Book Review: Disgrace

Disgrace: A Novel by J. M. Coetzee (New York: Viking, 1999. 224 pp)

John Maxwell (J. M.) Coetzee is a Nobel-Prize-winning author of South African descent. He attended St. Joseph’s College and later the University of Cape Town. He later earned a Ph.D. from the University of Texas. While working as an academic, Coetzee began writing novels. In his acclaimed literary career, Coetzee has won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize, three CAN Prizes, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and became the first author to win two Man Booker Prizes.

Disgrace Defined Two Ways

Isn’t it funny how often people associate disgrace and shame with being caught in the act? It seems, often times, shame and sorrow proceed from the public revealing of a transgression, not from true remorse for a certain action. In a very real way, this sort of disgrace is hollow and unrewarding.

True disgrace, it seems, should occur not from being caught but from passivity—an event happening to you about which you have no power. When something shameful happens and you can’t control it, that event reaches the depths of sorrow.

I found the dichotomy between these two definitions front and center in J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace.

The Carnal Desires of Man

“For a man of his age, fifty-two, divorced, he has, to his mind, solved the problem of sex rather well” (1).

David Laurie is a man of passion. A professor of romantic literature at a university in post-apartheid Cape Town, Laurie often submits to his carnal desires.

As the above quote implies, he’s certain of himself, his position, his charm. But oh how the mighty fall.

Photo by Tourist at Home

Laurie’s descent into disgrace begins on a sine qua non day on a walk through campus. He happens upon a student. She’s adequate, though quiet, in class but her looks are as stunning as the late evening sun.

Turning on the charm, Laurie commences his seduction. With ample amounts of power and a disposition for the romantic, Laurie soon conquers his student, engaging in adult relations.

Ravished by her beauty, David ignores his ethical code and sets aside reason. Soon after, news of the relationship spreads and scandal erupts. While damning, David only needs to issue a public apology, enroll in counseling—water under the bridge in the minds of university administration.

But, Laurie considers himself a man of principle—too old to change.

“’And are you so perfect that you can’t do with a little counseling?’
‘It reminds me too much of Mao’s China. Recantation, self-criticism, public apology. I’m old-fashioned, I would prefer simply to be put against a wall and shot. Have done with it’” (66).

To him, an apology and counseling equals guilt and admission of immoral activity; he would rather end his life. In an odd way, David thinks he possesses a moral right to enjoy the beauty of the opposite sex.

The Impact of Carnal Desires of Men

Unsurprisingly, Laurie’s brash behavior results in the termination of his academic position. With nothing better to do and a desire to avoid the scandal’s spotlight, David travels to the South African countryside to spend some time with his daughter, Lucy.

Living alone, Lucy farms and runs a dog inn. Seeing Lucy refreshes David.

“They walked back along an irrigation furrow. Lucy’s bare toes grip the red earth, leaving clear prints. A solid woman, embedded in her new life. Good! If this is to be what he leaves behind—then he does not have to be ashamed” (62).

The good times in the presence of his daughter soon turn ugly when some bandits rob Lucy’s house, assault David, and rape his daughter. The violence of the event—with no rhyme, reason, or motive—shakes father and daughter to the core. The countryside is ground zero for post-Apartheid aggression.

“A risk to own anything: a car, a pair of shoes, a packet of cigarettes. Not enough to go around, not enough cars, shoes, cigarettes. Too many people, too few things. What there is must go into circulation, so that everyone can have a chance to be happy for a day. That is the theory; hold to the theory and to the comforts of theory. Not human evil, just a vast circulatory system, to whose workings pity and terror are irrelevant. That is how one must see life in this country: in its schematic aspect. Otherwise one could go mad. Cars, shoes; women too. There must be some niche in the system for women and what happens to them” (98).

Moreover, the disgrace Laurie felt during his university scandal pales in comparison to the disgrace of his daughter.

“She would rather hide her face, and he knows why. Because of the disgrace. Because of the shame. That is what their visitors have achieved; that is what they have done to this confident, modern young woman. Like a stain the story is spreading across the district. Not her story to spread but theirs: they are its owners. How they can put her in her place, how they showed her what a woman was for” (115).

Disgrace Experienced 

Photo by Porsche Brosseau 

In comparison to what happened to his daughter, Laurie reveals himself to be selfish and self-destructive. He experiences disgrace for living under passion. His daughter encounters disgrace by having something extremely personal and sacred taken from her. 

While both characters experience something we can define as “disgrace”, Lucy’s experience of disgrace is truer. David brought disgrace upon himself; Lucy found disgrace through sins against her.

Coetzee’s prose in Disgrace is minimal but powerful. Disgrace reads quickly but the content is heartbreaking and worthy of contemplation. How am I causing disgrace in other people’s lives? Am I more like David or Lucy? Such questions are painful but worth consideration.

