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A difficult book to read and review.

K‘s story is heartbreaking and miserable, and I found myself both feeling sorry for him and being repulsed by him. This book was unsettling in that it made me think on just how lonely and insignificant this business of being a human can be.

Definitely a pick—the writing is excellent and the story is engaging, but reading this book made me feel profoundly alone and sad. I need a hug. 😔

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#1001books

This ebook is only $1.99 right now! #greatdeal #hadtoshare #ebook #ebooksale #ebookdeal #sale

This one is going to stick with me for awhile, sad & heartbreaking, it‘s one man‘s journey through a war torn South Africa to return his elderly mother to her childhood home...without the proper papers that are difficult to get, he must avoid patrols, forced labor camps, starvation, insurgents, and so much more. Although this takes place during a fictional war, it‘s a bit too real in how it portrays the horrors of an apartheid system.
#Reading1001

Still working my way through books I was supposed to read in June, but now I‘m at least getting to the ones I haven‘t even started yet....so progress!😂

Starting this one today #1001Discoveries #Reading1001

For such a short book, this was a pretty slow read for me. I was somewhat intrigued in the beginning, but I kept wanting to know more of the details surrounding Michael‘s situation. Then my interest declined with the change in narration of the second section and odd events of the third section.

#1001books #1001Discoveries

I started this book during silent reading time at school, and I‘m not quite sure what I think yet. I‘m going to have supper and read a few more pages before settling down to some school work.

#1001books #1001Discoveries

In episode 7, we read the Life and Times of Michael K by J. M. Coetzee. It was a short and not so sweet trip. Insert long discussion of disability representation here. #1001bookstoreadbeforeyoudie #1001books #readtheclassics #manbookerprize

So... my Goodreads challenge for myself was 60 books this year which should have been a piece of cake (I think I read 65 last year). But this has been a heck of a year with several big yucky things, one of which prevented me from reading for about 4 months. This feels a bit like cheating but I‘ve gathered a few shorter novels and graphic novels to try and hit 60. I have 20 more books to go.

Glass of turkish delight gin!
The first section was a stream of the character's thoughts which, at times, were tricky to understand or appreciate. I have limited awareness regarding the history. Second section was much less rambling, written as view from an educated doctor. It was more factual in some ways whilst still delving into his own mind. The third section was very small and finalised. I did find the ending suited the book.

A rather slim book, detailing the life of a south African man who leaves his town and heads back to the rural bush life. There's little dialogue, more of a rambling from his thoughts which are, at times, quite dark.

A book so bewildering that towards the end the author lets one of the characters shout that Michael and his gardens are both allegories. He elaborates, but it doesn't help. And Michael himself thinks he has found the meaning of the story. It was not any of the various meanings I had speculated over during the 7h 17 minutes of the audio book.

I've been struggling to work out when exactly this book takes place. There's a war going on in the north, but no specifics. After 5 chapters I broke down and googled the setting. It's a fictional war! No wonder I couldn't place it. 🙄 But it's South Africa during apartheid, and there is no mention of skin colour or population group whatsoever. Which seems odd, but I'm sure it's done that way for a reason.

This book has low Litsy ratings, but two chapters in I am entertained by Michael K trying to wheel his old mother through South Africa in a wheelbarrow come rickshaw. Perhaps I'm just a very grateful audience while doing the dishes! 😂

Somehow Coetzee‘s books don‘t do anything to me. I have read four now; I know he can write well and his themes also appeal to me, but that‘s about it. Without any feeling I read one page after another, waiting for something that won‘t come. Pity. #1001books #booker #manbooker

I know I've read this, but I can't remember anything about it, not even if I enjoyed it or not... But anyway, it's my #life for #junebookbugs . @RealLifeReading

It took me two weeks to get through this short book...every time I thought I was finally absorbed in the story, there would be another weird stream of consciousness passage that yanked me out of it. I might check out some of his other books, though, because I did enjoy the writing.