I know the man won a Nobel Prize and two Bookers, but I don't like his work. Does anyone else find that he is waving his flag of intellectual superiority through his writing? I have to admit I've only read two of his books: Disgrace (just finished it) and Elizabeth Costello, but I haven't enjoyed either. His characters are pretentious, his writing is affected and his tone is moralizing.
This is what Wikipedia says about him:
"Coetzee is a man of almost monkish self-discipline and dedication. He does not drink, smoke or eat meat. He cycles vast distances to keep fit and spends at least an hour at his writing-desk each morning, seven days a week. A colleague who has worked with him for more than a decade claims to have seen him laugh just once. An acquaintance has attended several dinner parties where Coetzee has uttered not a single word."
Which makes perfect sense. What a kill-joy.
3 comments:
I read Disgrace and found it a bit dry and very male. I kept on thinking how different the book would be if it was written by a woman.
yes, totally agree. it's like he was trying to be dispassionate and analytical about topics that are very emotional
All said, you can't take away from the fact he is a breath-taking writer. Breath-taking. But yes...I certainly wouldnt' want to know him on a personal level.
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