Late Essays

A writer of JM Coetzee’s stature needs no preamble… This book emerges as an engaging series of master classes in novel writing, from which we might distil a selection of dos and don’ts -- Lauren Elkin * Guardian *
J.M. Coetzee's essays are filtered through boundless reserves of knowledge, wisdom and reading...A spare, dry sense of humour...Not a single page goes by in this collection when you don't learn something * Spectator *
Coetzee remains a highly original thinker, able to take a much-dissected novel such as Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and offer an appreciation that stretches the boundaries of the reading experience. The most intriguing essay is one on Philip Roth, a rare occasion where Coetzee tackles one of his contemporaries -- Tobias Grey * Financial Times *
His essays are models of clarity, judicious reasoning, and respectful attention… a kind of sage who brings composure to bear on the earthquake zones of mind and heart. He is a master of prose’s lucidities, all the while cognisant of the hidden presence of poetry… Late Essays gives you the feeling that Coetzee has come to look into the eyes of writers, the better to read them with the justice they deserve * The Monthly *
His interest is in delving into the writer’s mind, the circumstances surrounding the work and the thinking processes that led to writerly choices in terms of form, style, and themes...Above all, he brings the perspective of one who has much to teach us about slow reading. * Australian Book Review *
This book of criticism casts all sort of gleaming spotlights, amid the shadows, from one of the major novelistic intelligences of our time. If you make the effort, it will shine and shine. -- Peter Craven * The Weekend Australian *
Over the course of his career, Coetzee has accumulated a large body of writing on literary topics, which is of interest not only for the measured clarity of his arguments and judgments, but for the light it sheds on his creative work -- James Ley * The Sydney Morning Herald *
Coetzee's third collection of literary essays, originally published as book introductions and reviews, is as entertaining as it is accessible. * Australian Financial Review *
The scale of Coetzee's reading makes most British criticism seem dully provincial * Daily Telegraph *
Coetzee the critic is every bit as good as Coetzee the novelist * Irish Times *