If you’re interested in a deep, thought provoking, and painful book, Disgrace is for you.

Verdict: 5 out of 5

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Posted by: Donovan Richards

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Book Review: Real Marriage

Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together by Mark and Grace Driscoll (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2012. 236 pp)

Mark Driscoll is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. He was named one of the "25 Most Influential Pastors of the Past 25 Years" by Preaching Magazine. He received a B.A. in Speech Communication from Washington State University, and holds an M.A. in Exegetical Theology from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of fifteen books. Grace Driscoll is Mark’s loving wife, and a fellow founder of Mars Hill Church.

My Indie Rock Church

Photo by Mars Hill Church

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve been going to Mars Hill Church in Seattle since it was a burgeoning church of seven hundred people (it now holds services for 10,000+ people). I began going in 2003, when Pastor Mark still swore frequently, indie rock was a new fad, and both mohawks and tattoos littered the halls of Mars Hill Church. Being yelled at was fun—well, not so much fun, but it was needed. Pastor Mark and the worship pastor at that time baptized me and my roommate at the time, and I’ve had the pleasure of serving alongside him. Since my first time stepping in the doors of Mars Hill, I’ve become a deacon in the church, trained leaders, led a worship band, and baptized people—something I never thought would happen. I’ve seen tons of lives changed in my nearly nine years there. So obviously, my review of Mark and Grace Driscoll’s new book, Real Marriage, will carry a certain level of bias.

The Last Day Matters 

Photo by Joy Candido

Driscoll’s newest book, Real Marriage is something that I think will change lives. Marriage is on a severe decline in the United States and across the world, either due to economic decline and the fear of monetary consequences, or due to a dramatic culture shift. Nonetheless, the Driscolls propose that it’s not the first day of marriage with all its pomp and circumstance that matters the most, it’s the last day that carries significance.

“To finish well on the last day of your marriage, it is not enough to simply have passion and principles. You also need a plan. Marriages start with passion and over the years accrue principles, but apart from a plan, the passion and principles are powerless. You must choose whether you will spend your time making plans or excuses” (204).

The Driscolls also outline, through a series of helpful questions, ways to reverse engineer your marriage so that it is successful. They break up the questions into annual, quarterly, weekly, and daily plans. The questions include topics on health, friends, learning, daily habits, housing, the bedroom, and more.

Candor 

What I’ve also enjoyed about Mark Driscoll throughout the years is his frank sense of candor. He shows his honesty in discussing two topics: marriage in general, and sex in particular.

Mark and Grace address men and women specifically regarding marriage in their own respective chapters. Grace discusses how to respect one’s husband, and Mark how to love one’s wife well. Mark says that the guy’s biggest obstacle in a marriage is a tendency towards prolonged adolescence.

“We are left with indefinite adolescence and a Peter Pan Syndrome epidemic where some men want to remain boys forever. If we do make the transition to manhood, many husbands and fathers revert back to adolescence with something called a midlife crisis. Even some old men revert back to adolescence, trading in their wives for the youngest girlfriends they can” (43).

Mark then suggests that it is appropriate for men to be tough and tender. Men need to be tough when defending their wives, daughters, and providing financially. But, they also need to be tender when caring for their wives and daughters. Rarely do men find this balance of tough and tender, or even worse, they don’t care to. As a result, many married men remain adolescent young adults.

Sex & the Celebrity Complex 

Photo by Bigger Picture Images

The second part of the book is about sex, which is a part of the Bible, believe it or not. The Old Testament book The Song of Solomon is actually dedicated to this physical act. But, in marriage, the Driscolls outline three ways that we can look at sex: as god, as gross, or as a gift. They then explore the best ways to view sex, and how to overcome some common obstacles in a marriage regarding sex, including sexual frequency, the problem of porn, and being selfish lovers. Perhaps the best sentiment they provide is,

“Sex is a part of your life, but it is not your life. If you allow sex to become your life, you will compare your spouse’s appearance and performance to other people in general, and sinful people in particular, thereby becoming dissatisfied. This opens the door to temptation” (152).

I think the celebrity complex is the problem of our culture. Popular culture has promulgated the idea that if you’re dissatisfied with your marriage, or if it’s too much work, you need to move on. Because we have become an over-sexualized, me-based culture, if our needs aren’t met, it’s simply not good enough. Driscoll and his wife address these issues head-on in an effort to save marriages all across the country.

It must be noted, however, that there is a certain controversy around Driscoll. He comes at marriage from a reformed Christian perspective, so people who aren’t Christian or are part of mainline denominations might not enjoy it as much as evangelical Christians. But, at the same time, I think that Real Marriage also speaks to people that might disagree with the Driscoll quotes that they’ve heard. Any marriage, healthy or not, could benefit from this book, if it’s approached with an open mind.

Verdict: 4 out of 5
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Posted By: Andrew Jacobson

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