/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.1853786]

Anyone read The Lives of Animals by J. M. Coetzee?

It's basically a fictional academic (Elizabeth Costello) giving a couple lectures on animal rights, and responding to everyone who thinks she's too sensitive.

It's also about human rights

I read it in a couple hours (it's only 122 pages and really small) but the book was pretty cool and made me think about how the subaltern are treated in a new way.

Have you read it /lit/? Coetzee general thread if not.

[Anonymous No.1853884]

Bump for Coetzee

[Anonymous No.1853898]

vegetarians are all faggots. real men (and women) eat meat.

[Anonymous No.1853902]

I am quite interested.

[Anonymous No.1853904]

>>1853898
I lol'd (not true). But really, what's your point?

[Anonymous No.1853908]

>>1853898
LOL EPIC TORLLAN 10/10 BROHEIM

[Anonymous No.1853914]

>>1853904

i dunno thought maybe id spice this thread up a little bit

[Anonymous No.1853925]

>>1853914
I can appreciate that. Ever read Coetzee? I feel like he's the most unknown Nobel and Booker Prize(2x) winning author.

[Anonymous No.1853926]

>>1853925
I think I've heard the name, but not in relation to anything. Vegetarians tend to be too preachy for me

[Anonymous No.1853929]

>>sounds pretentious

[Anonymous No.1853939]

>>1853926
Nah. He's more about postcolonial lit than anything else. I'd recommend Like and Times of Michael K or Age of Iron. Both very beautifully illustrate the failures of human sympathy in South Africa.

>>1853929
The Lives of Animals does come off a little pretentious, but you have to remember that it's from the perspective of an old academic, giving a lecture and debating with other academics. The scene is set to be about as pretentious as possible. But, we can't judge the author for the actions of his characters (amirite?).

[Anonymous No.1853941]

>>1853939
Life* and Times of Michael K is what I meant

[Anonymous No.1854461]

Bump for Bloomsday

[Anonymous No.1854508]

>>1853939
To me, Coetzee always feels too apologist for my American palate.

[Anonymous No.1854516]

>>1854508
Well, I don't disagree completely. Although, I think to label him apologist is too simple. To me, he seems to be offering no solutions to the problems he presents (dealing with apartheid / transition to new South Africa). Or, offering a number of solutions which are all wrong.

Apologists tend to martyr themselves to a certain extent, which I think Coetzee avoids. Although he shows this martyrdom through Lucy, in Disgrace. The author's position seems to be that human failure has created a problem of being unable to deal with the past appropriately, but being unable to move forward until that happens.

I am American, as well.

[Anonymous No.1854524]

>>1854516
I'll agree with you on him not offering solutions. Disgrace was where he completely lost me, and it felt as if he were emasculating white men all around the world.

While I can see the strategy in doing that for the purpose of a novel, it felt as if it were more of a political statement from him with the way everything was presented.

Regardless of my personal feelings on apartheid, and lack of real-life experience within that system on either side, I can't help but see how South Africa has completely crumbled as a nation since the end of these policies.

Maybe I just wanted Coetzee to come with a little venom and vengeance, and I let his real life politics (documented as much further left than I would care for) color that particular issue.

I couldn't say what my feelings would be if I were a South African man of his age, but I would surely hope the resignation that emanated from the pages of Disgrace wouldn't infect my blood. It was almost sickening.

[Anonymous No.1854528]

>>1854516
>Apologists tend to martyr themselves to a certain extent, which I think Coetzee avoids.

I think you are correct here, and in some cases it feels to me as if this is a huge effort to not come off as such. I guess when I see Coetzee in my mind's eye, I see a man that considers himself a martyr but doesn't dare let on in print.

I'm glad he relocated to Adelaide, and hope he has a gentle life down under.

[Anonymous No.1854538]

>>1854524
Yeah, I can see what you mean about Disgrace being a little over the top. I agree with you there, and personally it's one of his that I like the least. You should check out Age of Iron if you want to give him another chance.

>>1854528
>a man that considers himself a martyr but doesn't dare let on in print.
Lol yeah, I think he does give off this vibe a lot. But I love to read him squirming while trying to get away from any kind of label. The evasiveness he practises during interviews is impressive.

[Anonymous No.1854540]

>>1854538
>Lol yeah, I think he does give off this vibe a lot. But I love to read him squirming while trying to get away from any kind of label. The evasiveness he practises during interviews is impressive.

It really is impressive, and he has done an expert job of avoiding media.

[Anonymous No.1854548]

>>1854540
In The Lives of Animals he recreates that evasiveness while his character is taking questions about her lectures. I couldn't help but laugh a couple times because her responses are really interesting but at the end of them you inevitably have a 'what the fuck am I reading' moment.

[Anonymous No.1854838]

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