. The racial divides are between four distinct groups: the English, the Afrikaners, the "Coloureds", and the "Natives". Mr. Coetzee shows the racial fissures in the South African society sharply yet subtly. So many books in which the well-meaning authors try to present the problems of race on hundreds of crudely written and superficial pages read like predictable sermons. Here, the author writes four sentences about the meaning of the word "mustn't", and these four sentences perceptively convey the nature of racial inequality.
I can pleasantly waste about two hours of my life reading 166 pages of Connelly, Kellerman, or Grafton. I have spent about 12 hours over four days to read 166 pages of "Boyhood". These were some of the best spent 12 hours in my life.
Five stars.
April 12, 2023
Boyhood is the name of a film by Richard Linklater that most people feel is one of the best of this past year, and I haven't seen it yet. It is not based on this memoir, which I guess might be classified as auto-fiction, too, because it is written in the third person. It's the first of three (so far) in a series of growing up memoirs, followed by Youth and Summerime, both of which I purchased in hardcover just as they came out and have been gathering dust on my shelf ever almost ever since. Coetzee is the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and he's one of my all time favorite writers. His Waiting for the Barbarians, an allegory about power, political and sexual, is one of the best books I have ever read. Foe takes Daniel DeFoe's Robinson Crusoe and tells it from the position of the mute native Friday. Disgrace tells a devastating tale of sexual power as a university English professor is dismissed from his position for an affair with one of his students. The Master of St. Petersburg is a novel about Dostoevsky, and Coetzee is an heir of the great Russian writer's major themes and his anguish, as well as of Kafka and similarly brilliant and brooding souls. I love all of the Coetzee novels I have read, and I have read many, but every time I picked up this book I couldn't get far in it, it was so distant and bleak and unhappy. And let me tell ya, most of the novels above are bleak but gorgeously written.
Boyhood is about Coetzee's early years in provincial South Africa, in Worcester, and it's dry and hard there and no one is happy, not the carefree time we get in some memoirs. The young John is private, brooding, mirthless, living with a mother he loves but is not close to, a younger brother he doesn't connect to, and a father he hates. He has few friends. He is the smartest boy in his grade, maybe his whole school, but school is also not engaging, not great for him; it's pretty oppressive.
So! Fun, right? Feel like reading it just for kicks? In this intense memoir we get the background for how the ideas he engages with in his novels came about: colonialism, racism, issues of representation, the meaning of life. Young John is filled with guilt and fear and rage throughout his young life. He tries to fight all these emotions by ordering his life severely, by working hard, striving to "rise above" his circumstances. I am an ex-Calvinist and this severity seems familiar to me, but Coetzee is sort of a non-religious (I think) Calvinist, wracked as he is by fear and guilt.
In spite of these terrible emotions, young John thinks of himself as possibly having a special destiny, which he mainly gets from literature, heroic fantasies and comic books and the heroism of sports, like rugby and cricket, though he is just an average athlete. But here is where you see the tone and subtlety of his tale. He's self-deprecating throughout. He is not without humor in mocking his young arrogance and anguish, his extreme self absorption. How could he think of himself as better than others coming from where he has come, his parents, his schooling, this arid veld?
At one point, introduced to Roman history and literature, he decides he is a Roman Catholic, though his family is atheist and he knows nothing about religion. That he hangs on to this weird notion is in part because were he to admit he wasn't Catholic would be humiliating. He is overly dramatic about this possible outing of his lie; if they reveal his lie and ignorance, he says he will refuse to go to school and threatens to kill himself. He's an intense boy, wracked by everything. But he also has many humorous misunderstandings about the world, including one about how babies are born; he misunderstands something his mother says about how babies come in out of "the backside" so he thinks they are born anally, pushed out of the stomach, a notion he weirdly hangs on to for years, even faced with friends' mockery of him. If he is right, he is right! There are lots of revelations of his arrogance and ignorance that are subtly humorous, if not exactly hilarious. You almost never get laughs from Coetzee, but there are smiles to be had here. And you admire his honesty in mocking his young self. He's as vicious about himself as his young self is of others.
But as he says, "sometimes the gloom lifts": He does love some things intensely in his quiet way; his mother, whom he is also anguished about, as with so many things. who is also unhappy with her husband and disappointed her life wouldn't be more. He loves cricket and rugby. He loves reading stories. From an early age; he sees he is suited for nothing but teaching, for school. He also loves nature, especially his father's family farm. He "belongs" to the farm, though it will never be his, he is just a guest there. But he loves the country and feels happier there than any other place. He only mentions a sense of belonging with respect to his mother. Not even in school, really, as the schools he attends are terrible and he feels so isolated from the other kids and teachers. But in nature and with sports he finds some release.
One of the interesting things about this story is that issues of race, class, gender and sexuality, barely on his radar as a young kid, emerge throughout his growing up story set in apartheid South Africa. He is Afrikaans, but mostly wishes to be British, he wants to be superior, he's sort of smug about wanting to be set apart. I admire this honesty; it's like his ignorance about being "Roman" Catholic or how babies are born. He's young and naive but we see emerge from his life story the themes in his work as he begins to reflect on them.
Why did I have trouble getting into this book? Well, it's sorta bleak! For a memoir, it initially feels distant, in third person, though this choice feels ultimately perfect for him. But he's a Nobel prizewinning writer and this is as elegantly written as anything else he has done. And In the end of this first installment of his life story, we see his "destiny" emerging, what really does come to be his specialness. His aunt Annie dies, he goes to the funeral, and he recalls his aunt telling his mother that he is a special boy, this aunt who taught for more than 40 years, who leaves behind a small library of books. In the end Coetzee also becomes a teacher, and of course a writer, but at the time he thinks: "How will he keep them all in his head, all the books, all the people, all the stories? And if he does not remember them, who will?" (166).
This isn't one of Coetzee's greatest books, but especially if you like Coetzee, it is interesting.
Boyhood is about Coetzee's early years in provincial South Africa, in Worcester, and it's dry and hard there and no one is happy, not the carefree time we get in some memoirs. The young John is private, brooding, mirthless, living with a mother he loves but is not close to, a younger brother he doesn't connect to, and a father he hates. He has few friends. He is the smartest boy in his grade, maybe his whole school, but school is also not engaging, not great for him; it's pretty oppressive.
So! Fun, right? Feel like reading it just for kicks? In this intense memoir we get the background for how the ideas he engages with in his novels came about: colonialism, racism, issues of representation, the meaning of life. Young John is filled with guilt and fear and rage throughout his young life. He tries to fight all these emotions by ordering his life severely, by working hard, striving to "rise above" his circumstances. I am an ex-Calvinist and this severity seems familiar to me, but Coetzee is sort of a non-religious (I think) Calvinist, wracked as he is by fear and guilt.
In spite of these terrible emotions, young John thinks of himself as possibly having a special destiny, which he mainly gets from literature, heroic fantasies and comic books and the heroism of sports, like rugby and cricket, though he is just an average athlete. But here is where you see the tone and subtlety of his tale. He's self-deprecating throughout. He is not without humor in mocking his young arrogance and anguish, his extreme self absorption. How could he think of himself as better than others coming from where he has come, his parents, his schooling, this arid veld?
At one point, introduced to Roman history and literature, he decides he is a Roman Catholic, though his family is atheist and he knows nothing about religion. That he hangs on to this weird notion is in part because were he to admit he wasn't Catholic would be humiliating. He is overly dramatic about this possible outing of his lie; if they reveal his lie and ignorance, he says he will refuse to go to school and threatens to kill himself. He's an intense boy, wracked by everything. But he also has many humorous misunderstandings about the world, including one about how babies are born; he misunderstands something his mother says about how babies come in out of "the backside" so he thinks they are born anally, pushed out of the stomach, a notion he weirdly hangs on to for years, even faced with friends' mockery of him. If he is right, he is right! There are lots of revelations of his arrogance and ignorance that are subtly humorous, if not exactly hilarious. You almost never get laughs from Coetzee, but there are smiles to be had here. And you admire his honesty in mocking his young self. He's as vicious about himself as his young self is of others.
But as he says, "sometimes the gloom lifts": He does love some things intensely in his quiet way; his mother, whom he is also anguished about, as with so many things. who is also unhappy with her husband and disappointed her life wouldn't be more. He loves cricket and rugby. He loves reading stories. From an early age; he sees he is suited for nothing but teaching, for school. He also loves nature, especially his father's family farm. He "belongs" to the farm, though it will never be his, he is just a guest there. But he loves the country and feels happier there than any other place. He only mentions a sense of belonging with respect to his mother. Not even in school, really, as the schools he attends are terrible and he feels so isolated from the other kids and teachers. But in nature and with sports he finds some release.
One of the interesting things about this story is that issues of race, class, gender and sexuality, barely on his radar as a young kid, emerge throughout his growing up story set in apartheid South Africa. He is Afrikaans, but mostly wishes to be British, he wants to be superior, he's sort of smug about wanting to be set apart. I admire this honesty; it's like his ignorance about being "Roman" Catholic or how babies are born. He's young and naive but we see emerge from his life story the themes in his work as he begins to reflect on them.
Why did I have trouble getting into this book? Well, it's sorta bleak! For a memoir, it initially feels distant, in third person, though this choice feels ultimately perfect for him. But he's a Nobel prizewinning writer and this is as elegantly written as anything else he has done. And In the end of this first installment of his life story, we see his "destiny" emerging, what really does come to be his specialness. His aunt Annie dies, he goes to the funeral, and he recalls his aunt telling his mother that he is a special boy, this aunt who taught for more than 40 years, who leaves behind a small library of books. In the end Coetzee also becomes a teacher, and of course a writer, but at the time he thinks: "How will he keep them all in his head, all the books, all the people, all the stories? And if he does not remember them, who will?" (166).
