English Quote by J.M. Coetzee

“He would not mind hearing Petrus’s story one day. But preferably not reduced to English. More and more he is convinced that English is an unfit medium for the truth of South Africa.” quote by J.M. Coetzee — Download Open image

““He would not mind hearing Petrus’s story one day. But preferably not reduced to English. More and more he is convinced that English is an unfit medium for the truth of South Africa.””

J.M. Coetzee

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.1 out of 5 (6 ratings)

English Language South africa

More by J.M. Coetzee

“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

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

Image

“Technically he is old enough to be her father; but then, technically one can be a father at twelve.”

J.M. Coetzee

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

Image

“The truth is, he tired of criticism, tired of prose measured by the yard." --Disgrace”

J.M. Coetzee

“Since I was in flight from religion, I assumed that my classmates had to be in flight from religion too, albeit in a quieter, savvier way than I had as yet been able to discover. Only today do I realize how mistaken I was. They were never in flight at all. Nor are their children in flight, or their grandchildren.…

J.M. Coetzee

“Lucy was frightened, frightened near to death. Her voice choked, she could not breath, her limbs went numb. "This is not happening", she said to herself as the men forced her down; "it is just a dream, a nightmare". While the men, for their part, drank up her fear, revelled in it, did all they could to hurt her, to…

J.M. Coetzee

“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

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

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

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

Image

“...from the oppression of such freedom who would not welcome the liberation of confinement?”

J.M. Coetzee

Image

Explore all 122 J.M. Coetzee quotes

More English quotes

English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did

Anonymous

Image

Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…

Julia Glass

Image

Nineteenth-century English literature I know; 19th-century sewage systems, not so much.

Glen Duncan

Image

I'm not very good at standard English.

James Nesbitt

Image

I was brought up by the English side of my family, who are very repressed and working class. Absolutely lovely, but very English.

Bat for Lashes

Image

No, I didn't forget Samoan - I understand it when you talk to me but, you know, to put phrases together I sound like…

Junior Seau

Image

The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked working for others and they seemed to resent taking orders. On the whole, directors were treated absurdly well, and workers badly, and most industries were weakened by class suspicion and false economies and cynicism. But the…

Paul Theroux