pickI ended up enjoying the non chronological three narratives of this text, one being an academic‘s text of opinions that he is writing, one being his experiences with having a female apartment neighbour type it up for him and one being the typist‘s experiences including her difficulties with her current partner. But I still felt that Coetzee‘s style is highly didactic (which can be fine) but there was a significant and obvious arrogance to it.
Actually the protagonist isn‘t that unlikeable, he is just quite hopeless, in fact all three characters are presented as deluded and therefore quite humourous. The academic JC about his opinion on politics as well as sex, Anya on her sexual appeal and her partner Andy on both Anya and JC. Perhaps that is the point of the book, self importance = delusion. Not that this fact is anything new, just my discovery that this may be the tenet of the book.
Even though there are two voices and one that is divided, and I‘m liking the actual text I‘m not liking the tone coming through from the author. I‘ll need to read at least two more Coetzee‘s before I am convinced that it‘s him and not his unlikeable protagonist. Any suggestions on Coetzee books you‘ve liked?
The narrative of this book is interesting, it is initially written in two parts on every page and then increases to three. Each page is sectioned, the top part is the narrator‘s text essays on politics that are being typed up, the second is his thoughts and the third are the thoughts of the woman he has employed to type up the first part. They do not align neatly. I‘m reading 10 pages of one section and then having to turn back to read the others.
Today‘s #uncannyOctober theme : #cursed. Could not be a more #apropo book for my #currentmood. #litsyreads @RealLifeReading
Diary of a Bad Year: Text Classics | 
