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Age of Iron
Age of Iron | J. M. Coetzee
4 posts | 9 read | 1 to read
In Cape Town, South Africa, an old woman is dying of cancer. A classics professor, Mrs. Curren has been opposed to the lies and brutality of apartheid all her life, but has lived insulated from its true horrors. Now she is suddenly forced to come to terms with the iron-hearted rage that the system has wrought. In an extended letter addressed to her daughter, who has long since fled to America, Mrs. Curren recounts the strange events of her dying days. She witnesses the burning of a nearby black township and discovers the bullet-riddled body of her servant's son. A teenage black activist hiding in her house is killed by security forces. And through it all, her only companion, the only person to whom she can confess her mounting anger and despair, is a homeless man, an alcoholic, who one day appears on her doorstep. Brilliantly crafted and resonant with metaphor, Age of Iron is "a superbly realized novel whose truths cut to the bone." (The New York Times Book Review)
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kwmg40
Age of Iron | J. M. Coetzee
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Pickpick

I finished off the #JoysofJune readathon yesterday with this powerful story set in South Africa during apartheid.

Thanks @Andrew65 for hosting! With 5 books finished, this was one of my most successful readathons!

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Sophoclessweetheart
Age of Iron | J. M. Coetzee
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{Book Mail — Thank you Penguin for these cute #penguinessentials !} 🌿🖤

Those of you who know me, know that I am a lifetime advocate for classical literature and modern classics, so when I received these new releases of the Penguin Essentials I squealed! I love Penguin classics anyway so, there‘s that, but I‘m also a sucker for the Essentials. Have you read any of them? #penguinclassics #bibliophile #bookaddict #classics #modernclassics

Weaponxgirl I love Nancy Mitford she is a very witty writer. Love those editions 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @Weaponxgirl She‘s Wonderful. I love her writing too x 6y
Weaponxgirl @Sorceryandswords I keep meaning to read the biography and a book of letters I have about the Mitfords. Such an interesting bunch 6y
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batsy Ooh, what a lovely stack! I love Nancy Mitford too ❤️ 6y
zezeki I've read Brooklyn, but wasn't too thrilled about it, but I absolutely loved The Age of Iron. 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @Weaponxgirl They are! Deborah The youngest Mitford lives near me - she‘s the mother of our local Duke! I find her fascinating. 🖤 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @batsy Thank You 🙏 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @zeljka That‘s a shame. I chose it for the author admittedly so fingers crossed 🤞 6y
Weaponxgirl That's awesome! 6y
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bookandcat
Age of Iron | J. M. Coetzee
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Pickpick

#FreakyFriday book 7 from @zeljka -
This is my first time reading Coetzee, though his name is very familiar to me. I really enjoyed it. It's a letter from a dying South African to her daughter and chronicles the racial tensions around her. The book came out in 1990 but the subject still is timely for today. The prose was captivating, and I swallowed it in one gulp!

@monalyisha @Clwojick thanks for setting this project up! Really enjoying it!

monalyisha Awesome! I‘ve read a couple by Coetzee, too & remember liking them. 😊 6y
18 likes1 comment
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Ald
Age of Iron | J. M. Coetzee
Panpan

The actual story, while compelling, could have been told in half the number of pages. The author's ramblings were distracting and, for me, detracted from his message.