This isn't one of Coetzee's greatest books, but especially if you like Coetzee, it is interesting.
December 27, 2022
倬爻乇丕賳诏蹖 诏賵蹖丕 賯乇丕乇賴 禺丕胤乇丕鬲蹖 丕夭 讴賵丿讴蹖 丿乇 丌賮乇蹖賯丕蹖 噩賳賵亘蹖 亘丕卮賴貙 丕賲丕 賴乇 讴丕乇蹖 讴乇丿賲 亘賴賲 賳趩爻亘蹖丿貙 蹖毓賳蹖 賴蹖 禺賵賳丿賲 诏賮鬲賲 丕賱丕賳 蹖賴 趩蹖夭蹖 賲蹖卮賴貙 蹖賴 丕鬲賮丕賯蹖 賲蹖鈥屫з佖囏� 丕賲丕 賳卮丿 讴賴 賳卮丿 丨丕賱丕 賲卮讴賱 丕夭 賲賳 亘賵丿 蹖丕 丕夭 讴鬲丕亘 賳賲蹖丿丕賳賲.賴
January 3, 2025
亘毓丿 丕夭 賲丿鬲 賴丕 丿賵亘丕乇賴 亘賴 爻乇丕睾 讴賵鬲夭蹖 乇賮鬲賲貙夭賳丿诏蹖 賵 夭賲丕賳賴鈥屰� 賲丕蹖讴賱 讴蹖 亘爻蹖丕乇 毓丕賱蹖 賴爻鬲 丕賲丕 丕賯丕蹖 賮賵 趩賳丿丕賳 賳馗乇 賲賳 乇賵 噩賱亘 賳讴乇丿.
丕賲丕 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 讴賴 卮乇賵毓 讴乇丿賲 貙 乇賵丕蹖鬲 禺蹖賱蹖 禺賵亘蹖 丿丕卮鬲 賵 蹖讴 賳賮爻 鬲丕 丕賳鬲賴丕 丕丿丕賲賴 丿丕丿賲卮 貙 丕夭 亘購毓丿 亘氐乇蹖 讴賴 鬲氐賵蹖乇 爻丕夭蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 蹖丕丿 賮蹖賱賲 倬爻乇丕賳诏蹖 賲蹖鈥屫з佖ж�.
賴賲 夭賳丿诏蹖鈥屬嗀з呝団€屰� 禺賵亘蹖 賴爻鬲 賴賲 乇賵丕蹖鬲 禺賵亘蹖 丿丕乇賴 賵 賴賲 爻賵跇賴鈥屰� 賴賲蹖卮诏蹖 賲賵賱賮 (丕倬丕乇鬲丕蹖丿) 丿乇 丕賵賳 賴爻鬲.
丕賲丕 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 讴賴 卮乇賵毓 讴乇丿賲 貙 乇賵丕蹖鬲 禺蹖賱蹖 禺賵亘蹖 丿丕卮鬲 賵 蹖讴 賳賮爻 鬲丕 丕賳鬲賴丕 丕丿丕賲賴 丿丕丿賲卮 貙 丕夭 亘購毓丿 亘氐乇蹖 讴賴 鬲氐賵蹖乇 爻丕夭蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 蹖丕丿 賮蹖賱賲 倬爻乇丕賳诏蹖 賲蹖鈥屫з佖ж�.
賴賲 夭賳丿诏蹖鈥屬嗀з呝団€屰� 禺賵亘蹖 賴爻鬲 賴賲 乇賵丕蹖鬲 禺賵亘蹖 丿丕乇賴 賵 賴賲 爻賵跇賴鈥屰� 賴賲蹖卮诏蹖 賲賵賱賮 (丕倬丕乇鬲丕蹖丿) 丿乇 丕賵賳 賴爻鬲.
April 11, 2023
Infancia parece ser una novela autobiogr谩fica, aunque la forma narrativa elegida es la tercera persona. Para mis preferencias literarias, eso no constituye un buen comienzo, ya que las memorias no es un g茅nero que me interese mucho.
La historia se inicia cuando la familia, incluido el protagonista de 10 a帽os, se mudan de Ciudad del Cabo a una urbanizaci贸n en las afueras de Worcester, donde su padre, abogado, ha conseguido empleo. El lugar no es presentado con mucho afecto, a diferencia del lugar en el mundo del ni帽o, la granja de su familia paterna, V枚elfontein.
Los aspectos m谩s ricos de la novela son la descripci贸n de los padres y otros familiares, y los complejos v铆nculos que mantiene con ellos, as铆 como los entresijos y tensiones en las relaciones entre los que perciben como ingleses y los afrikaners, descendientes de los primeros colonizadores holandeses; hay tambi茅n interesantes observaciones sobre la gente de color, una mundo que se presenta con afecto aunque incomprensible y misterioso. Algunas de estas cuestiones, aunque interesantes, hoy parecen anacr贸nicas a la luz del rumbo que tom贸 la historia posterior de Sud谩frica.
El ni帽o no es demasiado simp谩tico ni querible, aunque es muy observador y trata permanentemente de ordenar mentalmente el mundo a partir de los indicios que va obteniendo.
La escritura de Coetzee, es, como siempre, impecable; y se le debe reconocer que si efectivamente es autobiogr谩fica, ha tenido la honestidad de no idealizar en absoluto su yo-ni帽o.
Salvo los aspectos mencionados, la novela no me despert贸 mucho inter茅s; y si logr茅 terminarla fue por la calidad en la escritura del autor. Aunque entiendo que cada uno tiene sus preferencias respecto a los g茅neros y estilos literarios.
Qu茅 tengan un buen d铆a. 馃檪
La historia se inicia cuando la familia, incluido el protagonista de 10 a帽os, se mudan de Ciudad del Cabo a una urbanizaci贸n en las afueras de Worcester, donde su padre, abogado, ha conseguido empleo. El lugar no es presentado con mucho afecto, a diferencia del lugar en el mundo del ni帽o, la granja de su familia paterna, V枚elfontein.
Los aspectos m谩s ricos de la novela son la descripci贸n de los padres y otros familiares, y los complejos v铆nculos que mantiene con ellos, as铆 como los entresijos y tensiones en las relaciones entre los que perciben como ingleses y los afrikaners, descendientes de los primeros colonizadores holandeses; hay tambi茅n interesantes observaciones sobre la gente de color, una mundo que se presenta con afecto aunque incomprensible y misterioso. Algunas de estas cuestiones, aunque interesantes, hoy parecen anacr贸nicas a la luz del rumbo que tom贸 la historia posterior de Sud谩frica.
El ni帽o no es demasiado simp谩tico ni querible, aunque es muy observador y trata permanentemente de ordenar mentalmente el mundo a partir de los indicios que va obteniendo.
La escritura de Coetzee, es, como siempre, impecable; y se le debe reconocer que si efectivamente es autobiogr谩fica, ha tenido la honestidad de no idealizar en absoluto su yo-ni帽o.
Salvo los aspectos mencionados, la novela no me despert贸 mucho inter茅s; y si logr茅 terminarla fue por la calidad en la escritura del autor. Aunque entiendo que cada uno tiene sus preferencias respecto a los g茅neros y estilos literarios.
Qu茅 tengan un buen d铆a. 馃檪
September 1, 2017
Make note to learn something about South African history and culture. It does the reader no favours to be as ignorant as I while reading this.
Underline note of some years ago to read Disgrace. Watched twice, but still not read. Boyhood has given me an idea as to how one might understand the odd scenario of that book, woman raped by black men and consequently pregnant, determines to become the 3rd wife of one of the rapists. Perhaps this will afford her some degree of safety and the possibility of staying in her home鈥hough it will no longer be her home. We are given to believe that the woman is doing this as penance for being white. It is her necessary apology.
Here in Boyhood, there is much discussion of the difference between groups, including the Coloured people who are part of his life in a mysterious and uncomfortable way. Clearly Coetzee was a child disturbed by the racism that was part of his life. I wonder if, as an adult writer, he assuages his own guilt by this story. What can white men really give up, compared with white women? The total humiliation of the woman in Disgrace, perhaps that鈥檚 the sacrifice he can make. The author makes amends.
The more I read of fictionalised memoir, the more I come to the realisation that it is free to be truthful when factual memoir is not. Coetzee is ruthless in his descriptions of all in this account, including himself. Nobody is nice, his childhood is horrible but when I could imagine myself whining as I told such a story, he is merely dispassionately descriptive.
rest here:
Underline note of some years ago to read Disgrace. Watched twice, but still not read. Boyhood has given me an idea as to how one might understand the odd scenario of that book, woman raped by black men and consequently pregnant, determines to become the 3rd wife of one of the rapists. Perhaps this will afford her some degree of safety and the possibility of staying in her home鈥hough it will no longer be her home. We are given to believe that the woman is doing this as penance for being white. It is her necessary apology.
Here in Boyhood, there is much discussion of the difference between groups, including the Coloured people who are part of his life in a mysterious and uncomfortable way. Clearly Coetzee was a child disturbed by the racism that was part of his life. I wonder if, as an adult writer, he assuages his own guilt by this story. What can white men really give up, compared with white women? The total humiliation of the woman in Disgrace, perhaps that鈥檚 the sacrifice he can make. The author makes amends.
