A blurb, or some words of praise, I think, is not given lightly by mister Coetzee. I recently bought another two books of the man. The more I read him the more I understand your admiration for him. Accept the boost, we all need from time to time.

Since you are an author I really admire, the blurbs (on this website) about Coetzee led me to reading the first novel of him (although I was quite sceptical about NP-winners).
The Jewish Messiah is well worth it to be blurbed. Praise the lord, Hallelujah!

notes on this picture

On Wikipedia it says that J.M. Coetzee isn't know for laughing, but on (almost) every picture I've seen of him, he's smiling. Maybe I see the secret smiles better than the others? I've recently had some pictures taken of me, and people say I'm not smiling on them, so I tell them they don't know when I'm smiling.

Jan, Dens, can you advise me on which of Coetzees books to read? I read Youth and Elizabeth Costello. Both were good (Youth more so than EC), but are they really that special? Is his genius easier recognized in other works? Did I not read them well enough? What did I miss? (I confess I like AFTh, so it may just be a matter of taste.)

@Ron

My advise is " Waiting for the barbarians" and "Disgrace". Two books anyone should read if you ask me. I liked E. Costello and his last novel very much , but their structure is somewhat more difficult.

@Ron Lander
On books, I can tell you, from my own experience. I can only really enjoy a book when I feel ready for it. Twenty years ago Coetzee would have been just another good writer amongst so many, as would have been Arnon. Now I am in Coetzee and I liked Disgrace and Diary of a bad year and youth very much. I just started In the Heart of the Country and like it too. I like his style and his perception.
‘Schervengericht’ is an interesting book, especially for the subject, although the construction is unnecessary chaotic, I think.

Arnon

This has left me wondering who, between you and Mr Coetzee, will manage to stick their hand (and arm) furthest down the throat of human nature.

Blurbing and being blurbed

What a compliment indeed.

Thanks to a blurb of yours I for my part discovered 'Fatelessness'/'Onbepaald door het lot' by Kertész. An amazing and very moving novel.

Could you please post Coetzee's blurb?
Surely I'm not the only one who is interested.

Oscar

“sticking a hand (and arm) furthest down the throat of human nature”
I must admit this sounds very interesting. What exactly do you mean by this metaphor?

Arnon
Why should one be skeptical about a blurb?

Arnon, that is quite wonderful, Coetzee is said not to be a man of words so any of his words are probably well weighed, well put, and I'd personally consider them gold. Please share his blurb with us?
And: would you consider putting a blurb on a piece of mine (not that I have anything Arnon-blurbable to show you quite just yet, but when I do)?

Mieke, Jan, thanks. I'll try Disgrace.

Ron
Youth by Coetzee made me think of Arnon's work.
Try that novel too. And I liked 'Waiting for the Barbarians' a lot.
Tonight I intended to start reading 'Dagboek van een slecht jaar'
but helaas.

Gerbrand Bakker

Mr Coetzee said kind words about "boven is het stil" by Gerbrand Bakker, a friend of mine. Have you read this book?

Ron, considering the books you've read and your taste, I'd recommend Slow Man. Definitely my Coetzee favourite. I'm guessing you like theatre and Beckett, then you'll like Slow Man. E. Costello reappears in that novel, things may suddenly fall into place for you.

Ilanit

To illuminate your understanding of the metaphor I used, I would recommend reading more of Mr Coetzee's and Mr Grunberg's works.

Do me a favour, Mr Grunberg, take some lessons in English colloquial of schrijf in uw moerstaal... Uw steenkolen Engels is een aanfluiting and an eyesore!

Yvonne

I take your suggestion to take a course in colloquial English as an invitation to visit you somewhere in the near future. Am I wrong or are you offering courses in colloquial English and are you sill looking for some students to make ends meet?
Aren’t we heading for a marriage of convenience?
By the way my mother’s first language is German, my father’s first language was German as well.
Do you speak German? And I apologize for asking but do you speak Greek?