Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Review of Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

This review was written by Eugene Kernes

Book can be found in:
Genre = Novel
Intriguing Connections = Some Type of Romance

Elaborate Description

Professor David Lurie has an affair with a student. Although the act had a consensual aspect, it is seen as an abuse of authority. He accepts the charges without fighting them. Many of his peers try to help him and advise Lurie to make some amends to be able to come back to work. Lurie admits guilt but does not accept the need for amends, thereby not taking the advice of his peers.

Being in disgrace he visits his daughter, Lucy, and stays at her home for some time. Life was decent for a time but then perpetrators violated Lucy, stole items, and burned David. The story being told to the police is only about the stole items and harm to David, nothing about Lucy. David mirrors his prior peers in advising Lucy to tell the whole story so that the perpetrators can be caught. Lucy seems to accept what has happened.

A tragic story with irony. Philosophical lesson are sporadically seen about. The prose makes this book easy to read.


Book Details

Edition ISBN:  9781524705466
Pages to read:   194
Publication:     2017
1st Edition:      1999
Format:            eBook

Ratings out of 5:
Readability    4
Content          1
Overall           2