Dusklands
J.M. Coetzee
1974
Around 160 pages
J.M. Coetzee will definitely be featured in the opening credits of this blog's television adaptation. He gets 10 novels on this List, so I better like him or else.
Dusklands is divided into two stories. The first part, The Vietnam Project, follows Eugene Dawn, who works for a government agency responsible for the psychological warfare in the Vietnam War. The second story is about a hunting expedition in South Africa. I definitely enjoyed the second part more, as the Vietnam War is such a depressing subject. Come to think of it, I think this may be the first novel we've had that really focuses on that war. Most of our authors are still trying to process World War II.
This is Coetzee's very first novel, but he is already a powerful writer who isn't afraid to deeply disturb his readers (although who isn't on this List). It did feel too dense, and not quite cohesive, but it's still an astonishing debut, and promises greater talent in the future.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Featured in the movie G.I. Jane.
UP NEXT: The Fan Man by William Kotzwinkle
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