Scan barcode
A review by frazzle
The Master of Petersburg by J.M. Coetzee
4.0
I agree with Jan Daley's assessment of this as 'more admirable than enjoyable'. Like other reviewers, I was surprised with Coetzee's departure in style from that of some of his other books. He really did try to enter into the gloominess and psychological angst of Dostoevsky's novels, and we're not left with the same immediacy that Coetzee's known for.
This book is basically a good attempt at what it would be like if Dostoevsky himself were to be found inside a Dostoevskian novel. It seemed to me to draw its themes and timbre primarily from 'Devils' and 'Crime and Punishment'.
Really incredible to know that Coetzee found the inspiration for Pavel's death from the death of his own son. Some of that intensity and anguish certainly comes through strongly. Tension runs throughout.
That said, it was not a particularly pleasurable read for me, and I thought some of his attempts (if that's what they were) to channel Dostoevsky's musings about God and fate etc. were a bit wide of the mark.
In my opinion, the Master is ultimately inimitable.
This book is basically a good attempt at what it would be like if Dostoevsky himself were to be found inside a Dostoevskian novel. It seemed to me to draw its themes and timbre primarily from 'Devils' and 'Crime and Punishment'.
Really incredible to know that Coetzee found the inspiration for Pavel's death from the death of his own son. Some of that intensity and anguish certainly comes through strongly. Tension runs throughout.
That said, it was not a particularly pleasurable read for me, and I thought some of his attempts (if that's what they were) to channel Dostoevsky's musings about God and fate etc. were a bit wide of the mark.
In my opinion, the Master is ultimately inimitable.