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Youth

by J. M. Coetzee | category Literature & Fiction
Registered by wingDeepswampwing of Björkhagen, Stockholm Sweden on 12/30/2008
11 journalers

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Please tell us about your experience with the book! Just as much or as little as you like ...

11 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingDeepswampwing from Björkhagen, Stockholm Sweden on Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The narrator of Youth, a student in the South Africa of the 1950s, has long been plotting an escape from his native country: from the stifling love of his mother, from a father whose failures haunt him, and from what he is sure is impending revolution.

Studying mathematics, reading poetry, saving money, he tries to ensure that when he arrives in the real world, wherever that may be, he will be prepared to experience life to its full intensity, and transform it into art. Arriving at last in London, however, he finds neither poetry nor romance. Instead he succumbs to the monotony of life as a computer programmer, from which random, loveless affairs offer no relief. Devoid of inspiration, he stops writing. An awkward colonial, a constitutional outsider, he begins a dark pilgrimage in which he is continually tested and continually found wanting.

Set against the background of the 1960s - Sharpeville, the Cuban missile crisis, Vietnam - Youth is a remarkable portrait of a consciousness, isolated and adrift, turning in on itself. J. M. Coetzee explores a young man's struggle to find his way in the world with tenderness and a fierce clarity.

#34 1001 Books

Journal Entry 2 by wingDeepswampwing at A fellow BookCrosser, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Monday, March 2, 2009

Released 15 yrs ago (3/2/2009 UTC) at A fellow BookCrosser, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases

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Firar 3 år med bookcrossing!
Celebrate 3 years with bookcrossing!

The Ultimate Challenge 2009
RABCK challenge 2009

Journal Entry 3 by kingfan30 from Somewhere in Lincs 🤷‍♂️, Lincolnshire United Kingdom on Friday, March 6, 2009
Many thanks for sending this to me, I look forward to reading it x

26th March 09 - Quite enjoyed this book and found it a good example of how life does not always turn out the way you hope it will.

Journal Entry 4 by kingfan30 at Rutherford, New Jersey USA on Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (4/15/2009 UTC) at Rutherford, New Jersey USA

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Been sent to likestoreadinFL as a RABCK, hope you enjoy it.

Journal Entry 5 by likestoreadinFL from Fort Pierce, Florida USA on Monday, April 20, 2009
Was on my doorstep when I arrived home. Looks like the perfect distraction from studing for finals.

Journal Entry 6 by likestoreadinFL from Fort Pierce, Florida USA on Thursday, April 23, 2009
I had been looking forward to reading something by J.M. Coetzee for some time. I though he did an excellent job convincingly descriging this young man's life. The main character isn't particularly likeable, but he seems so real that you just want to reach through the pages and shake him!

Journal Entry 7 by 1001-library from Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Thanks so much for your donation likestoreadinFL!

This book is now part of the 1001-library. If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the 1001-library bookshelf.

Journal Entry 8 by likestoreadinFL at Springville, Tennessee USA on Monday, September 21, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (9/21/2009 UTC) at Springville, Tennessee USA

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CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Enjoy!

Journal Entry 9 by wingbookstogivewing from Springville, Tennessee USA on Thursday, September 24, 2009
received today in the mail, thanks for sending it to me!

Journal Entry 10 by 1001-library from Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Sunday, January 3, 2010


This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing svoight:)

If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.


Journal Entry 11 by wingbookstogivewing at Chelmsford, Essex United Kingdom on Monday, January 11, 2010

Released 14 yrs ago (1/11/2010 UTC) at Chelmsford, Essex United Kingdom

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CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Released to Katrinat!

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Journal Entry 12 by katrinat from Southend-on-Sea, Essex United Kingdom on Tuesday, February 16, 2010
This arrived today, looking forward to reading this one. I'll mark this as available straight away, if anyone wants it next pm me and I'll read it double quick and send it straight on its way

Journal Entry 13 by 1001-library from Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Friday, May 14, 2010


This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing Katrinat:)

If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.