The more I read of fictionalised memoir, the more I come to the realisation that it is free to be truthful when factual memoir is not. Coetzee is ruthless in his descriptions of all in this account, including himself. Nobody is nice, his childhood is horrible but when I could imagine myself whining as I told such a story, he is merely dispassionately descriptive.
rest here:
April 27, 2025
驴Qu茅 ocurre cuando hasta tu apellido te traiciona?
John Coetzee, diez a帽os, blanco, sudafricano, ingl茅s de pura cepa pero con un apellido afrik谩ner que lo averg眉enza. Hijo de una madre que idolatra y un padre que desprecia. En la escuela, un solitario que finge encajar. En casa, un chico atrapado entre el miedo y la culpa. Infancia es la cr贸nica de un ni帽o que no encaja en su pa铆s, en su familia鈥� ni siquiera dentro de s铆 mismo.
Coetzee escribe su autobiograf铆a en tercera persona y en presente. No es "yo", sino "John". No es "fui", sino "es". Como si Coetzee, el narrador, necesitara observarse a s铆 mismo desde fuera, sin permitir que la nostalgia o la autoindulgencia empa帽aran su memoria. Es casi como leer un diario, pero uno sin romanticismo, donde la autocr铆tica se convierte en la principal protagonista. La distancia es un muro de hielo entre 茅l y su propia historia, pero el presente del tiempo verbal lo encierra en un bucle de sufrimiento que no ha terminado. Y ese es el truco maestro: no estamos leyendo memorias, estamos atrapados en la mente de un ni帽o que se siente extranjero en su propia vida.
La Sud谩frica de los a帽os 50 es un mundo de brutalidad normalizada. La violencia no es solo la del apartheid, sino la de los castigos f铆sicos en la escuela, la frialdad de un padre venido a menos, la rigidez de una sociedad donde todo debe encajar en su sitio. Pero John no encaja. Vive con sus padres en una casa humilde y con un hermano menor del que siente celos, pero lo que domina su vida no son los lazos familiares c谩lidos, sino una relaci贸n tensa con su padre y un amor casi silencioso pero evidente por su madre. Su padre no es exactamente un monstruo, pero John lo mira como si lo fuera: un adulto derrotado, una advertencia. Con bigote. En la escuela, se mueve entre el desprecio por sus compa帽eros y el temor constante a la violencia. Es un ni帽o demasiado sensible para su entorno, demasiado despiadado en sus juicios. Y la novela es, en esencia, el retrato de esa lucha interna: la de un chaval que se siente extranjero en su propia vida. Detesta el b贸er de su apellido, teme que su madre se humille ante los dem谩s, siente repulsi贸n por la figura d茅bil y fracasada de su padre. La independencia que busca es pura contradicci贸n: quiere liberarse de su familia, pero se aferra a su madre como a un dios
La prosa de Coetzee no acaricia, disecciona. Fr铆a como el m谩rmol. Tajante como una verdad que no quer铆as o铆r. Frases cortas, directas, sin un gramo de grasa innecesaria. No hay sentimentalismo, solo hechos desnudos y un ni帽o que los procesa con la l贸gica implacable de la infancia: si mi padre es d茅bil, es despreciable. Si mi madre es fuerte, me da verg眉enza. Si amo a mi madre, no debo demostr谩rselo. Si los dem谩s ni帽os aceptan la violencia, yo tambi茅n deber铆a hacerlo, pero no puedo. Si Dios existe, me vigila y me castiga. Cada l铆nea es una peque帽a bomba de relojer铆a, una confesi贸n brutalmente honesta de lo que significa crecer con una sensibilidad que te convierte en un extra帽o para los dem谩s.
Esta no es una novela para quienes buscan una historia convencional con su principio, nudo y desenlace. Aqu铆 no hay una "trama" como tal. No la necesita. Esto no es un telefilm de domingo por la tarde, es un mapa de cicatrices. Aqu铆 solo hay episodios fragmentados que nos meten de lleno en la mente de John. Y sin embargo, hay un hilo conductor: la alienaci贸n. Infancia es la historia de alguien que ya intuye lo que ser谩 el resto de su vida: un destierro permanente. Porque John no encaja. Ni en su casa, ni en su pa铆s, ni en su propia piel, como si su existencia fuera uno de esos disfraces que nunca termina de quedarte bien. Para algunos lectores, este ritmo pausado y reflexivo puede ser una barrera. Para otros, es precisamente lo que hace que el libro sea tan absorbente: la sensaci贸n de estar dentro de la mente de un ni帽o que analiza el mundo con una claridad dolorosa.
En mi opini贸n, esa lentitud es una de las grandes fortalezas del libro. Coetzee se toma el tiempo necesario para ahondar en lo que no se dice, en los pensamientos y sentimientos m谩s ocultos de su protagonista. Y es que, en muchos sentidos, Infancia es m谩s una introspecci贸n que una narraci贸n tradicional. Cada escena parece una instant谩nea congelada en el tiempo, y esa congelaci贸n, esa contemplaci贸n de los peque帽os gestos, nos habla mucho m谩s de lo que una trama m谩s din谩mica podr铆a hacerlo.
Coetzee no es el 煤nico que ha convertido su infancia en materia literaria. Proust reconstruy贸 la suya con nostalgia y lirismo. Kafka convirti贸 la alienaci贸n en un destino inevitable. Pero Coetzee hace algo distinto: deja la piel en la p谩gina y nos obliga a sentir la incomodidad de ser un ni帽o que no pertenece a ninguna parte, de lo que significa crecer con la certeza de que nunca ser谩s la persona que los dem谩s esperan que seas. En ese sentido, recuerda a las memorias de Knausg氓rd, aunque sin la verborrea.
Y ah铆 est谩 el golpe final: Infancia no es solo la historia de John Coetzee. Es la historia de cualquiera que haya crecido sinti茅ndose fuera de lugar. La historia de todos los que alguna vez miraron a su familia, a su pa铆s, a su reflejo en el espejo y pensaron: "Yo no pertenezco aqu铆".
Rese帽a de Infancia (Trilog铆a autobiogr谩fica de J.M. Coetzee - Escenas de una vida de provincias I)
Rese帽a de Juventud (Trilog铆a autobiogr谩fica de J.M. Coetzee - Escenas de una vida de provincias II)
Rese帽a de Verano (Trilog铆a autobiogr谩fica de J.M. Coetzee - Escenas de una vida de provincias III)
John Coetzee, diez a帽os, blanco, sudafricano, ingl茅s de pura cepa pero con un apellido afrik谩ner que lo averg眉enza. Hijo de una madre que idolatra y un padre que desprecia. En la escuela, un solitario que finge encajar. En casa, un chico atrapado entre el miedo y la culpa. Infancia es la cr贸nica de un ni帽o que no encaja en su pa铆s, en su familia鈥� ni siquiera dentro de s铆 mismo.
Coetzee escribe su autobiograf铆a en tercera persona y en presente. No es "yo", sino "John". No es "fui", sino "es". Como si Coetzee, el narrador, necesitara observarse a s铆 mismo desde fuera, sin permitir que la nostalgia o la autoindulgencia empa帽aran su memoria. Es casi como leer un diario, pero uno sin romanticismo, donde la autocr铆tica se convierte en la principal protagonista. La distancia es un muro de hielo entre 茅l y su propia historia, pero el presente del tiempo verbal lo encierra en un bucle de sufrimiento que no ha terminado. Y ese es el truco maestro: no estamos leyendo memorias, estamos atrapados en la mente de un ni帽o que se siente extranjero en su propia vida.
La Sud谩frica de los a帽os 50 es un mundo de brutalidad normalizada. La violencia no es solo la del apartheid, sino la de los castigos f铆sicos en la escuela, la frialdad de un padre venido a menos, la rigidez de una sociedad donde todo debe encajar en su sitio. Pero John no encaja. Vive con sus padres en una casa humilde y con un hermano menor del que siente celos, pero lo que domina su vida no son los lazos familiares c谩lidos, sino una relaci贸n tensa con su padre y un amor casi silencioso pero evidente por su madre. Su padre no es exactamente un monstruo, pero John lo mira como si lo fuera: un adulto derrotado, una advertencia. Con bigote. En la escuela, se mueve entre el desprecio por sus compa帽eros y el temor constante a la violencia. Es un ni帽o demasiado sensible para su entorno, demasiado despiadado en sus juicios. Y la novela es, en esencia, el retrato de esa lucha interna: la de un chaval que se siente extranjero en su propia vida. Detesta el b贸er de su apellido, teme que su madre se humille ante los dem谩s, siente repulsi贸n por la figura d茅bil y fracasada de su padre. La independencia que busca es pura contradicci贸n: quiere liberarse de su familia, pero se aferra a su madre como a un dios
La prosa de Coetzee no acaricia, disecciona. Fr铆a como el m谩rmol. Tajante como una verdad que no quer铆as o铆r. Frases cortas, directas, sin un gramo de grasa innecesaria. No hay sentimentalismo, solo hechos desnudos y un ni帽o que los procesa con la l贸gica implacable de la infancia: si mi padre es d茅bil, es despreciable. Si mi madre es fuerte, me da verg眉enza. Si amo a mi madre, no debo demostr谩rselo. Si los dem谩s ni帽os aceptan la violencia, yo tambi茅n deber铆a hacerlo, pero no puedo. Si Dios existe, me vigila y me castiga. Cada l铆nea es una peque帽a bomba de relojer铆a, una confesi贸n brutalmente honesta de lo que significa crecer con una sensibilidad que te convierte en un extra帽o para los dem谩s.
