Sobriquet 44.1
Rita Barnard, in my opinion, is one of the most consistently excellent Coetzee scholars around. Although "Coetzee's Country Ways" does not appear to figure into my discussion of Disgrace, I would like to at least mention the essay because I appreciate the depth of thought and clarity of language in Barnard's article. Part adroit linguistic analysis, part intertextual exploration, "Coetzee's Country Ways" examines the novel's contribution to and commentary on the South African pastoral tradition. Contrasting Disgrace with Life & Times of Michael K and Charles van Onselen's The Seed is Mine, Barnard makes a convincing case for reading Coetzee's novel as the author's "anti-pastoral . . . contribution to a larger discursive and narrative project of re-imaging rural life in South Africa" in the still-nascent post-Apartheid era (393).
For tomorrow: Largely because I really need a break from reading nothing but literary criticism, I will give myself the option of starting Boyhood if I do not feel like reading another essay tomorrow.
Work Cited
Barnard, Rita. "Coetzee's Country Ways." interventions 4.3 (2002): 384-394.
Comments
I do enjoy when you write of authors who express interesting insights that are clearly written. Those authors seem, to me, to be few and far between in this huge pile of literary criticism you must read for your chapter on Disgrace. Even though it won't figure into your dissertation, YAY for reading a good article!!!!