Master Of Petersburg (original 1994; edition 2004)

This was a strange one, quite the most unusual Coetzee from the ones I’ve read before (Disgrace, Michael K, Heart of the Country, Youth). For a start it didn’t involve South Africa at any point. Neither was it a contemporary time period. But it was laced with the usual dark, foreboding analysis of the human condition we’ve come to expect from the Nobel Prize-Winner.

The novel is set, as the title might reveal, in St Petersburg, Russia although I was half-inclined to think that it might have been a reference to a South African town. It’s set in the 19th century. It opens with a man grieving the untimely death of his son.

As the novel progresses, what started initially as a simple visit to the city turns into a protracted affair. The death is more mysterious than the father thinks. The police get involved. The identity of the father adds a further twist and, as per most Coetzee, there’s plenty of badly-performed, guilt-ridden sexual encounters.

You don’t really enjoy a Coetzee book. They’re usually too brutally honest to be enjoyed. Did I appreciate it? Yes. But I can’t tell you much about why without giving away some of the plot. Suffice to say that the large body of Russian literature I’ve read was a particular help to me. I thought Coetzee did an amazing job of creating the character of the father and weaving him into the story.

Not my favourite Coetzee at all but for those of you who are already drawn to his novels, try this one to get a welcome glimpse of his diverse ability. ( )

An easy enough read, but not overly taken with the story. Doesn't stack-up well next to Disgrace. ( )

An easy enough read, but the story was weak. Compared to Disgrace, this book is a poor relative. ( )

Dostoevsky is summoned to St. Petersburg due to the death of his stepson. He arrives there, under a false name, to find him living in a rented room under the care of Anna Sergeyevna and her daughter Matryosha. Also he is involved with the revolutionary Sergei Nechaev and his group.

All of which leads him to try and find out was his stepson killed or commit sucide. What was his stepsons thoughts about Dostoevsky and how can the great writer get over the loss, find the way to get home to Germany and his wife and leave with his sensibilities in tact.

A slow book at times it can get mired in flouncy language. Cut through this through and you have a good book though be aware concentration is a must. Or you will find yourself reading the last 10 pages again just to catch what you missed. ( )

This is the second book I've read recently that is based on part of Dostoevsky's life (the other was Summer in Baden Baden. Coetzee does a great job of getting into FD's head as he is dealing with the death of his step-son. He has FD "novelize" what is happening and what he feels (even going so far as to rewrite his step-sons diary entries), so that the psychological study is also a meditation on writing. I wouldn't rank it as Coetzee best work, but it is very well done. ( )