J. M. Coetzee

On the threshold of a comfortable old age, Paul Rayment turns away from his friends when an accident results in the amputation of a leg. But with the arrival of his personal nurse, as well that of a celebrated novelist, Paul's life once more takes on an unpredictable course.

Slow Man

heleen de boever

Professor of General Literature J M Coetzee

Rendered dependent on others after losing his leg in a bicycle accident, sixty-year-old photographer Paul Rayment finds himself falling in love with a down-to-earth Croatian nurse and encouraged by a mysterious writer to take an activist role in his own life. By the author of Elizabeth Costello. 75,000 first printing.

Melody Izard

It was hard to read this book about a man in his 60s who gets hit by a car while riding his bike and has to have his leg amputated. But then the book starts exploring what it means to get older and being faced with decisions about not being able to do the things you used to do. Suddenly this man, who has been physically active, riding his bike all over the city, not only finds himself not being able to ride his bike again, but he can’t even walk without the aid of crutches (he refuses to get a prosthesis). 
So here I am – not quite in my 60s, but no youngster by any means. And I have just started riding my bike (on a limited basis) to work. Plus I’m a runner and have lately been slowing down tremendously PLUS have been nursing a severely turned ankle and I have this marathon coming up and I’ve been having to do some serious soul searching about whether I should actually run the stupid thing and how many more marathons I might have the guts for. And this dad gum book did NOT help matters. So that’s the filter I have to sift this prose through. 
It makes you think about aging, about regrets, about living life to the fullest, about what it means to do good and what it means to be happy. But it doesn’t present you with many answers – just a whole lot of questions.

Ben S

Andrew John Kinney

Claire Matthews 

Rendered dependent on others after losing his leg in a bicycle accident, sixty-year-old photographer Paul Rayment finds himself falling in love with a down-to-earth Croatian nurse and encouraged by a mysterious writer to take an activist role in his own life. By the author of Elizabeth Costello. Reprint. 75,000 first printing.

Slow Man

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