Esta no es una novela para quienes buscan una historia convencional con su principio, nudo y desenlace. Aqu铆 no hay una "trama" como tal. No la necesita. Esto no es un telefilm de domingo por la tarde, es un mapa de cicatrices. Aqu铆 solo hay episodios fragmentados que nos meten de lleno en la mente de John. Y sin embargo, hay un hilo conductor: la alienaci贸n. Infancia es la historia de alguien que ya intuye lo que ser谩 el resto de su vida: un destierro permanente. Porque John no encaja. Ni en su casa, ni en su pa铆s, ni en su propia piel, como si su existencia fuera uno de esos disfraces que nunca termina de quedarte bien. Para algunos lectores, este ritmo pausado y reflexivo puede ser una barrera. Para otros, es precisamente lo que hace que el libro sea tan absorbente: la sensaci贸n de estar dentro de la mente de un ni帽o que analiza el mundo con una claridad dolorosa.
En mi opini贸n, esa lentitud es una de las grandes fortalezas del libro. Coetzee se toma el tiempo necesario para ahondar en lo que no se dice, en los pensamientos y sentimientos m谩s ocultos de su protagonista. Y es que, en muchos sentidos, Infancia es m谩s una introspecci贸n que una narraci贸n tradicional. Cada escena parece una instant谩nea congelada en el tiempo, y esa congelaci贸n, esa contemplaci贸n de los peque帽os gestos, nos habla mucho m谩s de lo que una trama m谩s din谩mica podr铆a hacerlo.
Coetzee no es el 煤nico que ha convertido su infancia en materia literaria. Proust reconstruy贸 la suya con nostalgia y lirismo. Kafka convirti贸 la alienaci贸n en un destino inevitable. Pero Coetzee hace algo distinto: deja la piel en la p谩gina y nos obliga a sentir la incomodidad de ser un ni帽o que no pertenece a ninguna parte, de lo que significa crecer con la certeza de que nunca ser谩s la persona que los dem谩s esperan que seas. En ese sentido, recuerda a las memorias de Knausg氓rd, aunque sin la verborrea.
Y ah铆 est谩 el golpe final: Infancia no es solo la historia de John Coetzee. Es la historia de cualquiera que haya crecido sinti茅ndose fuera de lugar. La historia de todos los que alguna vez miraron a su familia, a su pa铆s, a su reflejo en el espejo y pensaron: "Yo no pertenezco aqu铆".
Rese帽a de Infancia (Trilog铆a autobiogr谩fica de J.M. Coetzee - Escenas de una vida de provincias I)
Rese帽a de Juventud (Trilog铆a autobiogr谩fica de J.M. Coetzee - Escenas de una vida de provincias II)
Rese帽a de Verano (Trilog铆a autobiogr谩fica de J.M. Coetzee - Escenas de una vida de provincias III)
October 27, 2022
"賱賯丿 鬲購乇賰 賵丨丿賴 賷賮賰乇 亘匕賱賰. 賰賷賮 爻賷丨丕賮馗 毓賱賶 賰賱 賲丕 賷毓乇賮賴 賮賷 乇兀爻賴貙 賰賱 丕賱賰鬲亘貙 賰賱 丕賱賳丕爻貙 賰賱 丕賱賯氐氐責
賵廿匕丕 賱賲 賷鬲匕賰乇賴丕 賴賵 賮賲賳 爻賷鬲匕賰乇賴丕責"
賵廿匕丕 賱賲 賷鬲匕賰乇賴丕 賴賵 賮賲賳 爻賷鬲匕賰乇賴丕責"
September 2, 2016
Coetzee, for me is really an angel. He knows how to touch the heart. Most of the sections of the book were so absorbing that I felt the need to pause for a moment to breath.
His tender heart, Summer Vacations on farms, money crisis of childhood, love for books, sport fanaticism, bully kids in school, attention on wealthy kids in school, scout guiding, differences between Catholics and Jews, mother's love and her sacrifices for him, fantasies during school days for sex and how babies come, the blood of white and black people, Afrikaans and Coetzee's unwillingness to acceptance or denial of their culture, English culture and urge to into sophisticated meshes of it, burning of heart by seeing poor people, animal killing, death of an Aunt abandoned in obscurity of illness and funeral and later dead display of emotions, thirst for ambition, ineptitude of playing outdoor games, mediocrity in school...
It was exactly my story, at most of the places.... Except the place, time, people but same idiosyncrasy, interest... I really wish I could meet Coetzee one day and tell him how I felt the resemblance of my childhood in this book.
Coetzee, for me, is JESUS.
There was no story but profoundly strewn descriptions...
His tender heart, Summer Vacations on farms, money crisis of childhood, love for books, sport fanaticism, bully kids in school, attention on wealthy kids in school, scout guiding, differences between Catholics and Jews, mother's love and her sacrifices for him, fantasies during school days for sex and how babies come, the blood of white and black people, Afrikaans and Coetzee's unwillingness to acceptance or denial of their culture, English culture and urge to into sophisticated meshes of it, burning of heart by seeing poor people, animal killing, death of an Aunt abandoned in obscurity of illness and funeral and later dead display of emotions, thirst for ambition, ineptitude of playing outdoor games, mediocrity in school...
It was exactly my story, at most of the places.... Except the place, time, people but same idiosyncrasy, interest... I really wish I could meet Coetzee one day and tell him how I felt the resemblance of my childhood in this book.
Coetzee, for me, is JESUS.
There was no story but profoundly strewn descriptions...
February 12, 2021
Asciutto e penetrante, Coetzee racconta stralci della propria infanzia sudafricana. Lo fa scrivendo in terza persona, usando il tempo presente, ovvero il tempo antinarrativo per eccellenza (猫 una scelta frequente di Coetzee). Eppure il racconto c'猫, l'ambiente fisico e umano pure. Ma l'autore non vi indulge, non 猫 necessario.
Quel che conta 猫 l'interiorit脿: i pensieri, le emozioni sempre trattenute, introiettate, l'esplorazione dei limiti, le considerazioni su se stesso e sul mondo, i legami familiari e le accese idiosincrasie. Esperienze radicali, che diventeranno fondamentali per la formazione successiva (ne vedremo gli esiti nel secondo libro autobiografico: 骋颈辞惫别苍迟霉).
Una battaglia di resistenza, cos矛 appare la cruda esperienza della fanciullezza. Una cosa estremamente seria, in qualche modo definitiva, proprio perch茅 definisce un carattere, descrive le linee di un destino.
Questo bambino taciturno, solitario, in competizione estrema col mondo che lo circonda e tende a plasmarlo secondo le proprie linee direttrici, questo bambino scontroso e determinato, intimamente refrattario alla compiacenza 猫 l'immagine precisa dell'adulto, dello scrittore Coetzee, come (non) lo conosciamo: schivo e appartato. E infatti, lo scopriamo qui, "scrivere per lui non 猫 come dispiegare le ali; al contrario, 猫 come raggomitolarsi, farsi pi霉 piccolo e inoffensivo possibile".
Un libro intenso e vero, dove lo stile sorvegliatissimo sa raggiungere il perfetto equilibrio tra il sentimento di s茅, l'interiorit脿 assoluta, e il modo di darne conto a chi sta fuori.
Quel che conta 猫 l'interiorit脿: i pensieri, le emozioni sempre trattenute, introiettate, l'esplorazione dei limiti, le considerazioni su se stesso e sul mondo, i legami familiari e le accese idiosincrasie. Esperienze radicali, che diventeranno fondamentali per la formazione successiva (ne vedremo gli esiti nel secondo libro autobiografico: 骋颈辞惫别苍迟霉).
Una battaglia di resistenza, cos矛 appare la cruda esperienza della fanciullezza. Una cosa estremamente seria, in qualche modo definitiva, proprio perch茅 definisce un carattere, descrive le linee di un destino.
Questo bambino taciturno, solitario, in competizione estrema col mondo che lo circonda e tende a plasmarlo secondo le proprie linee direttrici, questo bambino scontroso e determinato, intimamente refrattario alla compiacenza 猫 l'immagine precisa dell'adulto, dello scrittore Coetzee, come (non) lo conosciamo: schivo e appartato. E infatti, lo scopriamo qui, "scrivere per lui non 猫 come dispiegare le ali; al contrario, 猫 come raggomitolarsi, farsi pi霉 piccolo e inoffensivo possibile".
Un libro intenso e vero, dove lo stile sorvegliatissimo sa raggiungere il perfetto equilibrio tra il sentimento di s茅, l'interiorit脿 assoluta, e il modo di darne conto a chi sta fuori.
October 27, 2014
賱賲丕 賯乇兀鬲 賱賴匕丕 丕賱乇噩賱 乇賵丕賷鬲賴 (禺夭賷)貙 鬲賲賳賷鬲 爻丕毓鬲賴丕 兀賳 兀賰賵賳 兀賳丕 賰丕鬲亘賴丕貙 賵賯賱鬲: 賱丕 亘丿 兀賳 賴匕丕 丕賱乇噩賱 賷卮亘賴賳賷 賮賷 卮賷亍 賵兀卮亘賴賴. 賵賯乇乇鬲 賲鬲丕亘毓丞 丕賱賯乇丕亍丞 賱賴. 賵丕賯鬲賳賷鬲 賮賷 丕賳鬲馗丕乇 丕賱亘乇丕亘乇丞貙 賵丨賷丕丞 賵夭賲賳 賲丕賷賰賱 賰貙 賲賳 賲毓乇囟 丕賱賯丕賴乇丞 賱賱賰鬲丕亘 兀賵賱 賴匕丕 丕賱毓丕賲貙 賵丕賯鬲賳賷鬲 兀賷丕賲 丕賱氐亘丕 賴匕丕 賲賳 賲賰鬲亘丞 賲睾賲賵乇丞 賮賷 賵爻胤 丕賱亘賱丿貙 亘爻毓乇 夭賴賷丿貙 賵亘丿兀鬲 賲鬲丕亘毓丞 丕賱賯乇丕亍丞 賱賰賵賷鬲夭賷 賲乇丞 兀禺乇賷 賲毓 兀賷丕賲 丕賱氐亘丕.
