Comments on: Slow Man by J.M. Coetzee

By: Udayan Das

Udayan Das — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:39:36 +0000

This is far from Coetzee’s best work and in fact is self-indulgent, which his work never is. Read Disgrace, Elizabeth Costello, Diary of a Bad Year or any of the old works (Waiting for the Barbarians, Foe, etc.). You won’t need glowing reviews because of the ever present glow in the writing. They didn’t give him a Nobel prize for nothing.

Slow Man is probably the worst work by him that I have read, by a mile. Disappointing in that he would allow that. But do read the rest of his catalog.

By: Wilelmina Roling-Ludwig

Wilelmina Roling-Ludwig — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:12:00 +0000

Slow Man, Slow Motion in someones life before
and after a decisive moment,which calls or allows,for changes to be made but,they are left to float away;then,awareness of aging process, still simmering desires to find answers what lies behind words like love, belonging, perfection in what one chooses to do as well as the urge to persuage happenings to come about, knowing the effort is doomed and just a thought. Slow Man, his own Camera in the imagined writer of Elisabeth Costello; Slow Man, the collector of books, writing in blind motion picture fashion an imagined scenery into his Slow Man’s life. In the time frame of slow life his mind is active.

By: Tracee

Tracee — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:22:45 +0000

I have this on my bookshelf, but now it will sit until I really have time for it, if that time ever comes. Or, maybe I will raffle it off. We’ll have to see.

By: Natasha Maw

Natasha Maw — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 05:30:23 +0000

Wendy – If I get around to reading Disgrace, it definitely will not be for a long while! I wondered if I had read Elizabeth Costello if I would have understood this book better. Is it a sequel or a standalone? I’m not even sure.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 02:09:34 +0000

I read this last year and liked it okay. But, Disgrace is a much better book. I have not heard rave reviews on Elizabeth Costello…