Disgrace

Hello fellow readers! I finished and now have time to write about another book on my list I have recently read. The book was Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee. Now, I had heard a lot about this author and many of his books are on my list as ones you should read before you die. Therefore, I was quite excited to read this one. 

After finishing it, I won’t say I was disappointed by it because the writing style was utterly phenomenal; Coetzee has a real talent that is evident in this book alone. However, the story line was not incredibly exciting overall. Really, it was a pretty depressing book. The book follows the tale of a professor fired for an affair with one of his students. Once he has lost his job, he travels to visit his daughter in a little village and discovers how hard life is for females in her village. His journey to his daughter’s farm is meant to be one of redemption but all he truly finds is more depression and sorrow, leaving him feeling more hopeless than before.

If you are looking for a book that is quite serious and deals with serious issues, then this is the book for you since it addresses mostly race and gender relations in South Africa. And, while it is not normally something I would choose to read, it was very informative and I learned a lot about a culture I hadn’t really considered before. And this is something I love when I read; I always want to be learning new things. However, if that doesn’t exactly sound like your cup of tea, it is not a book I would recommend. It is especially not what I would suggest picking up if you are looking for a nice, light read. 

However, that being said, I would suggest reading other works of Coetzee because his writing really is incredible. And, I will admit, I am a sucker for incredible writing. I feel I can overlook many faults in a book if the writing is wonderful and grabs my attention. For many writers, while the plots are amazing, they lack the style of writing that draws me in completely. Not that I don’t love their books but writing and writing style are things that always stand out to me in a novel. And J. M. Coetzee is one of the best I have found so far. I look forward to reading his other books on my list for that reason alone. 

As for next time, I will be talking about the second volume of the Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I have always been a Sherlock Holmes fan but haven’t had much chance to truly delve into the original stories. Really, I know about the famous ones everyone has heard of. But there is so much more to them. So far, I am absolutely loving it and I look forward to telling you all about it. Until next time, keep reading!