Journal Entry 14 by katrinat at Chelmsford, Essex United Kingdom on Sunday, January 16, 2011
I finally got around to reading this one as no one had requested it in the mean time.
I enjoyed almost the gentle feel of the novel, the gradual passing of his days, his dreams and self slowly fading away as he got older.
I'll be putting this back into the 1001 but with the view of sending it out in either Soffitta1's bookbox or VBB, unless someone requests it first. At least it should start travelling again.

Journal Entry 15 by 1001-library at Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Thursday, January 20, 2011


This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing katrinat:)

If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.


Journal Entry 16 by katrinat at Chelmsford, Essex United Kingdom on Monday, January 31, 2011
Taking this from the library to put in Soffitta1's 1001 UK book box where hopefully it'll find a new reader. Box will be posted out next week.

Journal Entry 17 by katrinat at Chelmsford, Essex United Kingdom on Saturday, February 26, 2011
travelling from Monday

Journal Entry 18 by mafarrimond at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Taken from the 1001 book box. I have wanted to read this for some time.

Journal Entry 19 by mafarrimond at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 31, 2011
I really enjoyed reading this. It was interesting to see London through a South African youth's eyes.

Journal Entry 20 by mafarrimond at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Released 12 yrs ago (9/21/2011 UTC) at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted on. Hope you enjoy the book.

Journal Entry 21 by blackwidow1971 at Winchester, Hampshire United Kingdom on Thursday, September 22, 2011
Safely received from the 1001 VBB - thank you!

Journal Entry 22 by blackwidow1971 at Winchester, Hampshire United Kingdom on Thursday, December 1, 2011
Read this a few weeks ago and forgot to journal it. The main character, John, isn't particularly likeable and it's not the cheeriest of reads, particularly the rather sudden ending.

I found myself wondering what the "J" in "JM Coetzee" stands for (no doubt I could Google it, but I was on the train and don't have a fancy phone) and how much it might have been based on his own life.

Going into the Euro 1001 VBB.

Journal Entry 23 by soffitta1 at Ávila, Ávila Spain on Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Thanks for sending me this, I do enjoy reading Coetzee's books.

Journal Entry 24 by 1001-library at Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Friday, April 27, 2012


This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing soffitta1:)

If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.

Journal Entry 25 by soffitta1 at Dovercourt, Essex United Kingdom on Thursday, July 12, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (7/12/2012 UTC) at Dovercourt, Essex United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Finally sent, sorry for the delay.

Journal Entry 26 by Stoepbrak at Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa on Saturday, July 28, 2012
Book cover
The book arrived safely. Picked it up from the post
office yesterday. Very atmospheric cover picture!

Thanks for passing it my way, soffitta1. Thanks as well
to Deepswamp, for registering the book, and likestoreadinFL, for donating it to the library.

Journal Entry 27 by Stoepbrak at Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa on Saturday, August 25, 2012

The footnote contains a spoiler so, if you haven't read the book yet and still wish to, skip the insert below the line and go to the next journal entry.

JM Coetzee has a way of describing someone's life so convincingly that it leaves one with the belief that somebody like that must exist in real life1. In this book he tackles the conflict between one's dreams and the way reality shapes those. He also very successfully describes the impact a foreign environment can have on an individual, especially if isolated for one reason or another.

I'll return the book to the library. Let me know if you're interested.


1 After writing the above, I had a look at the wikipedia entry on the author and his work, and discovered that this book was in fact a fictionalised memoir. Only he will know to which extent it reflects his own life.

Journal Entry 28 by 1001-library at Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Saturday, August 25, 2012
This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing stoepbrak:)

If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.

Journal Entry 29 by Stoepbrak at Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa on Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (8/29/2012 UTC) at Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa

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On its way to Horinkie.

Journal Entry 30 by Horinkie at Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Gotcha! Amazing books that you can find in beautiful Cape Town.
Thank you, Stoepbrak.

Journal Entry 31 by Horinkie at Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa on Sunday, November 25, 2012
I truly felt invited into a scriptorium. It was a pleasure to spend time with Ezra Pound, Ford Madox Ford, Samuel Beckett and many others on the not so easy way to writing poetry. Exciting to see the first ideas shine through all the misery and interesting views of poetry and love.
A very atmospheric narration.

Journal Entry 32 by 1001-library at Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing horinkie:)

If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.

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