curlyqlink
03-29-2008, 02:06 PM
Diary of a Bad Year is a bit of an "experimental" novel. It is not a single narrative; two and then three narrations, in different voices, are presented on each page. The first voice is that of an aging South African writer whose last name begins with "C", just like, say... Coetzee. The second voice is the same man's private, less respectable (or at least less presentable) thoughts. The third voice is that of the young attractive woman who is largely the subject of these less presentable thoughts. Oh, and she has a boyfriend, a somewhat simian Australian fellow whose thoughts eventually get a good airing as well.
The book is delightful, funny and poignant by turns. Despite its unconventional layout, this is a quick read. Finnigan's Wake it ain't.
The book is delightful, funny and poignant by turns. Despite its unconventional layout, this is a quick read. Finnigan's Wake it ain't.