賵賯丿 賰丕賳 賲丕 鬲賵賯毓鬲賴 鬲賲丕賲丕: 廿賳賴 賷卮亘賴賳賷 賵兀卮亘賴賴貙 賵卮毓乇鬲 賰兀賳 賲匕賰乇丕鬲賴 賴賷 賲匕賰乇丕鬲賷貙 賱賵 賯乇乇鬲 賰鬲丕亘鬲賴丕 賮毓賱丕. 賮賴賳丕賰 氐賮丞 廿匕丕 賲丕 賵噩丿鬲貙 爻賷鬲乇鬲亘 毓賱賷賴丕 兀睾賱亘 亘賳丕亍 丕賱卮禺氐賷丞貨 丕賱禺噩賱. 廿賳賴 禺噩賵賱貙 賵兀賳丕 賲孬賱賴. (賷丨賰賷 毓賳 賮鬲乇丞 氐亘丕賴 丨鬲賷 丕賱賲乇丕賴賯丞)貙 賷賰匕亘貙 賵賷丨亘 兀賲賴貙 賲鬲禺匕丕 賲賵賯賮丕 賲賳 兀亘賷賴. 賵丕禺鬲賱賮賳丕 賲毓丕 賮賷 賳賯胤丞 丨賷賵賷丞: 廿賳賴 賷丨亘 丕賱乇賷丕囟賷丕鬲貙 賵賷賰乇賴 丕賱噩睾乇丕賮賷丕 賵丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺貙 毓賰爻賷 鬲賲丕賲丕貙 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱賳賯胤丞.
賵賴賳丕賰 賳賯胤丞 噩丿 賵丕囟丨丞貙 賮賰賵賷鬲夭賷 賷賲鬲賱賰 匕丕賰乇丞 亘氐乇賷丞 丨丕丿丞. 賰賱 丕賱氐賵乇 賲賰鬲賲賱丞 賵賵丕囟丨丞貙 賰賱 丕賱兀爻賲丕亍 丨丕囟乇丞貙 賵賰賱 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱丿賯賷賯丞.
毓丕賱賲 賰賵賷鬲夭賷 乇丕卅毓貙 賵噩賲賷賱. 賱丕 賷賲賱 賲賳賴.
賵賯丿 賰丕賳 賲丕 鬲賵賯毓鬲賴 鬲賲丕賲丕: 廿賳賴 賷卮亘賴賳賷 賵兀卮亘賴賴貙 賵卮毓乇鬲 賰兀賳 賲匕賰乇丕鬲賴 賴賷 賲匕賰乇丕鬲賷貙 賱賵 賯乇乇鬲 賰鬲丕亘鬲賴丕 賮毓賱丕. 賮賴賳丕賰 氐賮丞 廿匕丕 賲丕 賵噩丿鬲貙 爻賷鬲乇鬲亘 毓賱賷賴丕 兀睾賱亘 亘賳丕亍 丕賱卮禺氐賷丞貨 丕賱禺噩賱. 廿賳賴 禺噩賵賱貙 賵兀賳丕 賲孬賱賴. (賷丨賰賷 毓賳 賮鬲乇丞 氐亘丕賴 丨鬲賷 丕賱賲乇丕賴賯丞)貙 賷賰匕亘貙 賵賷丨亘 兀賲賴貙 賲鬲禺匕丕 賲賵賯賮丕 賲賳 兀亘賷賴. 賵丕禺鬲賱賮賳丕 賲毓丕 賮賷 賳賯胤丞 丨賷賵賷丞: 廿賳賴 賷丨亘 丕賱乇賷丕囟賷丕鬲貙 賵賷賰乇賴 丕賱噩睾乇丕賮賷丕 賵丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺貙 毓賰爻賷 鬲賲丕賲丕貙 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱賳賯胤丞.
賵賴賳丕賰 賳賯胤丞 噩丿 賵丕囟丨丞貙 賮賰賵賷鬲夭賷 賷賲鬲賱賰 匕丕賰乇丞 亘氐乇賷丞 丨丕丿丞. 賰賱 丕賱氐賵乇 賲賰鬲賲賱丞 賵賵丕囟丨丞貙 賰賱 丕賱兀爻賲丕亍 丨丕囟乇丞貙 賵賰賱 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱丿賯賷賯丞.
毓丕賱賲 賰賵賷鬲夭賷 乇丕卅毓貙 賵噩賲賷賱. 賱丕 賷賲賱 賲賳賴.
November 20, 2020
鈥淭utto ci貌 che fa a Worcester, a casa o a scuola, lo porta a credere che l鈥檌nfanzia non sia nient鈥檃ltro che un periodo in cui bisogna stringere i denti e resistere.鈥�
鈥漋iene da una famiglia anomala della quale vergognarsi, dove non solo non si picchiano i bambini, ma ci si rivolge agli anziani chiamandoli con il nome di battesimo, e dove nessuno va in chiesa e le scarpe si portano tutti i giorni.鈥�
Ecco il racconto dell鈥檌nfanzia del futuro Nobel Coetzee, dal momento in cui si trasfer矛 con la famiglia da Citt脿 del Capo in quel di Worcester (oggi Western Cape).
Un鈥檌nfanzia vissuta nella vergogna per non essere come la maggioranza.
Un mondo segreto di pensieri, sensazioni, pulsioni soffocate che nessuno deve conoscere.
Le difficolt脿 comuni del crescere, dunque, sommate ad un contesto sociale complicato per le tensioni di una convivenza difficile: afrikaner, inglesi, meticci, nativi.
Lingue e religioni che si sfidano; stili di vita che chiudono i recinti in un sistema d鈥檌nclusione ed esclusione.
Una scrittura a denti stretti.
La distanza della terza persona che narra crea un clima di freddezza: algido l鈥檃utore, diffidente chi legge che fatica a sintonizzarsi.
芦Chiss脿 perch茅 Coetzee lo ha fatto?禄 mi chiedevo leggendo.
La scrittura autobiografica 鈥� si sa- comporta lo sforzo della confessione. Quello spogliarsi a volte impudico davanti a tutti. Certo c鈥櫭� chi ha bisogno di esibirsi per narcisismo congenito ma c鈥櫭� anche chi lo ritiene un compito arduo ma necessario come percorso di auto-analisi.
Ma Coetzee perch茅 lo ha fatto quando si sente chiaramente che non c鈥櫭� nessuno di questi bisogni?
Il tono 猫 sforzato. Forse 鈥� ipotizzo- gli gravava fare quell鈥檃mmissione di aver provato gli estremi dell鈥檃more e su cui verte un po鈥� tutto lo scritto: l鈥檕dio profondo per il padre e il legame morboso con la madre.
La mia lettura 猫, pertanto, proseguita con imbarazzo: come presentarsi a casa di qualcuno senza essere invitati.
Coetzee bambino sperimenta una scrittura che costruisce una corazza s鈥檜na personalit脿 gi脿 di per s茅 introversa:
鈥淪crivere per lui non 猫 come dispiegare le ali; al contrario, 猫 come raggomitolarsi, farsi pi煤 piccolo e inoffensivo possibile鈥�
Cercavo tracce che guidassero le mie future letture e/o rischiarissero le passate di quest鈥檃utore che ammiro tantissimo. Ci貌 che ho trovato 猫 l鈥檕rigine di ci貌 che si dice e si 猫 detto di lui: uomo schivo e riservato.
Testimoni lo hanno avuto come vicino a delle cene ufficiali (ad una delle poche che ha presenziato) dicono di non aver avuto il piacere di sentire mai la sua voce per tutta la serata.
Riluttante al pubblico tanto che avere un suo libro autografato 猫 di tale rarit脿 da poter sistemare economicamente una famiglia.
Un po鈥� asociale dunque.
Ma che importa di fronte al fatto che 猫 lo scrittore di opere che hanno descritto in modo cos矛 preciso lo stato d鈥檃nimo di una societ脿 dilaniata dai contrasti?
鈥漋iene da una famiglia anomala della quale vergognarsi, dove non solo non si picchiano i bambini, ma ci si rivolge agli anziani chiamandoli con il nome di battesimo, e dove nessuno va in chiesa e le scarpe si portano tutti i giorni.鈥�
Ecco il racconto dell鈥檌nfanzia del futuro Nobel Coetzee, dal momento in cui si trasfer矛 con la famiglia da Citt脿 del Capo in quel di Worcester (oggi Western Cape).
Un鈥檌nfanzia vissuta nella vergogna per non essere come la maggioranza.
Un mondo segreto di pensieri, sensazioni, pulsioni soffocate che nessuno deve conoscere.
Le difficolt脿 comuni del crescere, dunque, sommate ad un contesto sociale complicato per le tensioni di una convivenza difficile: afrikaner, inglesi, meticci, nativi.
