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Brad's Reviews > Disgrace
Disgrace
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I am sad today. Having just finished reading JM Coetzee's "Disgrace" how could I be anything else? But the sadness is definitely worth the experience. "Disgrace" is not for everyone, perhaps it is only for very few, but for those few who connect with the protagonist, David Lurie, or any other character in its pages, there is something sadly magical that happens: a visceral connection with the real. That is what makes "Disgrace" such a potent work of fiction -- the reality of its characters. Nothing in the book is satisfying because life itself is not satisfying. Coetzee could have made choices that would have made "Disgrace" a happy, and easily life affirming work, but he made "Disgrace" true -- thereby insuring that only a few could appreciate his words, and that even fewer would make their hard way through to "Disgrace's" painful message. "Disgrace" is a beautiful, brutal, melancholy work that will never leave my system.
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Zach
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rated it 4 stars
Jun 29, 2009 10:25AM
of all the books that I have truly appreciated over the years, this might be the one that I actually enjoyed reading the least, and I think that "Nothing in the book is satisfying because life itself is not satisfying" is the best explanation for that that I have come across.
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I don't find too many people who've appreciated this book, Zach, and it sure is painful to read, but I am glad to see I am not the only who had the experience I had with this book.
Your succinct review struck a chord, Brad, reminding me that I still had some flash reviews to transfer from Amazon. Disgrace is one of my all-time favourites, although that term seems ill-chosen considering the content."Coetzee refuses to let the reader off the hook. A painfully exhilarating experience. He dissects his characters without anaesthetic. How fresh and new and lovely my own life suddenly seemed."
Richard wrote: "Coetzee refuses to let the reader off the hook. A painfully exhilarating experience. He dissects his characters without anaesthetic. How fresh and new and lovely my own life suddenly seemed...."Nicely said.
Richard wrote: "Your succinct review struck a chord, Brad, reminding me that I still had some flash reviews to transfer from Amazon. Disgrace is one of my all-time favourites, although that term seems ill-chosen c..."I lived in that South Africa. ( Until I was 24) ..The reality of the daughter's choices is inevitable.... One of my all time favourites.
Lesley wrote: "Richard wrote: "Your succinct review struck a chord, Brad, reminding me that I still had some flash reviews to transfer from Amazon. Disgrace is one of my all-time favourites, although that term se..." It's such an intense tale. I am made even sadder by the thought that her choice was inevitable, but it shows Coetzee's talent.
