Compellingly written, grisly and sometimes brutal, this story of a literary academic concerns human frailty and rejection as much as disgrace. Seeking refuge through bleak affairs, his relationship with his daughter and working with unwanted animals, some of the most lyrical writing describes his dreams to write an opera about Byron. Coetzee paints a terrifying picture of the shift of power in S. Africa. This book provoked more discussion at our book-club than any so far.
(Jenny Freeman - bwl 4 July 2000 ) |
