The Childhood of Jesus has to be one of the oddest books I think I have ever read. I picked it up because I've read and studied J. M. Coetzee's work in the past, and found it provoking. I assumed, perhaps naively, that this book would follow on somewhat similar lines.

 

It may be that I have simply not grasped the messages Coetzee sought to send out. Perhaps The Childhood of Jesus goes over my head and I do not possess a philosophical enough brain to understand it. The thing is, there is a lot I do not understand but that I can still gain enjoyment from. I sadly gained little enjoyment from reading this book. That is not to say it is not written well - I doubt Coetzee could produce anything that was written badly - it just did not provide enjoyment in the way I had imagined.

The plot is interesting. It starts with a man and a boy coming over to a seemingly socialist city. They have been assigned names - Simón and David - and ages, too. The society they reach is simple in a sense and Simón seems to be unable to fit in, with his fondness for the past. David, the boy, I found to be largely unlikable as a character, though many other reviewers have suggested that this in part a purposeful decision. For example one review I read suggested our difficulty in sympathising with David could be Coetzee asking us to take check of how easily and cooperatively we as human beings conform. Whatever the reason, it made the process of reading and reaching the end a more tedious process than I am used to.

 

Perhaps I am too easily pleased; a satisfactory, sympathetic main character, an illustrious romance and a few grisly murders are perhaps all I need to enjoy a good book. I like to think that I try and read books from various genres and a range of authors but it would be impossible for me to like every book my eyes wash over. I am not a fan of Wuthering Heights for example, but the book itself remains a classic. At the end of the day, it is a matter of personal taste and The Childhood of Jesus did not complement mine.

 

As is commonplace with my book reviews, I have selected a quote from the novel. I have selected a passage of speech between Eugenio and Simon, in one of their heated philosophical debates.

I studied History and English at university so this challenge to history and its place in society certainly intrigued me. These types of loaded questions are what I have come to associate with Coetzee and the debates about philosophy were without a doubt my favourite parts of the book.

 

If you have read this book, or indeed anything else by Coetzee, let me know your thoughts. I'd love to know if anyone has had a similar experience!

Now that I have free time to read for pleasure again, I have decided to start incorporating book reviews into my blog. I love reading other people's opinions on books and though I did read some classics during the English Lit half of my degree, it's nice to be able to write on books I have chosen to read without adhering to some form of marking criteria!

 

I was drawn to You Deserve Nothing largely because of its association with Paris. I have a growing infatuation with France - one of my tattoos is even written in French! It is a language I wish I spoke more fluently and though I have visited Paris once, once is nowhere near enough.

 

As for the book, it was a mildly enjoyable read. The storyline was weaved together well and I liked the way Maksik made use of three perspective narration style. It wasn't difficult to keep up with the shifting chapters and the book itself was quick to digest; I managed to read it cover to cover within 24 hours. I found myself wanting to continue reading out but more from curiosity than anything - it is always interesting to see how different writers approach similar topics. There wasn't a great desire or fervour to finish but Maksik's style is compelling nonetheless.

 

To say I didn't enjoy the book would be an unfair statement. I think my opinion was perhaps influenced by the way You Deserve Nothing somewhat echoed a book I stumbled across during my dissertation. J. M. Coetzee's Disgrace is similar yet altogether different, but my mind kept channelling the comparisons. Although a far more harrowing read out of the two, Coetzee's would be my book of choice. I can't say I empathise with either Coetzee's main protagonist or Maksik's but I found it hard to relate to the adoration Maksik creates for college professor Will. It's not that I don't believe such relationships between students and teachers exist; I have witnessed on a number of occasions the way students hone in on certain members of staff, revering them with adolescent intensity. But it is not something I have really ever experienced and I just found it hard to subscribe to the way so many of Maksik's students were won over by Will's commanding charm.

 

The ending was perhaps a little predictable and I think that's why Coetzee's novel registered with me more. What occurs across a whole book with Maksik, happens much quicker with Coetzee and we get to witness more of the fall out in Disgrace. Of course the plots are not identical and there is no one right way to write about such a topic anyway. It is just my personal preference and I welcome disagreements. That is one thing I love about books, and something that crops up in You Deserve Nothing itself: it is normal, in fact it is welcomed, that different people come away from the same book, the same text, with different interpretations. That is the beauty of the arts and Maksik really does seem to champion culture. He writes Paris extremely well and more than anything, the book increased my longing to return to the city I fast fell in love with.

 

Jade x

 

(Couldn't help but throw in a few of my fave pictures from my trip to Paris last year too!)