J. M. Coetzee

A Novel (King Penguin)

Reimagining the lore of Robinson Crusoe but like, not sure it pulls it off. Some interesting questions are raised but not really explored. 

Jeremy Boyd

J M Coetzee

Nobel Laureate and two-time Booker prize-winning author of Disgrace and The Life and Times of Michael K, J. M. Coetzee reimagines Daniel DeFoe's classic novel Robinson Crusoe in Foe. Published as a Penguin Essential for the first time. In an act of breathtaking imagination, J.M Coetzee radically reinvents the story of Robinson Crusoe. In the early eighteenth century, Susan Barton finds herself adrift from a mutinous ship and cast ashore on a remote desert island. There she finds shelter with its only other inhabitants: a man named Cruso and his tongueless slave, Friday. In time, she builds a life for herself as Cruso's companion and, eventually, his lover. At last they are rescued by a passing ship, but only she and Friday survive the journey back to London. Determined to have her story told, she pursues the eminent man of letters Daniel Foe in the hope that he will relate truthfully her memories to the world. But with Cruso dead, Friday incapable of speech and Foe himself intent on reshaping her narrative, Barton struggles to maintain her grip on the past, only to fall victim to the seduction of storytelling itself. Treacherous, elegant and unexpectedly moving, Foe remains one of the most exquisitely composed of this pre-eminent author's works. 'A small miracle of a book. . . of marvellous intricacy and overwhelming power' Washington Post 'A superb novel' The New York Times

heleen de boever

Typical Coetzee to have the most dynamic part of the book end at about 1/4th in. The rest is an intelligent, yet perhaps slightly repetitive contemplation on the power of words and story-telling. Much meta, very politics of fiction, etc. Much of Susan's focalisation reminded me of Magda in 'In the Heart of the Country', and perhaps 'Foe' can best be considered a more mature version of that kind of narrative rather than a reworking of Robinson Crusoe.

heather

"There is an urging that we feel, all of us, in our hearts, to be free; yet which of us can say what freedom truly is?

phoebe nguyen

It's fantastic and multi-layered enough for me to doubt myself to death about what really happens in the story. I feel like being trapped and then realize it is me who is trapping myself.

Melody Izard

This is a parallel novel to Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Yet the parallel lines are drawn free handed and with much liberty. Coetzee steps boldly in the story - unafraid that we might see him. He dares us to see him. Dares us to question his tale. He'll tell us the story he wants us to hear. Yeah, so there is a "real" story. There's got to be more to it. You know there is something that Susan is not sharing. And Friday ain't telling us anything. Robinson Crusoe is dead - so what choice does he have? The cannibals are there though. They were too good to erase.

Magdalene Lim

Somebody, explain this book to me!

Somewhere between the girl whom I still don't know whether is real or not, I got completely lost in what was going on. The premise is interesting — a woman gets stranded on an island which houses the original stranded men Robinson Crusoe and his servant, Friday. The island part of the story was interesting to me but in the section where she goes back to civilisation, the story becomes a bore to me. Yes, granted that Friday's role as a servant and whether he really is one, his silence and all, could possibly be interesting topics for debate but unfortunately are not to me. 

In the story, the protagonist says her story of being stranded would not be interesting as it does not contain tales of cannibals or treasures and such. And I have to agree! Hahaha, it is as she tells it.

Neeti Choudhari

I was bracing myself for the Disgrace effect but this was quite a different book. Nonetheless, definitely another one to make you think.

Foe A Novel (King Penguin)

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