Diary of a Bad Year
 First edition | |
| Author | J. M. Coetzee |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Text Publishing |
Publication date | 3 September 2007 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 304pp |
| ISBN | 1-921145-63-3 |
| OCLC | 174094405 |
Diary of a Bad Year is a book by South African-born Nobel laureate J. M. Coetzee. It was released by Text Publishing in Australia on 3 September 2007, in the United Kingdom by Harvill Secker (an imprint of Random House) on 6 September, and in the United States on 27 December.
Plot summary
The protagonist, called Señor C. by the other characters, is an aging South African writer living in Sydney. The novel consists of his essays and musings alongside diary entries by both Señor C. and Anya, a neighbor whom he has hired as a typist. The essays, which take up the larger part of each page, are on wide-ranging topics, including the politics of George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Guantanamo Bay, and terrorism. The diary entries appear beneath the essays and describe the relationship that develops between the two characters, a relationship that ultimately leads to subtle evolutions in both their worldviews.
Awards and nominations
- New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, 2008: shortlisted
- The Age Book of the Year Award, Fiction Prize, 2008: shortlisted
- Victorian Premier's Literary Award, The Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction, 2008: shortlisted
- Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, Best Fiction Book, 2008: shortlisted
- Australia-Asia Literary Award, 2008: longlisted[1]
Extracts
Reviews
- Riemer, Andrew (2007-08-24). "Diary of a Bad Year". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
- Mukherjee, Neel (2007-09-01). "Diary of a Bad Year". The Times. London. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
- Gee, Maggie (2007-09-02). "Diary of a Bad Year". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
- Cartwright, Justin (2007-09-02). "Diary of a Bad Year, by J M Coetzee". The Independent. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
- Sen, Aveek (2007-10-04). "Señor C - At the gateway to oblivion". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-10-25.