Lingue e religioni che si sfidano; stili di vita che chiudono i recinti in un sistema d鈥檌nclusione ed esclusione.
Una scrittura a denti stretti.
La distanza della terza persona che narra crea un clima di freddezza: algido l鈥檃utore, diffidente chi legge che fatica a sintonizzarsi.
芦Chiss脿 perch茅 Coetzee lo ha fatto?禄 mi chiedevo leggendo.
La scrittura autobiografica 鈥� si sa- comporta lo sforzo della confessione. Quello spogliarsi a volte impudico davanti a tutti. Certo c鈥櫭� chi ha bisogno di esibirsi per narcisismo congenito ma c鈥櫭� anche chi lo ritiene un compito arduo ma necessario come percorso di auto-analisi.
Ma Coetzee perch茅 lo ha fatto quando si sente chiaramente che non c鈥櫭� nessuno di questi bisogni?
Il tono 猫 sforzato. Forse 鈥� ipotizzo- gli gravava fare quell鈥檃mmissione di aver provato gli estremi dell鈥檃more e su cui verte un po鈥� tutto lo scritto: l鈥檕dio profondo per il padre e il legame morboso con la madre.
La mia lettura 猫, pertanto, proseguita con imbarazzo: come presentarsi a casa di qualcuno senza essere invitati.
Coetzee bambino sperimenta una scrittura che costruisce una corazza s鈥檜na personalit脿 gi脿 di per s茅 introversa:
鈥淪crivere per lui non 猫 come dispiegare le ali; al contrario, 猫 come raggomitolarsi, farsi pi煤 piccolo e inoffensivo possibile鈥�
Cercavo tracce che guidassero le mie future letture e/o rischiarissero le passate di quest鈥檃utore che ammiro tantissimo. Ci貌 che ho trovato 猫 l鈥檕rigine di ci貌 che si dice e si 猫 detto di lui: uomo schivo e riservato.
Testimoni lo hanno avuto come vicino a delle cene ufficiali (ad una delle poche che ha presenziato) dicono di non aver avuto il piacere di sentire mai la sua voce per tutta la serata.
Riluttante al pubblico tanto che avere un suo libro autografato 猫 di tale rarit脿 da poter sistemare economicamente una famiglia.
Un po鈥� asociale dunque.
Ma che importa di fronte al fatto che 猫 lo scrittore di opere che hanno descritto in modo cos矛 preciso lo stato d鈥檃nimo di una societ脿 dilaniata dai contrasti?
December 20, 2018
En Infancia, JM Coetzee nos abre la puerta de su vida y relata sus vivencias de ni帽o en Ciudad del Cabo.
Su casa, la granja, su colegio y la relaci贸n con sus familiares pasan en esta novela autobiogr谩fica muy bien escrita que nos permite conocer al Coetzee persona. (lo que 茅l permite que conozcamos)
Muy recomendado.
Su casa, la granja, su colegio y la relaci贸n con sus familiares pasan en esta novela autobiogr谩fica muy bien escrita que nos permite conocer al Coetzee persona. (lo que 茅l permite que conozcamos)
Muy recomendado.
August 21, 2023
Once you start to read this book, you won麓t be able to stop it. Looking forward for the second volume of this trilogy.
3* Elizabeth Costello
4* Disgrace
4* Waiting for the Barbarians
3* A Ilha
4* The Master of Petersburg
3* Slow Man
4* Age of Iron
4* Boyhood (Scenes from Provincial Life #1)
TR Youth (Scenes from Provincial Life #2)
TR Dusklands
TR Life & Times of Michael K
TR Summertime (Scenes from Provincial Life #3)
TR The Schooldays of Jesus
TR L'Abattoir de verre
3* Elizabeth Costello
4* Disgrace
4* Waiting for the Barbarians
3* A Ilha
4* The Master of Petersburg
3* Slow Man
4* Age of Iron
4* Boyhood (Scenes from Provincial Life #1)
TR Youth (Scenes from Provincial Life #2)
TR Dusklands
TR Life & Times of Michael K
TR Summertime (Scenes from Provincial Life #3)
TR The Schooldays of Jesus
TR L'Abattoir de verre
June 29, 2020
Me recomendaron a Coetzee hace unos meses. Ya s茅 que no necesita recomendaci贸n, que es un Nobel, pero a煤n as铆 yo nunca lo hab铆a le铆do, as铆 que quise comenzar por esta trilog铆a. Tambi茅n me avisaron de que el primero de los tres era el m谩s flojo, pero obviamente quer铆a llevar un orden, y dentro de que efectivamente no me ha parecido una maravilla, s铆 ha conseguido engancharme con su forma de escribir (y de describir). Sin duda, seguir茅 con 茅l.
December 27, 2010
Everything I read from Coetzee has a profound impact on me. His words are so cutting, direct, affective, sincere, clear and concise. His ability to draw me in, paint a picture and transport me to wherever and whatever he is writing about astounds me. This is an autobiographical work with Coetzee himself as the narrator, referring to himself in the book as "he". I really like this approach because he is telling the reader about his life and the experiences that formed the man that he is today but as an observer, almost as if he is observing himself.
This is a short, easy read but still fantastically beautiful. "Boyhood" is a clear account of his life as an exceptionally intelligent boy growing up in South Africa in the 1950s. It is a bold, compelling, funny, raw account of a boy's life who is tormented by guilt, fear and confusion. How he feels as a boy and his observances of the world around him remind me of what it was like to look at the world through child's eyes and know that everything was not the way that it was supposed to be and to wonder how it would all turn out one day.
This is a short, easy read but still fantastically beautiful. "Boyhood" is a clear account of his life as an exceptionally intelligent boy growing up in South Africa in the 1950s. It is a bold, compelling, funny, raw account of a boy's life who is tormented by guilt, fear and confusion. How he feels as a boy and his observances of the world around him remind me of what it was like to look at the world through child's eyes and know that everything was not the way that it was supposed to be and to wonder how it would all turn out one day.
February 7, 2017
匕賰乇賷丕鬲 賰賵賷鬲夭賷 毓賳 兀賷丕賲 氐亘丕賴 賵亘賵丕賰賷乇 賲乇丕賴賯鬲賴貙噩丕亍鬲 賮賷 賲毓馗賲賴丕 噩匕丕亘丞 賵廿賳 卮丕亘賴丕 賮賷 賲賵丕囟毓 賯丿乇 賲賳 賲賱賱.
賵丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賰賲丕 噩丕亍 毓賱賶 馗賴乇 丕賱睾賱丕賮 賮賷 廿賯鬲亘丕爻 賲賳 兀丨丿 丕賱氐丨賮"賱賵丨丞 卮禺氐賷丞 賵丕賯毓賷丞 賵睾賳賷丞 毓賳 丕賱胤賮賵賱丞" 賴賳丕 丕賱胤賮賵賱丞 鬲卮鬲賲賱 毓賱賶 丕賱亘乇丕亍丞 賵丕賱賳馗乇丞 丕賱丿賴卮丞 丕賱賲鬲爻丕卅賱丞貙賰賲丕 鬲卮鬲賲賱 毓賱賶 丕賱賯爻賵丞 丕賱賰丕賲賳丞 賵丕賱毓賳賮 丕賱賲禺鬲夭賳 鬲丨鬲 噩賱丿 賵賱丿 氐睾賷乇 賳卮兀 賲丨丕胤丕 亘賯丿乇 賴丕卅賱 賲賳 丕賱賲鬲賳丕賯囟丕鬲貙賳丕賴賷賰 毓賳 丕賱賰乇丕賴賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 賰丕賳鬲 賰丕賲賳丞 毓賳丿 賰賱 賲賳毓胤賮 賵賵乇丕亍 賰賱 噩丿丕乇.
賷鬲爻賲 兀爻賱賵亘 賰賵賷鬲夭賶 賴賳丕 亘丕賱丨爻賲 賵乇亘賲丕 丕賱賮噩丕噩丞 賮賷 丕賱丨賰賲 毓賱賶 丕賱賳丕爻 賵丕賱兀卮賷丕亍 賵賴賵賲丕 賷賲賳丨 賱賳亘乇鬲賴 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲丕亘丞 賯丿乇丕 賲賳 丕賱氐丿賯貙賱丕 賳噩丿賴 賮賷 賰鬲丕亘丕鬲賳丕 丕賱毓乇亘賷丞 丕賱賲賲丕孬賱丞
毓賲賵賲丕 賵賲賳毓丕 賱賱廿胤丕賱丞 匕賰乇賷丕鬲 賰賵賷鬲夭賷 毓賳 氐亘丕賴 丕賱亘毓賷丿 賲孬賱鬲 亘丕賱賳爻亘丞 賱賷 賯乇丕亍丞 爻賱爻丞 賵賲賲鬲毓丞 亘賯丿乇.
賮丕賱乇噩賱 賱丕 賷禺匕賱賳賷 兀亘丿丕 賵賱匕賱賰 兀毓購丿 賳賮爻賷 賲賳 賯乇丕卅賴 丕賱兀賵賮賷丕亍.
