itsgg's review against another edition
2.0
I only got about 60% through, it was too boring to finish. Someone else commented that it was like a poor imitation of Saramago, which I found accurate.
ninabensch's review against another edition
4.0
Quite digestible for a JM Coetzee; no less unsettling.
liacooper's review against another edition
1.0
i read this for a college class. no one will argue that Coetzee isn't a deft hand at crafting sentences but my gods what a waste of time
lizmart88's review against another edition
3.0
An enigmatic story told mostly through dialogue about the boy David and his godfather Simon. The narrative hints at the title as being allegorical. There are mysterious events happening, the boy lisas things that don't make sense. And throughout the book, actual sayings of Jesus are sprinkled like I Am the Truth.
While the writing is excellent, and the narrative flows well and is interesting, I wanted a little but more explanation. Overall, good but only if you're willing to be a little underwhelmed and confused at the end.
While the writing is excellent, and the narrative flows well and is interesting, I wanted a little but more explanation. Overall, good but only if you're willing to be a little underwhelmed and confused at the end.
matthijs's review against another edition
3.0
3,5*
I don't quite know what to make of this very strange book. For example: no one talks in normal dialogue, everyone is uttering all kinds of philosophical ideas all the time, speaking effortlessly in beautiful sentences.
But it was thought-provoking and I it enjoyed a lot. You have to see the book for what it is, and what it's setting out to do. I don't exactly know what Coetzee was setting out to do with this novel, but I think he succeeded nevertheless :-)
I don't quite know what to make of this very strange book. For example: no one talks in normal dialogue, everyone is uttering all kinds of philosophical ideas all the time, speaking effortlessly in beautiful sentences.
But it was thought-provoking and I it enjoyed a lot. You have to see the book for what it is, and what it's setting out to do. I don't exactly know what Coetzee was setting out to do with this novel, but I think he succeeded nevertheless :-)
bookloversboudoir's review against another edition
5.0
https://thebookloversboudoir.wordpress.com/2018/01/17/the-childhood-of-jesus-by-j-m-coetzee/
I adored The Childhood of Jesus.
Coetzee has been on my list of authors to read since I read this book’s sequel (The Schooldays of Jesus) in 2016.
Both books can be read separately without being confused about who the characters are and what’s going on.
This is an odd book and different from my usual stuff. The book like its sequel is quite vague, deliberately so. You don’t get a real sense of who the characters are or the where and when the book takes place. This would normally put me off but works really well with The Childhood of Jesus.
Something about this odd set up really works. I found myself really growing to care for David and Simón even though, for a large chunk of the book, they are blank slate, David more so. Simón really struggles in this new world where the past is expected to be wiped clean, forgotten forever. He tries to cling to what he remembers about the past and there are some touching moments. I especially found his insistence that Ines is David's mother very moving. This becomes an obsession for him. I see it another way he is trying to cling to the past.
There is so little world building in The Childhood of Jesus and yet I still got a real sense of the world Coetzee is trying to create. Because we get little more than a blank and white sketch anything is possible.
Like the sequel, the book does not appear to have anything to do with Jesus or religion. Not anything obvious. I wonder why Coetzee chose the title. Maybe the book is set during biblical times and David is the boy who grows up to be Jesus. Or maybe not.
I definitely need to read more of Coetzee’s work.
I adored The Childhood of Jesus.
Coetzee has been on my list of authors to read since I read this book’s sequel (The Schooldays of Jesus) in 2016.
Both books can be read separately without being confused about who the characters are and what’s going on.
This is an odd book and different from my usual stuff. The book like its sequel is quite vague, deliberately so. You don’t get a real sense of who the characters are or the where and when the book takes place. This would normally put me off but works really well with The Childhood of Jesus.
Something about this odd set up really works. I found myself really growing to care for David and Simón even though, for a large chunk of the book, they are blank slate, David more so. Simón really struggles in this new world where the past is expected to be wiped clean, forgotten forever. He tries to cling to what he remembers about the past and there are some touching moments. I especially found his insistence that Ines is David's mother very moving. This becomes an obsession for him. I see it another way he is trying to cling to the past.
There is so little world building in The Childhood of Jesus and yet I still got a real sense of the world Coetzee is trying to create. Because we get little more than a blank and white sketch anything is possible.
Like the sequel, the book does not appear to have anything to do with Jesus or religion. Not anything obvious. I wonder why Coetzee chose the title. Maybe the book is set during biblical times and David is the boy who grows up to be Jesus. Or maybe not.
I definitely need to read more of Coetzee’s work.
diesmali's review against another edition
5.0
Undoubtedly one of the greatest novelists ever...
"Five and three more. How many is that?"
"This time... this time..." says the boy in the same tiny, lifeless, voice, "it is eight."
"Good. Write 'Conviene que yo diga la verdad - I must tell the truth.' Write it. 'Con-viene.'"
Writing from left to right, forming the letters clearly if slowly, the boy writes: Yo soy la verdad - I am the truth.
A man and a boy arrives, washed clean of their past, as everyone is after an ocean voyage, into a new community where they are assigned new names, and through the goodwill of others find their place in this new life. But for the man, something is missing, and for the boy a lot is missing... the foundation of knowing his parents being paramount. The boy has a lot of questions, and the man has a lot of patience answering them. The man is also on the lookout for the boys mother, whom he will know when he meets here, not having seen her before, or even known her name...
A fabulous delving into the foundations of who we are and where we come from. Philosophical fiction at its finest.
"Five and three more. How many is that?"
"This time... this time..." says the boy in the same tiny, lifeless, voice, "it is eight."
"Good. Write 'Conviene que yo diga la verdad - I must tell the truth.' Write it. 'Con-viene.'"
Writing from left to right, forming the letters clearly if slowly, the boy writes: Yo soy la verdad - I am the truth.
A man and a boy arrives, washed clean of their past, as everyone is after an ocean voyage, into a new community where they are assigned new names, and through the goodwill of others find their place in this new life. But for the man, something is missing, and for the boy a lot is missing... the foundation of knowing his parents being paramount. The boy has a lot of questions, and the man has a lot of patience answering them. The man is also on the lookout for the boys mother, whom he will know when he meets here, not having seen her before, or even known her name...
A fabulous delving into the foundations of who we are and where we come from. Philosophical fiction at its finest.
dchap's review against another edition
2.0
1. This is a novel.
2. It is not about Jesus.
3. Its depiction of a father-son relationship between people thrust together by fate is poignant.
4. But the story is underdeveloped.
2. It is not about Jesus.
3. Its depiction of a father-son relationship between people thrust together by fate is poignant.
4. But the story is underdeveloped.
rachatkin's review against another edition
2.0
Alright so after reading Disgrace and absolutely loving it I was so excited to get to read more of Coetzee's work. But this book was very different and I felt that the atmosphere was completely wrong.
It was about two refugees attempting to rebuild their lives after they arrive in a new country, and whilst the journey was interesting it was the characters that annoyed me the most. They were stupid, stubborn and didn't listen. I hated reading about them.
It was not Coetzee's writing that suffered though, as his philosophical musings and descriptions through this book were highly interesting. I'm just sad that the story was what let this novel down.
It was about two refugees attempting to rebuild their lives after they arrive in a new country, and whilst the journey was interesting it was the characters that annoyed me the most. They were stupid, stubborn and didn't listen. I hated reading about them.
It was not Coetzee's writing that suffered though, as his philosophical musings and descriptions through this book were highly interesting. I'm just sad that the story was what let this novel down.