disgrace

another book by author j m coetzee now read
this one apparantly given the booker prize in 1999
i saw it raved about on a recent book review show
and so when offered a loan of it i had to take it on
david lurie is a poetry lecturer at a south african university
leads a fairly dull life but for his libido problem
the first part of the book demonstrating this thoroughly
no woman is off limits particularly his young students
who are drawn to his intellect and persuasive manner
but in a classic case of one too far he oversteps the mark
his latest conquest informs her parents who in turn react
leading him to be being sacked and well, disgraced
no sympathy from me as i just don't like him at all
the prude in me says middle-aged blokes should act their age
and not go round luring ('scuse the pun) after much younger women
he also has a less than average relationship with his ex-wives
presumably as they have been caught up in his activities
part one of the book takes us up to the point of his ejection
then in part two he retreats to his daughter's country property
possibly as a reaction against her father she leads a simple life
has a now-absent woman lover and looks after neglected dogs
she eeks out an existence in a poor part of rural south africa
so mr lurie finds himself in a quite hostile environment
but seems to find relief in his absence from the spotlight
he takes to writing an opera portaying the life of lord byron
and in typical coetzee style art-imitates-life-imitates-art
so on the surface this book tells an interesting story
but dig a bit deeper and there's more going on
dogs become quite central to the theme of the story
lurie befriends in his usual style a lady at the local veterinary
then finds himself routinely involved in culling the dog population
those ones now neglected, rejected, isolated and un-loved
so it's not hard to see the parallel of a dog's life to now his own
the hardship of life in rural south africa is also well described
seems violence is never too far away and comes into the story
i'm not entirely sure what the author was trying to tell us
there's nothing too endearing about any of the characters
and life on the outside of society is seen as bleak
but maybe that is the point of the story
disgrace - not a good place to be?