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May 14
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Michael
gave
 
to:
Diary of a Bad Year (Hardcover)
by J.M. Coetzee
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in April, 2008
Michael said:
"At first glance, this book seems like a giant mess. Three stories, or, more accurately, three different views on the story, are being told, all intertwined into one big mess. I didn't know, as Matt stated, whether to read each page like in a normal...more
At first glance, this book seems like a giant mess. Three stories, or, more accurately, three different views on the story, are being told, all intertwined into one big mess. I didn't know, as Matt stated, whether to read each page like in a normal book, rather to read across the fold to read each person's thought, or to read each individual story to completion on its own. I mostly read page-by-page, but occasionally scanned across the fold. I don't know if Coetzee intended one approach, or possibly all three. But if I give Diary a second go, I think I'll read each perspective on its own.
Beyond that, this story is classic Coetzee: the aging male protagonist, the beautiful young woman that creates a mess of problems for him, and the villain. As usual, Coetzee is brilliant and unapologetic. He takes mundane/everyday circumstances and twists them around to expose people's true nature. Then he throws in a little crazy stuff for some extra conflict.
Admittedly, I'm a big Coetzee fan. Diary makes you wonder if Senor C is really David Lurie. Or is it Coetzee himself? Or is Coetzee really David Lurie so all three are the same person? Or am I just babbling about nothing? ...less
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Michael
gave
to:
That Awful Mess On The Via Merulana (Paperback)
by Carlo Emilio Gadda
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in April, 2008
Michael said:
"The descriptions were too descriptive.
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Michael
gave
to:
Gain (Paperback)
by Richard Powers
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in April, 2008
Michael said:
"Gain tells parallel stories: one about the history of a manufacturing corporation, the other about a woman discovering she has cancer. Shockingly (sarcasm) the two stories merge. Unfortunately, the merger of the two stories was incredibly predictab...more
Gain tells parallel stories: one about the history of a manufacturing corporation, the other about a woman discovering she has cancer. Shockingly (sarcasm) the two stories merge. Unfortunately, the merger of the two stories was incredibly predictable.
Between the two stories, I found the history of the corporation to be more interesting and entertaining. Powers describes the evolution of the corporation and its employees marvelously, blending the fictional history of the company with world/U.S. history.
The other story, in my opinion, was a bit trite. I didn't care about any of the characters, which is never a good sign.
All-in-all, Gain is worth a read if you have time. ...less
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April 28
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Michael
gave
to:
Harry Potter Boxset Books 1-7 (Hardcover)
by J.K. Rowling
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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March 05
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Michael
gave
to:
Disgrace (Paperback)
by J.M. Coetzee
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in March, 2008
Michael said:
"I just read Disgrace for the second time. From my first reading, in an undergrad PoMo class, I remembered liking it, but not much else. I'm glad to have re-read it for Law Lit. The story is beautiful and disturbing at the same time, and takes the ...more
I just read Disgrace for the second time. From my first reading, in an undergrad PoMo class, I remembered liking it, but not much else. I'm glad to have re-read it for Law Lit. The story is beautiful and disturbing at the same time, and takes the reader through a full range of emotions from one page to the next. At times, I hate David. Then I pity him. Then I'm angry at myself for pitying him. Coetze dissects both the social and political atmosphere of post-Apartheid South Africa and human nature in general, and spares no one. It unflinching and brilliant. ...less
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February 28
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Michael
gave
to:
Madame Bovary (Paperback)
by Gustave Flaubert
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in February, 2008
Michael said:
"Imagine if an immensely talented author decided to write one of those cheesy romance novels they sell at the grocery store, and you've got Madame Bovary. Flaubert's prose is beautiful (or at least the translation is, I can't read French), and many o...more
Imagine if an immensely talented author decided to write one of those cheesy romance novels they sell at the grocery store, and you've got Madame Bovary. Flaubert's prose is beautiful (or at least the translation is, I can't read French), and many of his characters are thoroughly and deeply developed. But I still found the story itself limited and never found a character to "root for." Maybe I'm just not smart enough to appreciate it. Regardless, I don't have anything else nice to say....less
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February 22
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New comment on Evan's review of
Antigone
reply to this comment
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February 19
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Michael
gave
to:
Antigone (Paperback)
by Sophocles
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in February, 2008
Michael said:
"Examining morality, faith, ethics and the internal struggle to do "what is right," this remarkable play is as relevant today as it was when Sophocles wrote it nearly 2500 years ago. When one's faith runs counter to an order of the state, w...more
Examining morality, faith, ethics and the internal struggle to do "what is right," this remarkable play is as relevant today as it was when Sophocles wrote it nearly 2500 years ago. When one's faith runs counter to an order of the state, what is the proper course of action? It is an issue that permeates our society today....less
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February 07
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Michael
gave
to:
Lotterie in Babylon. Die schönsten Erzählungen. (Hardcover)
by Jorge Luis Borges
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in February, 2008
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New comment on Evan's review of
Waiting for the Barbarians: A Novel
reply to this comment
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