Literature: J. M. Coetzee

I don’t often recommend books to read. People seldom take the time to read anymore – not the classics, anyway. Today a woman called to tell me she had enjoyed one of the authors I had suggested to her years ago. Ironically, she had read a book that I have yet to get to.

J. M. Coetzee is South African (or was), now living in Australia. He is a contemporary of Nadine Gordimer, also South African. The two could not be more different. Gordimer writes erratically and from the heart. It’s sometimes difficult to follow. I did like “The Pickup” for her vivid depiction of the desert. I started several of her other books but never could finish them.

Coetzee won the Nobel Prize for “Disgrace” in 2003. Oddly enough, I only got to it earlier this year.

I was first introduced to J. M. Coetzee in college when assigned “Life and Times of Michael K”. I no longer remember the details of the plot, but I do remember the feeling it left me with and the novel’s pivot that made it unique. The protagonist is a simpleton. It was pointed out to me (I don’t think I thought of it myself) how difficult it must have been to write an interesting story about a simpleton. Yet, Coetzee had pulled it off; so much so, I remembered his name all during the decades when I read nothing at all.

The next book of his I happened across was “Slow Man”. Again, it was the story of an ordinary man who had lost his leg in a bicycle vs. auto accident and was trying to adjust to his loss - should have been a bomb. Not so. It pulled the reader along, page by page, sustaining interest in small, ordinary things; obviously very skillfully told. “Disgrace”, Coetzee’s breakthrough novel, again, was just as advertised – and more. It told of South Africa at the end of Apartheid through the eyes of a man burdened with his own troubles.

When comparing Gordimer to Coetzee, I see cars. Gordimer is an economy model (possibly Italian). It sputters and moves in fits and starts. Even when fitfully tuned, it coughs, rattles and shakes. Coetzee, on the other hand is a Rolls-Royce. From the first sentence, you can expect a smooth and solid ride. Coetzee is a reader’s writer. He sees to every comfort the reader could possibly want: easy, yet not simple prose; characters are defined again with each mention (not like the oodles of characters in thick, meaty Russian novels that make you lose your place and leave you hanging). He does not use sex or violence gratuitously. When it suits the plot, such things happen, and then it’s over. He does not build suspense in the usual predictable way. He simply makes us deeply interested in the characters he portrays. Not sure how he does it. In fact, it never occurs to even ask the question. He makes it look simple.

I know, of course, that it isn’t (simple). It requires uncommon discipline and much editing, and endless polishing. Coetzee’s novels tend to be relatively short. But they are gems.

The woman who called me today is an avid reader in several languages. She had found “Diary of a Bad Year” in a Vermont second-hand book shop. By the time she finished reading, she was excited and gushing. Everything I’ve said about Coetzee she would now second. …and she’s ready for more.
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Interesting to note the narrative that is emerging after Obama’s so-called bin Laden kill. On one hand you have a virtual treasure trove of material that shows bin Laden as head of a significant worldwide organization, inspiring and directing his followers to inflict dastardly damage on ‘The Great Satan’ that is America; that he was larger than life and quite worthy of Obama’s wrath and anger, so skillfully employed in his capture. On the other, he’s portrayed as a broken-down pervert, living in a hovel amidst half-eaten scraps of food, surfing analog TV in his underwear.

You would think that given a story with so many holes, this administration would make an effort to remain at least somewhat consistent. Suffice it to say, that no one writing the scripts for Obama has any notion of good literature. They have taken a terrific plot and reduced it to an incomprehensible mess, leaving most people scratching their heads.

The coda, to be released as soon as next week, said to reset this administration’s commitment to Middle East peace, should be painful to watch. Already, the race is on to preempt and outflank Netanyahu’s own initiatives, also scheduled to make headlines during the Israeli leader’s upcoming visit to Washington (next week).

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Leech Treatments

I seriously doubt that countries like China and Russia will ever become a target of Wikileaks. These remain vulnerable only to the extent that they have had dealings with the U.S. and that such contact may have compromised their integrity in some way. To me the aim here is clear: It is to isolate the U.S. diplomatically; to marginalize any association with the U.S. by declaring it risky to engage her in the first place.

By it, other countries are warned to keep away; that they run the risk of being exposed. It is a part of a continuing worldwide campaign to reduce America’s influence on the world stage (which may explain Obama’s reluctance to do much of anything about it). It is to force other countries into the arms of lesser powers who are just now beginning to make moves to fill the (world) leadership vacuum and, at the same time, distance themselves from what is now seen as the American leper.

Still, you've got to admit Wikileaks represents what has become a classic strategy - whether successful or not - coordinated attacks from within and without. Sapientia is right, Venezuela and S. Africa among others will never be targets.

It's a shame that there are now nearly as many Trojan horses (Bradley Manning, et al) inside as out. It has become fashionable to draw American blood. Perhaps we can withstand it for now - but for how long? Those who claim that we are invincible should remember that George Washington too was considered to be basically healthy before his leech treatment commenced.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Portents

As happens so often, over and over again: On one hand, successful and creative individuals discover that the exercise of free self-expression is the one elixir that makes life overall tolerable; while, on the other, they invariably go out of their way to support leftist causes. The Left consistently uses these ‘useful idiots’ to grab power and then spits in their faces once the goal has been achieved.

Case and point: For years now, octogenarian author, Nadine Gordimer has been championing leftist causes in her native South Africa. Now that the ANC - which she has long actively supported - has come to power, she has been reduced to pleading for the right to free and open expression once again. (Three of her novels were banned during Apartheid.)

It has come to light that the present, freely elected SA government is highly corrupt. The government blames the media and threatens censorship and worse. The recent unlawful arrest of a Sunday Times reporter has sent a powerful and terrifying message throughout the South African journalist community.

In case no one has noticed, in our country the same media that vaulted Obama to the presidency, is now also coming under attack. Hollywood’s turn is certain to be next. They won’t notice, of course. They’ll be too busy congratulating themselves for the deportation of conservative talk show hosts to U.S. government re-education camps. It’ll all have been legal and above board, after proper public trials with the honorable Nobel prize recipient and Princeton luminary, Paul Krugman, presiding. (By the way, read his column today. It’s a laugh. He’ truly outdone himself.)

Folks, we’ve got a live one here!
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Along a similar vein, there’s a story by Mary O’Grady in today’s WSJ about the supposed coup attempt in Ecuador this past week. As I have suggested previously, substitute the name Obama for Correa in the story and you’ll have a very good indication what may yet lie in store for us.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/