“Why?' says the boy. 'Why? Because staying alive is more important than anything else.' 'Why is staying alive more important than anything?' He is about to answer, about to produce the correct, patient, educative words, when something wells up inside… — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“I urge you: don't cut short these thought-trains of yours. Follow them through to their end. Your thoughts and your feelings. Follow them through… — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“I truly believe I am not afraid of death. What I shrink from, I believe, is the shame of dying as stupid and befuddled… — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“Technically he is old enough to be her father; but then, technically one can be a father at twelve.” — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“I remember asking John, after Dusklands, what new project he had on the go. His answer was vague. 'There is always something or the… — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“The truth is, he tired of criticism, tired of prose measured by the yard." --Disgrace” — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“Since I was in flight from religion, I assumed that my classmates had to be in flight from religion too, albeit in a quieter,… — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“Lucy was frightened, frightened near to death. Her voice choked, she could not breath, her limbs went numb. "This is not happening", she said… — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“It occurs to me that we crush insects beneath our feet, miracles of creation too, beetles, worms, cockroaches, ants, in their various ways.” — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“He sits with the pen in his hand, holding himself back from a descent into representations that have no place in the world, on… — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“Do you remember Vlek, who was such a good sheepdog that she and Jakob alone could drive a whole flock past you at the… — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“We are accustomed to believe that our world was created by God speaking the Word; but I ask, may it not rather be that… — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
“...from the oppression of such freedom who would not welcome the liberation of confinement?” — J.M. Coetzee Copy Share Image
