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Disgrace

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Disgrace

By: J. M. Coetzee
Narrated by: Jack Klaff
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About this listen

After years teaching Romantic poetry at the Technical University of Cape Town, David Lurie, middle-aged and twice divorced, has an impulsive affair with a student. The affair sours, he is denounced and summoned before a committee of inquiry. Willing to admit his guilt, but refusing to yield to pressure to repent publicly, he resigns and retreats to his daughter Lucy's isolated smallholding.

For a time, his daughter's influence and the natural rhythms of the farm promise to harmonise his discordant life. But the balance of power in the country is shifting. He and Lucy become victims of a savage and disturbing attack which brings into relief all the faultlines in their relationship.

By the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature and twice winner of the Booker Prize.

©1999 J M Coetzee (P)2014 AudioGo Ltd. Published by Random House Audiobooks Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction
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My son is doing this book for grade 11 and advised me to read it. I’ve loved this thought provoking novel. Beautifully written and narrated in a most heartfelt way. I’m going to listen to more of JM Coetzee’s books.

Wonderfully written

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Liked the style of the writing. It was a somewhat brutal story in many ways. Made me think and there was much sadness and anger too.

Passing through life

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Disgrace - Coetzee

This is a quick review about the Audio book version of disgrace.

First of all - absolutely phenomenal book. I can see why it’s so well regarded. I’m proud to have such an amazing author living in Australia. Listening to it, the levels of introversion, introspection and dark analysis of the characters puts it on the same plane, if not quite the same level, as Nabokov.

The Action is about a professor, David Lowry; 52, twice divorcee at a metropolitan university. He has an affair with a 19 year old student, that pushes to the very edge of what is social and morally acceptable. He is ousted by the university following it. He accepts responsibility for, but refuses to apologise for his actions. He is stubborn. He moves ion with his homosexual daughter who lives in the country, in the south cape. Her life is very different to his. He is a professor of literature, writing a work about Byron that permeates the book, and becomes a metaphor for his relationship with his daughter. She is living off the land, a free spirit, looking after stray dogs with a farmer’s market stall.

David does not initially like to dogs or the country life but warms to them. Something tragic I will not spoil occurs in the second act, and this really colours the rest of the book.

The dogs, and the book David is working on take on metaphorical qualities as they become surrogates for the protagonists, David and his daughter. Both fall into disgrace, in various guises of the word.

In the background are overtones of post-apartheid South Africa. Without ever being ‘woke’ or painful to listen to, the book engages in a really difficult (in the sense of hard to listen to, not hard to process) dialectic about what Is right for the citizens of that country in the modern era. This analysis alone made me want to learn more about South Africa, a country I am woefully ignorant of. Disgrace switches you on to these issues without treating the listener as a fool; or ramming them down your throat. It is not idealistic. It is compelling.

The story itself has such a rhythm to it, that despite not being full of high action it was almost impossible to put down. It was an absolute page turner. I did not want to stop listening.

Do not be put off by the odd title or the odd cover graphic. It stat stagnating in my audible library for about half a year because of these which is a real shame. Both of them belie the quality of the content, and will become more meaningful as you continue.

Overall, its very dark; it’s prescient. It has wonderful layers ion introversion, both about what the characters are going through, and an obvious love of literature that penetrates the novel. If you loved John William’s stoner, or even Ravelstien, you will like this - its part campus novel, part exploration of two character, and part history of South Africa all entwined. It is a wonderful book.

Finally - the narration in the audiobook version was excellent. It conveys the South African accents wonderfully, and each individual is distinct but compelling.

Best audiobook I listened to in 2022.

Best Audiobook of the Year, by a mile

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This is not a happy story but an important one. There is despair but there is also hope. Klaff does a marvellous job reading this. He should get many more book reading jobs. He delivers this story with the gentility it deserves.

Beautifully written and read

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I have already read the book and seen the movie (which are also great) so I thought I would try this audiobook. I was initially a bit put off by the accent as I'm not that used to the South African accent, but I soon got used to it. The narrator is actually very good and does a great job doing all the different voices for the various characters

Great story, great narrator

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I read this book and saw the movie some 15 years ago but it is such a powerful story I had to listen again. I finished it in parts of 2 days. if you want moral dilemmas then this is a classic. I love the ownership of land being the powerful metaphor for who rules the roost. Fabulous ending. The male narration was great but I did find Lucy's female voice was amusing at times.

Disgrace, suffering, redemption thru sacrifice.

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Can be a personal thing, but I don’t like when male readers imitate female voices. It makes female characters sound quite stupid. And totally unnatural.

What’s the point in trying to sound like a female?

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I read this 20 years ago, I was young and hadn't yet lived as an adult. I only enjoyed it back then because I was South African and felt some sort of childish pride for it's awards. Now as an adult this book looked into my soul. It left me burned. Burnt. Burnt-up.

Anti-schadenfreude

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I am sure there are plenty of people that loved this book but it just wasn't for me. I found it hard reading, evoking gritty emotions. Not the escapism I am after in a book... but as I say, I am sure plenty of people enjoy it.

Not my cup of tea

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.