"A subtly brilliant commentary on the nature and balance of power in his homeland.... Disgrace is a mini-opera without music by a writer at the top of his form."--Time"Mr. Coetzee, in prose lean yet simmering with feeling, has indeed achieved a lasting work: a novel as haunting and powerful as Albert Camus's The Stranger."-- The Wall Street Journal

"A tough, sad, stunning novel."--Baltimore Sun

Disgrace is not a hard or obscure bookit is, among other things, compulsively readablebut what it may well be is an authentically spiritual document, a lament for the soul of a disgraced century. The New Yorker

A subtly brilliant commentary on the nature and balance of power in his homeland . Disgrace is a mini-opera without music by a writer at the top of his form. Time Mr. Coetzee, in prose lean yet simmering with feeling, has indeed achieved a lasting work: a novel as haunting and powerful as Albert Camus s The Stranger. The Wall Street Journal

A tough, sad, stunning novel. Baltimore Sun"

Disgrace is not a hard or obscure bookit is, among other things, compulsively readablebut what it may well be is an authentically spiritual document, a lament for the soul of a disgraced century. The New Yorker

A subtly brilliant commentary on the nature and balance of power in his homeland . Disgrace is a mini-opera without music by a writer at the top of his form. Time Mr. Coetzee, in prose lean yet simmering with feeling, has indeed achieved a lasting work: a novel as haunting and powerful as Albert Camus s The Stranger. The Wall Street Journal

A tough, sad, stunning novel. Baltimore Sun

The first 80 pages of this book are riveting. Coetzee's prose is almost flawless as we follow Paul literally from the moment he's hit by young Wayne Bright or Blight, through his experiences with rehabilitation nurses and social services, unsuitable carers and finally the arrival of Marijana. It's a very human experience - the reader understands Paul's feelings that his life is over, even as you are frustrated by his willingness to just give up. With Marijana, Paul sees a chance at a fresh life and again, you sympathise with his dreams of becoming her lover and thereby gaining the family he never had.

All this just seems to stop when Elizabeth Costello comes on the page. She seems to represent Coetzee himself and instead of a story about a man's rehabilitation from amputation, the rest of the book is essentially Coetzee's musings on the writing process and specifically, the relationship between author and character. This robs the story of all its life as you become aware of its artificial nature. Costello's discussions with Rayment are just an excuse to swap speeches, a sickness that spreads to Marijana and her family. If you're a writer, then there is some intellectual interest in this but as a reader I felt disengaged from the story and all sympathy I felt for Paul disappeared.

Like I said, Coetzee's prose is excellent. I liked the way he set out Marijana's use of English, I enjoyed Paul's inner thoughts and I thought the imagery was great. It's just a shame that the introduction of Costello robs the story of any direction and sets up something of a flat ending.