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J.M. Coetzee

Born

in Cape Town, Union of South Africa

February 09, 1940

Genre

Literature & Fiction

Influences

Samuel Beckett, Franz Kafka, Ford Madox Ford, Robert Walser, Daniel De ...more

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J. M. Coetzee is a South African writer, essayist, and translator, widely regarded as one of the most influential authors of contemporary literature. His works, often characterized by their austere prose and profound moral and philosophical depth, explore themes of colonialism, identity, power, and human suffering. Born and raised in South Africa, he later became an Australian citizen and has lived in Adelaide since 2002.
Coetzee’s breakthrough novel, Waiting for the Barbarians (1980), established him as a major literary voice, while Life & Times of Michael K (1983) won him the first of his two Booker Prizes. His best-known work, Disgrace (1999), a stark and unsettling examination of post-apartheid South Africa, secured his second Booker Pri ...more

7 posts
J.M. Coetzee's Blog

J.M. Coetzee isn't a Goodreads Author (yet), but they do have a blog, so here are some recent posts imported from their feed.

An open letter to President Erdoğan from 38 Nobel laureates | JM Coetzee, Kazuo Ishiguro, Svetlana Alexievich and others

Until Turkey frees detained writers and returns to the rule of law, it cannot claim to be a member of the free world

Dear President Erdoğan,

We wish to draw your attention to the damage being done to the Republic of Turkey, to its reputation and the dignity and wellbeing of its citizens, through what leading authorities on freedom of expression deem to be the unlawful detention and wrongful convicti

Combine Editions
J.M. Coetzee’s books

Average rating: 3.77 · 330,481 ratings · 28,880 reviews · 192 distinct works • Similar authors

	Disgrace 3.86 avg rating — 122,030 ratings — published 1999 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Waiting for the Barbarians 3.93 avg rating — 37,273 ratings — published 1980 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Life & Times of Michael K 3.87 avg rating — 22,018 ratings — published 1983 — 155 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Foe 3.41 avg rating — 12,939 ratings — published 1986 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Elizabeth Costello 3.49 avg rating — 10,383 ratings — published 2003 — 95 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Slow Man 3.45 avg rating — 9,823 ratings — published 2005 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Youth (Scenes from Provincial Life #2) 3.78 avg rating — 8,492 ratings — published 2002 — 87 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Summertime (Scenes from Provincial Life #3) 3.78 avg rating — 7,031 ratings — published 2009 — 72 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Childhood of Jesus 3.48 avg rating — 7,579 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Boyhood (Scenes from Provincial Life #1) 3.77 avg rating — 6,195 ratings — published 1997 — 88 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by J.M. Coetzee…

Series by J.M. Coetzee

Scenes from Provincial Life (3 books)
by

J.M. Coetzee

3.79 avg rating — 22,299 ratings

Jesus Trilogy (3 books)
by

J.M. Coetzee

3.55 avg rating — 11,930 ratings

Quotes by J.M. Coetzee (?)

“Become major, Paul. Live like a hero. That's what the classics teach us. Be a main character. Otherwise what is life for?”
― J.M. Coetzee

1795 likes

“When all else fails, philosophize.”
― J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace

309 likes

“The secret of happiness is not doing what we like but in liking what we do.”
― J.M. Coetzee

tags: happiness

240 likes

See all J.M. Coetzee's quotes »

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J.M. Coetzee’s Followers (5,515)

J.M. Coetzee

7 postsJ.M. Coetzee's Blog

An open letter to President Erdoğan from 38 Nobel laureates | JM Coetzee, Kazuo Ishiguro, Svetlana Alexievich and others

Combine EditionsJ.M. Coetzee’s books

Series by J.M. Coetzee

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

7 posts
J.M. Coetzee's Blog

Combine Editions
J.M. Coetzee’s books