I found the novel Disgrace by J.M Coetzee to be as a whole very well written and a good read. This novels beginning starting with David Lurie's affair was very interesting and rather fast paced especially witnessing the downfall of this fascinating character. The main problem i had with this book was the noticeable drop in pace after the climax where his daughter gets raped and this caused me to lose interest in the story towards the ending. I found the ending itself to be rather lackluster where nothing is really resolved such as what will become of Lucy Lurie and if she will accept Petrus's offer to marry her. Although this lack of action after the climax may be intentional on the part of the author I did not care for it much as it did not make it an interesting read for me. With regards to winning a noble prize i can understand that because this novel is highly allegorical with numerous references to poets such as Byron and Shakespeare and many of its elements can be analyzed at a deeper level and it is books such as these which are usually considered for awards.. This book also deals with a major issue which is apartheid and this no doubt contributed to it winning awards.
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Yes , i do agree with you when you said that the novel as a whole is well-written and is a good read.
Also, i do agree with the fact that it had a fast and acaptivating pace at the beginign but after Lucy gets raped the pace slows down resulting in more of a boring read. Also, again agreeing with you, the novel deal with apartheid and this is another reason for a success and a reward for that success.
In general, I agree with your opinion of Disgrace. My main problem waas also the obvious dro in pace after the Lucy's rape, but I thought it picked up slightly towards the end. I do think the ending was rather "lackluster" and it is possible, even probably that that it was intended on the author's part, but I think it did leave the reader with a sense of satisfaction. I was not overly impressed by it, as it did leave many ideas lacking a conlusion, yet it complements the writing style consitent throughout, which provides a certain degree of emphasis on the Coetzee's themes.
I also agree with your thoughts that the novel's highly allegoical nature and its dealings with many issues such as apartheid were probably the main reasons behind its international acclaim.
Overall, great job. :)
I agree that the book's main themes are what caused its success. Apartheid in particular is considered a stain on the world's conscience. Since DISGRACE portrays the devastating effects of racial violence in South Africa, the book was acclaimed.
However, I don't entirely agree that the novel's pace becomes boring after David's affair and the rape. I find that David's visit to the Isaacs family in George was very interesting. It reveals another side to David's morality.
I would agree with you when saying the book lostits interest after David Lurie finished his court case about the affair he had with his student. I thoght that was what made the book so fast pace and interesting at the begining, and I can see why the author picked such a fast paced subject at the begining to keep the reader nerested. I also liked how you questioned why the bok won a prize. I think the book was good enough to win one. In all I would agree with your reaction to the novel.
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