Book Review - 'Disgrace - What is a Mad Heart?' by J.M. Coetzee

I thought it was time to write a little about what I have been reading lately, seeing as I haven't written anything before about books since beginning this blog. I am still getting used to writing publicly and sometimes feel like I get a dose of stage fright...still getting into 'the swing of things'.

I have just finished reading the book by J.M. Coetzee called 'Disgrace - What is a Mad Heart?', which I began a couple of days ago. This is the first book I've read by this author and I am happy to say, I'd read more of his work. He was a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003 and a two times winner of the Booker Prize.

What drew me to choose this particular book? Good question...

I am on a mission to build a personal library, and so, often when I am out and find myself near a bookstore, I am magnetically drawn into it's depths to walk amongst the many shelves looking for new titles to accompany me home. Often I leave a bookstore with four or five new books for my shelves at home.

Some of my selections are based on titles I have heard about, friends have suggested, or what bookstores and writing societies have recommended. Sometimes I just like the look of a book's cover and the blurb and go that way. I know you're not meant to judge a book by its cover, but if it draws you in, then that can't be a bad thing.

I choose this book based on its cover and the fact that I found the blurb intriguing. I could not base my experience of this particular writer because I had none. I'm not certain the title grabbed my attention as much as the overall picture on the cover. I also felt compelled to read this story because I have many South African friends who have shared some of their stories about life in South Africa. Some of their stories I've found quite disturbing and judging from the blurb, this story sounded like it would be one of those disturbing yarns.

What did I think about the author's style?

I found the author's style easy to get into and everything flowed sequentially which helped the story move along well. I would say his style differs greatly from a Dan Brown page turner, but Coetzee is a steady page turner. My heart rate remained steady and I could breathe unassisted. The language was easy to digest and entertaining.

What did I think about the story?

I found the issues quite confronting and sometimes distasteful. But, having said that, they were interesting and moved the plot along. I was right about it being a disturbing yarn. The story left me thinking about lots of different issues, about life in general and about the racial tensions experienced in our world. I have lived all over Australia, along with a couple of other countries, and have enjoyed and lived through many life experiences, however, this story left me feeling at a loss at how racial issues touch our lives and the lives of others in countries where I have had no experience, and so, found it hard to relate to the issues experienced by the protagonists of the story. The author spent a lot of time looking at human relationships between family members, friends, colleagues, neighbours and metaphorically looked at relationships between humans and animals and compared the two throughout. A deep thread running throughout this story was values; the value of human life in many forms and situations and comparatives were made across the value of animal lives.

Overall?

I found this a very thought provoking story that has a lot of merit. The protagonists and minor characters of the story are ordinary people leading ordinary lives who live under some extraordinary situations or deal with extraordinary issues. The author has left many threads untied. This story is certainly not all tied up in a neat package with a happy ending. I enjoy reading books that make me think and stretch me. I believe this book stretched me and I took away a new awareness of what some people in other parts of the world endure.

If you like to be challenged, then I recommend this book to you.