May 19, 2004 12:36 AM
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(Updated May 19, 2004 12:40 AM)
Talking about two novels, written differently in time Boyhood and Youth in two separate reviews is pretty difficult, since they are one and the same book; the latter is a continuation from the end of Boyhood. I have come to believe now that J. M. Coetzee is simply one of the very best writers around in this world, who all books are challenging, and yet subtle in nature of their own.
The two books, aptly tagged as ?Scenes from Provincial Life 1? and ?Scenes from Provincial Life 2? provide an insight into the author?s past from his boyhood till his youth, when Coetzee discovers what he wanted to do and become in the world.
Boyhood
Meet John, aged 8 sometime in the 1940?s in South Africa. His family has shifted from hustle and bustle of Cape Town to a country side village ? a place where all streets are named by tree names, and yet no trees actually grew there. Elsewhere a World War II rages on in the other parts of the world, though he doesn?t understand exactly how it that they are involved. South Africa is a nation in turmoil, yet he doesn?t exactly know what is so paining the African nation.
At school, John is always first in his class ? not because he is clever and wants to, but because he is scared of failing and getting beaten by his teachers. It?s a fear which refuses to let him go ? the fear of not being a normal boy like others; not being a normal child like his classmates. He resents his dad; he adores his mom, and yet cannot wait to despise her and leave her for good. His brother too is a normal child, but he is bound by fear of things going wrong, and fear of him doing things wrong.
In an environment besieged by violence, turmoil, guilt, arrogance and self pity, John grows up to his adolescence. Boyhood is the journey to his adolescence.
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Youth
A young man wants to leave his home badly. He has left his mother and his sordid past behind him. He studies his graduation at a university, while working to consolidate his living. He has a dream, of going to United Kingdom. He also has his real dream ? of being a Poet. He convinces himself that London is the place where he can become a poet.
He still hates his mother; he still loves her as well ? she is overbearing, over concerned and over loving ? whilst, he needs to break away from her mould. He has discovered that he is not as clever as he was in his boyhood in schools; mathematics is interesting though not something he really wanted to do.
His relationships don?t last long. His flings with women don?t seem to last long. He needs to get to London, to find his inspiration in form of love, and then to become a poet; as he believes all artists need true love to motivate them, so does he wait for his love and his moment to besiege him.
Instead, he must work to live. He must work like a normal man, earning daily bread. Though he lands a luxurious job, he is still awaiting his love, his inspiration and his moment when he will set out to write the poetry he always dreamed of.
In a world of self consciousness, bereft confidence and the anguish of not leading a life he wants to, he passes the Youth of his life. At times a discovery, at times an anguish and at other times fear of losing that he still possesses from his boyhood haunt him.
Youth is this journey from his adolescence to a man.
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Please read the second part of this review, under the review for book title Youth at https://mouthshut.com/readreview/55307-1.html
