I love most of Coetzee’s work, and I devour him like a woman possessed, and this is by far his best depiction of life in the West.The main protagonist in the book is a professor of literature.JM describes the mad genius of the professor so profusely, that at moments the book becomes addictive.U can actually picture him taking a class of poetry, and falling for his pretty damsels.
The story races past, but the professor keeps flubbing one after another until he has only darkness around.Witness to his daughter’s macabre rape, the professor just about loses the final straw, and with a final farewell, the author paints a not so rosy picture of what it means to live abroad.The subtle nuances of the character of the professor are brilliantly portrayed, and I think this book should be made into a movie.I am going to read it at least twice more just to experience the beauty of the professor’s charming literature classes.
Deftly, Coetzee draws a real but daunting picture of life in the West dotted with miserable weather and utter hopelessness so much so that not even their heroes are spared an awful existence.Must read for all Coetzee noir fans.