'Disgrace' by J.M. Coetzee follows the story of Professor David Lurie, an aging university teacher who faces disgrace after being accused of inappropriate relationships with his students. The narrative delves into themes of age, relationships, culture, and taboo, exploring the protagonist's brutal honesty about himself and his struggles to navigate his disintegrating career and personal life. Set in post-apartheid South Africa, the novel addresses complex issues such as race relations, power dynamics, and societal transformations, all while showcasing Coetzee's spare and engaging writing style that keeps readers engrossed in the protagonist's journey of self-discovery and redemption.

Characters:

The characters are complex, often unlikable, reflecting varied responses to disgrace, trauma, and moral dilemmas.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is concise and evocative, blending simplicity with depth and rich imagery.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around David Lurie's disgrace after an affair with a student, followed by his tumultuous transition to rural life with his daughter amid violence and societal change.

Setting:

The setting is crucial, highlighting post-apartheid societal shifts and personal dislocation.

Pacing:

The pacing is deliberate, maintaining a balance between character introspection and plot progression.

FOR A MAN of his age, fifty-two, divorced, he has, to his mind, solved the problem of sex rather well. On Thursday afternoons he drives to Green Point. Punctually at two p.m. he presses the buzzer at ...

Notes:

The main character, David Lurie, often quotes literature to justify his actions, suggesting a disconnect between his intellectual pursuits and his moral failures.

The novel critiques the post-apartheid educational system in South Africa, illustrating the inadequacies of its new structure through Lurie’s forced transition from a literature professor to a communications teacher.

Lurie’s affair with a student serves as a pivotal moment that leads to his downfall, which reflects themes of power, exploitation, and the consequences of patriarchal attitudes.

Disgrace explores racial tensions in post-apartheid South Africa, highlighting the struggle of white South Africans to navigate their privilege in a changing society.

The relationship dynamics between David and his daughter Lucy reveal generational and ideological rifts, especially after the traumatic events that befall them.

Animals are depicted as both victims and symbols throughout the novel, with Lurie’s work at an animal clinic paralleling the human struggles of dignity and worth.

The protagonist, David, embodies contradictions, such as viewing himself as a romantic hero while simultaneously being a predator.

Coetzee’s writing style is spare yet impactful, often prompting readers to reflect deeply on the themes of disgrace, identity, and morality without overt moralizing.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include sexual assault, rape, animal euthanasia, themes of misogyny and moral degradation, and graphic discussions of violence.

From The Publisher:

From the Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. J.M. Coetzee's latest novel, The Schooldays of Jesus, is now available from Viking. Late Essays: 2006-2016 will be available January 2018.

"Compulsively readable… A novel that not only works its spell but makes it impossible for us to lay it aside once we've finished reading it." -The New Yorker

Ratings (9)

Incredible (2)
Loved It (6)
Liked It (1)

Reader Stats (18):

Read It (8)
Want To Read (7)
Not Interested (3)

1 comment(s)

Feyisayo Anjorin

Loved It

2 years

At the height of his dissatisfaction with his marriage and sex life, a man who seems like a successful academic for years unwittingly throws it when he sleeps with one of his students.

What can you read after
Disgrace?

See the list (100 books)

About the Author:

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, on February 9, 1940, J. M. Coetzee studied first at Cape Town and later at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a PhD degree in literature. In 1972, he returned to South Africa…

Meet New Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products and services on amazon.com and its subsidiaries.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.

Activity

Recommendations

My Stuff

Account

More