John Maxwell Coetzee Knihy

David je malý chlapec, ktorý pricestoval na lodi cez oceán do novej krajiny. Bol oddelený od svojich rodičov a stratil drahocenný kúsok papiera, ktorý by vysvetlil jeho pôvod aj cieľ. Na lodi sa ho ujme muž menom Simón. Po príchode dostanú nové mená, nové dátumy narodenia a identitu. Nevedia nič o zvykoch novej krajiny. Rozprávajú len trochu španielsky, jazykom, ktorým sa tu hovorí. Sú ľuďmi bez minulosti. Simón chce nájsť chlapcovu matku. Je presvedčený o tom, že keď ju zbadá, spozná ju. „Ale ak, čo ju nájdeme,“ pýta sa David, „prečo sme tu?“ Tento nádherný a prekvapivý príbeh je o detstve, o osude a o tom, aké je to byť vyhnancom. Ježišovo detstvo je román o záhade samotnej skúsenosti.

A magistrate in a country village protests the army's treatment of members of the barbarian tribes taken prisoner during a civil war and finds himself arrested as a traitor.

Set against the backdrop of apartheid, the narrative explores the complex emotions of a young boy navigating his relationships with his father, whom he despises, and his mother, whom he both adores and resents. Coetzee's evocative storytelling captures the themes of race, caste, and shame, intertwined with moments of bewildering humor. This poignant coming-of-age tale offers a profound reflection on identity and societal constraints, marking a significant addition to Coetzee's body of work.

Summertime is an inventive and inspired work of fiction that allows J.M. Coetzee to imagine his own life with a critical and unsparing eye, revealing painful moral struggles and attempts to come to grips with what it means to care for another human being.A young English biographer is researching a book about the late South African writer John Coetzee, focusing on Coetzee in his thirties, at a time when he was living in a rundown cottage in the Cape Town suburbs with his widowed father - a time, the biographer is convinced, when Coetzee was finding himself as a writer. Never having met the man himself, the biographer interviews five people who knew Coetzee well, including a married woman with whom he had an affair, his cousin Margot, and a Brazilian dancer whose daughter took English lessons with him. These accounts add up to an image of an awkward, reserved, and bookish young man who finds it hard to make meaningful connections with the people around him. Summertime is an inventive and inspired work of fiction that allows J.M. Coetzee to imagine his own life with a critical and unsparing eye, revealing painful moral struggles and attempts to come to grips with what it means to care for another human being. Incisive, elegant, and often surprisingly funny, Summertime is a compelling work by one of today's most esteemed writers.

Youth'S Narrator, A Student In 1950S South Africa, Has Long Been Plotting An Escape From His Native Country. Studying Mathematics, Reading Poetry, Saving Money, He Tries To Ensure That When He Arrives In The Real World He Will Be Prepared To Experience Life To Its Full Intensity, And Transform It Into Art. Arriving At Last In London, However, He Finds Neither Poetry Nor Romance. Instead He Succumbs To The Monotony Of Life As A Computer Programmer, From Which Random, Loveless Affairs Offer No Relief. Devoid Of Inspiration, He Stops Writing And Begins A Dark Pilgrimage In Which He Is Continually Tested And Continually Found Wanting. Set Against The Background Of The 1960S, Youth Is A Remarkable Portrait Of A Consciousness Turning In On Itself. J. M. Coetzee Explores A Young Man'S Struggle To Find His Way In The World With Tenderness And A Fierce Clarity.

Coetzee here tells the story of a handicapped young man who has worked as a municipal gardener in Cape Town. His mother is dying, and she wishes to return to her birthplace out in the veldt. Without the required transit passes, mother and son set out on a journey that will end in death for her and in a new but temporary life on an abandoned farm for him. His respite in isolation and peace does not last long, however; grotesque reality soon returns to trouble this quiet new world. Against the solitude of this private drama, Coetzee paints an eloquent and pained picture of his homeland and of the bureaucrats, doctors, army deserters, and camp guards who reveal the stress and qualms of their existence and who uneasily sense that there is no conclusion to their troubles and no future for their lives.

When discovered by the college authorities, he is expected to apologise and repent in an effort to save his job, but he refuses to become a scapegoat in what he see as as a show trial designed to reinforce a stringent political correctness.

It is, quite simply, a magnificent and unforgettable work Daily Telegraph

This contemporary and thought-provoking novel explores the deep unease felt by many in modern democracies. A seventy-two-year-old Australian writer is invited to contribute to a book titled Strong Opinions, where he expresses urgent concerns through short essays on topics like the origins of the state, Machiavelli, anarchism, Al-Qaida, intelligent design, and music. He questions the relationship between citizens and the state, particularly regarding the state's readiness to overlook moral considerations and civil liberties in its war on terror, which includes torture. As he navigates these complex issues, he meets Anya, a captivating young woman in his apartment building, who is between jobs. He offers her work typing his manuscript, despite her lack of interest in politics. Their growing connection complicates matters, especially with her boyfriend, Alan, an investment consultant who views the world through a harsh neo-liberal lens. Alan becomes increasingly concerned about Anya's time with the writer and begins to devise a plan. This novel engages with contemporary issues and reflects the anxieties of individuals living in democratic societies, showcasing the author's profound insights and literary prowess.

Hrdinka kruté a vášnivé novely, dcera majitele zapadlé farmy v Jižní Africe, pozoruje a komentuje život, z něhož jako by ji osud nadobro vyloučil. Její necitelný otec ji přehlíží, služebnictvo se jí bojí, ale současně jí pohrdá. Tato hořce moudrá, vzdělaná, inteligentní žena však svou zdánlivou pokorou a poddajností zastírá svoje zoufalé odhodlání nestát se jednou ze „ztracených pro historii“. Když si její otec najde africkou milenku, vrhne se zběsile do přípravy pomsty – jako by šlo o prazvláštní chemickou reakci mezi kolonizátorem a kolonizovaným – a mezi evropskými tužbami a rozlehlostí a osamělostí Afriky. Horečnatá, faulknerovsky hutná próza je silné, přesvědčivé dílo. J. M. Coetzee se v ní hluboce vcítil do své ústřední postavy a s jistotou přetvořil rodinný příběh v zrcadlo koloniální zkušenosti.