賵丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賰賲丕 噩丕亍 毓賱賶 馗賴乇 丕賱睾賱丕賮 賮賷 廿賯鬲亘丕爻 賲賳 兀丨丿 丕賱氐丨賮"賱賵丨丞 卮禺氐賷丞 賵丕賯毓賷丞 賵睾賳賷丞 毓賳 丕賱胤賮賵賱丞" 賴賳丕 丕賱胤賮賵賱丞 鬲卮鬲賲賱 毓賱賶 丕賱亘乇丕亍丞 賵丕賱賳馗乇丞 丕賱丿賴卮丞 丕賱賲鬲爻丕卅賱丞貙賰賲丕 鬲卮鬲賲賱 毓賱賶 丕賱賯爻賵丞 丕賱賰丕賲賳丞 賵丕賱毓賳賮 丕賱賲禺鬲夭賳 鬲丨鬲 噩賱丿 賵賱丿 氐睾賷乇 賳卮兀 賲丨丕胤丕 亘賯丿乇 賴丕卅賱 賲賳 丕賱賲鬲賳丕賯囟丕鬲貙賳丕賴賷賰 毓賳 丕賱賰乇丕賴賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 賰丕賳鬲 賰丕賲賳丞 毓賳丿 賰賱 賲賳毓胤賮 賵賵乇丕亍 賰賱 噩丿丕乇.
賷鬲爻賲 兀爻賱賵亘 賰賵賷鬲夭賶 賴賳丕 亘丕賱丨爻賲 賵乇亘賲丕 丕賱賮噩丕噩丞 賮賷 丕賱丨賰賲 毓賱賶 丕賱賳丕爻 賵丕賱兀卮賷丕亍 賵賴賵賲丕 賷賲賳丨 賱賳亘乇鬲賴 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲丕亘丞 賯丿乇丕 賲賳 丕賱氐丿賯貙賱丕 賳噩丿賴 賮賷 賰鬲丕亘丕鬲賳丕 丕賱毓乇亘賷丞 丕賱賲賲丕孬賱丞
毓賲賵賲丕 賵賲賳毓丕 賱賱廿胤丕賱丞 匕賰乇賷丕鬲 賰賵賷鬲夭賷 毓賳 氐亘丕賴 丕賱亘毓賷丿 賲孬賱鬲 亘丕賱賳爻亘丞 賱賷 賯乇丕亍丞 爻賱爻丞 賵賲賲鬲毓丞 亘賯丿乇.
賮丕賱乇噩賱 賱丕 賷禺匕賱賳賷 兀亘丿丕 賵賱匕賱賰 兀毓購丿 賳賮爻賷 賲賳 賯乇丕卅賴 丕賱兀賵賮賷丕亍.
February 20, 2021
Written in Coetzee's sparse prose, this short novel encapsulates the angst of the author's childhood, which he narrates in the third person as an onlooker, critically observing his younger self. The harsh contradictions of the Apartheid system in 1950's South Africa provide a compelling backdrop to the story of a child who is grappling to come to terms with his place in the world. Touches of humour invigorate an otherwise austere narrative, as the author leads the reader through a courageous self examination of his formative years and his uneasy relationships with his family, his peers and the world around him.
September 3, 2017
Una savana brucata dagli erbivori
La copertina mostra fiumi azzurri e verdi boschi, ma l'infanzia di Coetzee ricorda di pi霉 una savana brucata accuratamente dagli erbivori. Come si dice parafrasando, i periodi felici non hanno storia, quelli infelici hanno bisogno di parole per essere elaborati e se possibile superati: cos矛 Coetzee ci racconta la sua infelice infanzia, con una precisione e senso della misura ammirevoli. Era un bambino intelligente che analizzava attentamente le dinamiche familiari, subendole e ferendo a sua volta; consapevole dei difetti degli altri come dei propri; spaventato e orgoglioso. Una delle paure principali era quella di essere trasferito in una scuola afrikaans, lui che, di origine afrikaans, aveva fatto sua la cultura inglese e trovava insopportabilmente grossolani i compagni di origine boera. Uno dei desideri pi霉 grandi era vivere nella fattoria dello zio: entrambi i genitori venivano da famiglie proprietarie di fattorie e lui si sentiva esiliato nella piccola citt脿, che non era Citt脿 del Capo, dalla quale a sua volta era esiliato, per via del lavoro del padre. Rapporto difficile col padre, perch猫 nonostante la buona cultura e gli inizi promettenti non aveva saputo gestire il denaro e aveva mandato la famiglia in rovina. Rapporto di odio e amore con la madre, che lo adorava e avrebbe fatto di tutto per lui: ma il troppo amore spesso non viene apprezzato (da ricordare: non se ne fa mai una giusta). Molto interessante la graduale scoperta del bambino delle diversit脿 razziali e sociali: ci sono i sudafricani di origine inglese e quelli di origine olandese, mondi da lui percepiti molto diversi; poi i meticci, che in realt脿 erano tutti molto neri ai suoi occhi e i nativi, cio猫 i boscimani, percepiti giustamente come i veri signori della terra: non perch猫 la possedessero, no: perch猫 emanati dalla terra, figli di quella terra. E'bello, la cosa pi霉 bella del libro, capire come i coloni bianchi e il bambino percepissero questo legame superiore e rispettassero il senso di dignit脿 di queste figure che facevano il loro lavoro, certamente duro e poco ricompensato, dando l'impressione di farlo non per necessit脿 ma perch猫 lo volevano fare (come un personaggio di Corto Maltese, anche lui nero e lucido).
Coetzee 猫 uno scrittore notevole, di ottima prosa ma soprattutto di grande lucidit脿.
La copertina mostra fiumi azzurri e verdi boschi, ma l'infanzia di Coetzee ricorda di pi霉 una savana brucata accuratamente dagli erbivori. Come si dice parafrasando, i periodi felici non hanno storia, quelli infelici hanno bisogno di parole per essere elaborati e se possibile superati: cos矛 Coetzee ci racconta la sua infelice infanzia, con una precisione e senso della misura ammirevoli. Era un bambino intelligente che analizzava attentamente le dinamiche familiari, subendole e ferendo a sua volta; consapevole dei difetti degli altri come dei propri; spaventato e orgoglioso. Una delle paure principali era quella di essere trasferito in una scuola afrikaans, lui che, di origine afrikaans, aveva fatto sua la cultura inglese e trovava insopportabilmente grossolani i compagni di origine boera. Uno dei desideri pi霉 grandi era vivere nella fattoria dello zio: entrambi i genitori venivano da famiglie proprietarie di fattorie e lui si sentiva esiliato nella piccola citt脿, che non era Citt脿 del Capo, dalla quale a sua volta era esiliato, per via del lavoro del padre. Rapporto difficile col padre, perch猫 nonostante la buona cultura e gli inizi promettenti non aveva saputo gestire il denaro e aveva mandato la famiglia in rovina. Rapporto di odio e amore con la madre, che lo adorava e avrebbe fatto di tutto per lui: ma il troppo amore spesso non viene apprezzato (da ricordare: non se ne fa mai una giusta). Molto interessante la graduale scoperta del bambino delle diversit脿 razziali e sociali: ci sono i sudafricani di origine inglese e quelli di origine olandese, mondi da lui percepiti molto diversi; poi i meticci, che in realt脿 erano tutti molto neri ai suoi occhi e i nativi, cio猫 i boscimani, percepiti giustamente come i veri signori della terra: non perch猫 la possedessero, no: perch猫 emanati dalla terra, figli di quella terra. E'bello, la cosa pi霉 bella del libro, capire come i coloni bianchi e il bambino percepissero questo legame superiore e rispettassero il senso di dignit脿 di queste figure che facevano il loro lavoro, certamente duro e poco ricompensato, dando l'impressione di farlo non per necessit脿 ma perch猫 lo volevano fare (come un personaggio di Corto Maltese, anche lui nero e lucido).
Coetzee 猫 uno scrittore notevole, di ottima prosa ma soprattutto di grande lucidit脿.
August 20, 2018
La tenuta intorno alla fattoria 猫 enorme, al punto che quando, nel corso delle loro battute di caccia, lui e suoi padre arrivano a uno steccato che taglia il letto di un fiume, e suo padre annuncia che hanno raggiunto il confine tra Vo毛lfontein e la tenuta limitrofa, lui 猫 colto alla sprovvista. Nella sua immaginazione Vo毛lfonstein 猫 un regno a s茅 stante. Non basterebbe una vita per conoscerla tutta, conoscerne ogni pietra e ogni cespuglio. Il tempo non basta mai quando si ama un luogo con una simile vorace passione.
Vo毛lfontein la conosce meglio d鈥檈state, quando si distende piatta sotto una luce uniforme, accecante, che si riversa gi霉 dal cielo. Eppure Vo毛lfontein ha anche i suoi misteri, misteri che non appartengono alla notte e all鈥檕mbra, ma ai pomeriggi torridi, quando i miraggi danzano all鈥檕rizzonte e l鈥檃ria stessa gli canta nelle orecchie.
Vo毛lfontein, tenuta dello zio di Coetzee
Coetzee si immerge (e ci fa immergere) nel mondo di provincia del Sudafrica, dove persone di diversa ascendenza vivono in contatto, sebbene divise da credi, religioni e usanze diverse. La storia 猫 narrata dal punto di vista di un ragazzino saccente e troppo presuntuoso, che tratta male la madre anche se la 鈥渁ma鈥� e disprezza il padre, che scialacqua i soldi della moglie. Il ragazzino vive inizialmente in un paese vicino Citt脿 del Capo, qui frequenta la scuola e viene a conoscenza della vita degli afrikaans e dei meticci, li osserva quasi con occhio scientifico, cercando di capire come vivano. D鈥檃ltra parte per貌, si sente nelle sue parole una freddezza mentale che lo allontana da queste persone, anche se ripete varie volte che si vergogna per come vengono trattate. Il ragazzino vive nel Sudafrica post seconda guerra mondiale, tifa per gli inglesi ed ama i russi, adora il cricket. Vive in provincia ed 猫 il primo della classe. Quando si trasferisce a Citt脿 del Capo, perde il privilegio di essere il pi霉 bravo della scuola, perde sicurezza in s茅 perch茅 non trova persone che lo elogino, si stacca ancora di pi霉 dalla figura del padre, mentre il suo rapporto con la madre si fa contorto: da una parte la appoggia, dall鈥檃ltra la guarda con compassione.
