Coetzee: An Experience
It was dusk.
I was deeply involved in my studies when I came across first time to John Maxwell
Coetzee, one of the literary strongmen, in every aspect, to date. I remember
yet clearly, in those days, I was studying for competitive examinations in
1999.Particularly, I was reading current affairs. A page caught my sight where
it was written in the biographical format that this year’s Booker Prize goes to
J M Coetzee, an African writer who writes about colonalisim,who has his own
identity as a penman of odd issues in those days, who picks up a very simple
theme and develop it with his high potential, whose characters are both black
and white, who has complete empathy for his characters,who is very reclusive,
whose only son died by an accident and whose personal life is an example of
never ending grief and pains.
Next
paragraph made me more curious about the writer. The book says –His Disgrace is
considered as a modern classic. The use of language and his treatment to the
plot is unique. Mainly, Coetzee is known for multi-dimensional treatment to his
plot. Apparently looking tiny novel leaves many opportunities to the reader to
think over his theme, charecters and so on.
This brief
introduction of Coetzee aroused a deep curiosity in my mind. Very next day, I
got a copy of Disgrace and ended it within next three days. I was astonished
after turning the last page. Frankly speaking, I could not understand all
aspects of the novel in first reading. It made restless for a while. What
impressed me most was Coetzee’s daring to narrate David Lury’s, the protagonist
of the novel, downfall as a teacher and secondly his allegoric treatment to the
story. I felt that he is a writer of the first rank in world literature. Then I
started my own search of his other writings. One day, in our college library, I
found ‘Waiting for the Barbarion’, another masterpiece of Coetzee that was
fully wrapped with many years old dust. I thought I was the first reader of
that novel who was dusting off it. How nice! Just 170 pages. I could finish it
within next two days, an immediate thought erupt in my mind. But when I started
to read it, every page made me exhausted. I found it was difficult me to enter
in the fictional world of Coetzee. His characters do not allow me to come up
with them easily. With their movement in the plot, they crushed down every
literary norm I ever pondered in my mind. I found, his characters have their
own strenth, their own nature, their own human identity and above all their own
grief and own mark of acceptance.Still, I was reading. Moving in the forest
with the magistrate, the main character, trying to understand the pains of so
called barbarians and inhuman treatment they receive from the world they circled
in. Very slowly I was proceeding with the plot. Most of the things were very
difficult me to understand.Initially,to see the size of the book, I thought
that I could read it within two days,
but it took ten days to turn the last page. Much of the things still remain
ununderstandable to me. ‘Reading Coetzee is a painstaking experience’.-that was
my comment I still remember. But the greatness of Coetzee as a novelist made me
his fan and still I am having same opinion.
Some of
three years ago, I got an opportunity to translate his Disgrace in Marathi, my
mothertounge.It was challenging, but I accepted it and within period of six
months I completed its translation which was critically acclaimed work.
It was a
memorable day when I personally met Coetzee in Jaipur literary festival where I
could shoot photos with him and listened him as a contributor of that festival.
Today M
Coetzee has a cult like status in the world literature. Many research projects
have been under taken on hid work. Lots of conferences are organized to discuss
Coetzee. You can’t think about modern literature without discussing Coetzee.
But in the seventh decade of his age, he still stick up with his reclusiveness
that is the special and much talked aspect of his personility.Coetzee is known
for not receiving Booker Prize personally and criticized foe leaving South
Africa and immigrated to Australia.
Considering
all above issues, one cannot deny the greatness of Coetzee as a penman for
years and years.
