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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780670018758
ISBN: 0670018759
Label: Viking Adult
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Date: December 27, 2007
Publisher: Viking Adult
Sales Rank: 32735
Studio: Viking Adult
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
A new work of fiction by the Nobel Prize–winning author of Disgrace
In this brilliant new work of fiction, J. M. Coetzee once again breaks new literary ground with a book that is, in the words of its main character, “a response to the present in which I find myself.” Diary of a Bad Year takes on the world of politics—a new topic for Coetzee—and explores the role of the writer in our times with an extraordinary moral compass.
At the center of the book is “Señor C,” an aging author who has been asked to write his thoughts on the state of the world by his German publisher. These thoughts, called “Strong Opinions,” address a wide range of subjects and include a scathing indictment of Bush, Cheney, and Blair, as well as a witheringly honest examination of everything from Machiavelli and the current state of the university to music, literature, and intelligent design, offering unexpected perceptions and insightful arguments along the way. Meanwhile, someone new enters the writer’s life: Anya, the beautiful young woman whom he hires to type his manuscript. The relationship that develops between Señor C and Anya has a profound effect on both of them. It also changes the course of Anya’s relationship with Alan, the successful, swaggering man whom she lives with—and who has designs on Señor C’s bank account. Through these characters, Coetzee creates an ingenious literary game that will enthrall readers and surprise them with its emotional power. Bold, funny, and sad, as well as intellectually clever and satisfying, Diary of a Bad Year is a journey into the mind and heart of one of the world’s most acclaimed and accomplished writers.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
In this highly original three-dimensional book, J.M. Coetzee voices his strong opinions on shame and apology as well as on his moral indignation against all kinds of violence (political, economical, social, personal, physical).
The Machiavellian State uses physical (torture) as well as social violence by attacking or abolishing civil liberties. The latest legislation in the US, the UK and Australia imposes drastic restrictions on freedom of speech and surveillance of the entire world's ... Read More
Rating: -
Coetzee has always been interested in the intersection between fiction and politics. DISGRACE, his most famous novel, is a somewhat traditional story set in the specific political context of post-apartheid South Africa. His earlier WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS, set in an unnamed place and time, uses fiction as a parable for political repression in almost any age, not least our own. But in his latest work, DIARY OF A BAD YEAR, Coetzee reverses this pattern; the book is frankly presented as a collection ... Read More
Rating: -
JC, author of Waiting for the Barbarians, lives on the bottom floor of an apartment building. Anya, a sexy, brainy girl, lives on the top floor with her boorish boyfriend, Alan. JC is asked by a German publisher to write opinions on various topics of his choosing. Seeing Anya in the laundry room, JC is instantly enthralled. Learning that she is in between jobs, he has this dish type his manuscript for him. Alan, who happens to have a little of the swindler in him, is jealous. Anya finds herself ... Read More
Rating: -
This "novel" unfolds in three parallel tracks: a series of "strong opinions" written for an anthology by an aging South African writer living in Australia (Senor C); Senor C's internal thoughts, particularly regarding his young, sensuous typist, Anya; and Anya's internal thoughts. All three tracks share the page, but the structure remains easy to follow. Senor C's strong opinions are interesting in their own right, but the true brilliance of this book is Anya's subtle influence over Senor C's opinions, ... Read More
Rating: -
I write to thank Coetzee for bringing up the increased use of "appropriate" and "inappropriate" as lazy substitutes for words with precise meanings. You know you've encountered blah writing, and/or possibly psychobabble, when you encounter a text larded with these words. They particularly appear today in much legal writing. Here, for instance, is a sentence from the California Supreme Court's recent gay marriage decision: "In light of the evolution of our state's understanding concerning the equal dignity ... Read More
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