Coetzee’s writing is absolutely haunting and I loved the sparse style. The outrage and criticism this book recieved only prove how South Africa is still feeling the ramifications of Apartheid.

However, before one judges Coetzee as being racist or pro-Apartheid one should really read into the literary allusions that the protagonist uses. Lurie views himself as the byronic hero yet Coetzee shows that the world has no need for this romanticism. Sure, he depicts a horrible man who views post-Apartheid Africa as horrible but look at how closely his trial mirrors the trial of ex-prime minister Botha. Lurie is obviously meant to symbolize the Apartheid era and as the end shows that era is dying out. Yet Coetzee does bring up disturbing issues about the future of South Africa and particularly of black people but that what makes the novel so interesting. There is no clear black and white answer and the book’s impact indicates just that.