My favorite book of all time. I buy it whenever I see used first editions in bookstores. I have the autographed copy, old library copies, I am a hoarder of this book. Quite possibly the most beautiful prose I have ever read in my life. I know it sounds snobby, but I was really annoyed when Oprah picked it because I didn't want the wrong kinds of people getting their hands on MY book.

Such a big beautiful book. I got it for Christmas and just looking at it makes me super happy.

Coetzee is not an easy read. This novel is one of his more easily read though. It is not nearly as dark as Disgrace or as my one friend described it, a quagmire. Coetzee plays with the role of the author and originality to take the opportunity to retell the story of Robinson Crusoe. When Coetzee gave his Nobel lecture in 2003 he took on the persona of Robinson Crusoe to do so.

Bleak in the same kind of way that Coetzee's Disgrace is. Although this book is depressing and dense, there really is no way to convey this same message otherwise.

This book took way too long to be published in America. Interesting to see the kind of non idealistic way the TRC impacted South Africans. Not the easiest read, but the great ones rarely are.

So different from the movie! The differences between this novel and its film remind me of the differences between Forrest Gump--the novel and the film. The film is beautiful and packs quite a punch, but there is quirkiness in the novel that you miss in the film. I love both the book and the movie, but for entirely different reasons.

A good yet old history book on South Africa. I learned much from my reading of it.

I had a really hard time getting into this book, but the second time i picked it up was different. It doesn't really move the earth like others on this list do for me, but I liked it enough to include it.