Non posso dire che sia stata una bella esperienza leggere i pensieri del ragazzino, e spesso mi veniva da chiudere il libro e mollare. Intere sezioni poco interessanti riprendono vigore con una o due frasi illuminanti, che spingono nella lettura. Sicuramente Coetzee 猫 capace di dar voce a milioni di personaggi, e riesce a farlo bene ache con questo qui.
Ora deliziamoci con la vista di questa bella foto che ho trovato su internet... 馃槉
鈥� 馃暞NEWTs readathon (August 2018): Divination, exceed expectations (read a book under 200 pages)
鈥� All-Over-The-World Book Challenge 鉁堬笍, per il paese Sudafrica 馃嚳馃嚘
Vo毛lfontein la conosce meglio d鈥檈state, quando si distende piatta sotto una luce uniforme, accecante, che si riversa gi霉 dal cielo. Eppure Vo毛lfontein ha anche i suoi misteri, misteri che non appartengono alla notte e all鈥檕mbra, ma ai pomeriggi torridi, quando i miraggi danzano all鈥檕rizzonte e l鈥檃ria stessa gli canta nelle orecchie.
Vo毛lfontein, tenuta dello zio di Coetzee
Coetzee si immerge (e ci fa immergere) nel mondo di provincia del Sudafrica, dove persone di diversa ascendenza vivono in contatto, sebbene divise da credi, religioni e usanze diverse. La storia 猫 narrata dal punto di vista di un ragazzino saccente e troppo presuntuoso, che tratta male la madre anche se la 鈥渁ma鈥� e disprezza il padre, che scialacqua i soldi della moglie. Il ragazzino vive inizialmente in un paese vicino Citt脿 del Capo, qui frequenta la scuola e viene a conoscenza della vita degli afrikaans e dei meticci, li osserva quasi con occhio scientifico, cercando di capire come vivano. D鈥檃ltra parte per貌, si sente nelle sue parole una freddezza mentale che lo allontana da queste persone, anche se ripete varie volte che si vergogna per come vengono trattate. Il ragazzino vive nel Sudafrica post seconda guerra mondiale, tifa per gli inglesi ed ama i russi, adora il cricket. Vive in provincia ed 猫 il primo della classe. Quando si trasferisce a Citt脿 del Capo, perde il privilegio di essere il pi霉 bravo della scuola, perde sicurezza in s茅 perch茅 non trova persone che lo elogino, si stacca ancora di pi霉 dalla figura del padre, mentre il suo rapporto con la madre si fa contorto: da una parte la appoggia, dall鈥檃ltra la guarda con compassione.
Non posso dire che sia stata una bella esperienza leggere i pensieri del ragazzino, e spesso mi veniva da chiudere il libro e mollare. Intere sezioni poco interessanti riprendono vigore con una o due frasi illuminanti, che spingono nella lettura. Sicuramente Coetzee 猫 capace di dar voce a milioni di personaggi, e riesce a farlo bene ache con questo qui.
Ora deliziamoci con la vista di questa bella foto che ho trovato su internet... 馃槉
鈥� 馃暞NEWTs readathon (August 2018): Divination, exceed expectations (read a book under 200 pages)
鈥� All-Over-The-World Book Challenge 鉁堬笍, per il paese Sudafrica 馃嚳馃嚘
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December 8, 2020vi岷縯 ch谩n d茫 man
June 26, 2018
Uniquely written fictional autobiography of Coetzee in Primary School. He uses third person, present tense and ,as he does in , an unnamed narrator. At times each paragraph seemed to be another memory loosely bound within the Chapter's purpose.
This is a boy of softness, aware of his weaknesses and failures, who seethes against a failed father and adores his mother who keeps the family going. He sees himself as an outsider, confused with the actions of adults, fearful of having his own actions noticed and terrified of being punished. But people notice his difference and recognise he will be seen.
This is a boy of softness, aware of his weaknesses and failures, who seethes against a failed father and adores his mother who keeps the family going. He sees himself as an outsider, confused with the actions of adults, fearful of having his own actions noticed and terrified of being punished. But people notice his difference and recognise he will be seen.
December 5, 2016
Mi ci 猫 voluto un po鈥� per penetrare lo stile refrattario, monocorde e feroce di Coetzee.
E non direi nemmeno di esserci riuscito del tutto.
Ci sono pochissimi dialoghi a delineare il rapporto tempestoso coi genitori, quello con i parenti, l鈥檈sperienza scolastica.
Le questioni preponderanti dell鈥檌dentit脿 e della religione.
Anche se in certi momenti ho pensato 鈥渘on fa per me, potrei pure fermarmi qui鈥�, in realt脿 alla fine ammetto di aver sub矛to un certo fascino e credo legger貌 altro di suo. [70/100]
E non direi nemmeno di esserci riuscito del tutto.
Ci sono pochissimi dialoghi a delineare il rapporto tempestoso coi genitori, quello con i parenti, l鈥檈sperienza scolastica.
Le questioni preponderanti dell鈥檌dentit脿 e della religione.
Anche se in certi momenti ho pensato 鈥渘on fa per me, potrei pure fermarmi qui鈥�, in realt脿 alla fine ammetto di aver sub矛to un certo fascino e credo legger貌 altro di suo. [70/100]
May 28, 2020
Rating 4.2/5
Every Coetzee is a revelation to me. It is just so pure in its abundance and simplicity, as it is grey and intense. From Disgrace to Summertime to Boyhood, his accounts are evocative, to say the least. A sadness engulfs the reader and stays put.
*
This story is the account of his boyhood in provincial South Africa, where politics and religions and school life overlapped, leading to sardonic results. It makes for a quick read.
Every Coetzee is a revelation to me. It is just so pure in its abundance and simplicity, as it is grey and intense. From Disgrace to Summertime to Boyhood, his accounts are evocative, to say the least. A sadness engulfs the reader and stays put.
*
This story is the account of his boyhood in provincial South Africa, where politics and religions and school life overlapped, leading to sardonic results. It makes for a quick read.
September 24, 2023
Coetzee has been among my favorite writers ever since I first ventured into his incredible range of work over twenty years ago. Age of Iron, The Master of Petersburg, and Disgrace rank among some of the most indelible and searing works of fiction I鈥檝e ever experienced. Having read most of Coetzee鈥檚 work including his rarely-mentioned collections of profound essays, I have no good explanation for why I am only now reading his 鈥渁utobiographies.鈥�
Spanning three separate and rather short volumes, Boyhood is the first in the trilogy, and it is a formidable piece of autobiographical literature, at once confessional, solemn, melancholic, but also in strides funny. Coetzee indeed chronicles 鈥渟cenes鈥� from his childhood and adolescence, and he is most incisive with making a critical examination of his parents鈥攁 mother he both adored and found frustrating for her contradictions, and a father he both respected as a WWII veteran and resented for his alcoholism that induced seismic tremors within the family.
When remembering his experiences in school as a top-of-the-class student and his interactions with relatives, especially his joys of visiting his uncle鈥檚 farm out in the veld, he is masterfully observant with capturing details and moods. He is also adept with elaborating on a more philosophical and psychological level what his experiences and memories reveal about his childhood fears of death and his musings about the conundrum of his own existence.
Although Coetzee has a penchant for exploring the hardships of life, he shows he can be funny throughout his recollections, in particular with his 鈥渂ecoming鈥� a Roman Catholic in a split-second after replying to a question that ends up impacting him at school. Even though Coetzee can make us smile, he is still more steady and assured with exploring the meaning of human struggle to endure and defy adversity. In recalling his own early years, Coetzee delivers an autobiography that is very good and entirely worthwhile, but not quite as brilliant as many of his acclaimed works of fiction.
Spanning three separate and rather short volumes, Boyhood is the first in the trilogy, and it is a formidable piece of autobiographical literature, at once confessional, solemn, melancholic, but also in strides funny. Coetzee indeed chronicles 鈥渟cenes鈥� from his childhood and adolescence, and he is most incisive with making a critical examination of his parents鈥攁 mother he both adored and found frustrating for her contradictions, and a father he both respected as a WWII veteran and resented for his alcoholism that induced seismic tremors within the family.
When remembering his experiences in school as a top-of-the-class student and his interactions with relatives, especially his joys of visiting his uncle鈥檚 farm out in the veld, he is masterfully observant with capturing details and moods. He is also adept with elaborating on a more philosophical and psychological level what his experiences and memories reveal about his childhood fears of death and his musings about the conundrum of his own existence.
Although Coetzee has a penchant for exploring the hardships of life, he shows he can be funny throughout his recollections, in particular with his 鈥渂ecoming鈥� a Roman Catholic in a split-second after replying to a question that ends up impacting him at school. Even though Coetzee can make us smile, he is still more steady and assured with exploring the meaning of human struggle to endure and defy adversity. In recalling his own early years, Coetzee delivers an autobiography that is very good and entirely worthwhile, but not quite as brilliant as many of his acclaimed works of fiction.
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