Jan 07, 2016 07:36 PM
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This is the only Coetzee that I have read, and I'll have to admit it has made me want to read his entire oeuvre. A profound work, Disgrace deals with life in post-apartheid South Africa, the question of consequence, the unreliability of language and also catharsis, specifically the catharsis of forced acceptance.
The protagonist David Lurie is introduced to us as a Professor of Romantic Literature in a South African University who is forced to resign following a scandal. The figure of Lurie is in sharp contrast with his choice of field: he is pragmatic in matters of love, he is not unduly enamored by language, and above all, is somewhat bitter.
Following his expulsion from University, he visits his daughter Lucy in her farm and decides to stay there indefinitely. Much horror awaits him there, which makes him feel powerless against the ailments of the society he lives is, but also makes him ponder over his past actions and the consequences of those actions on people other than him. He also finds that desire oftentimes stems not from beauty of the desired object, but its need.
This is a short book but says much. It is best read ruminatingly and reveals layers upon repeated readings.
