I picked up this book on a whim because I liked The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time so much. Mark Haddon has a special talent for taking you inside the perfectly logical thought processes of his characters. When you realize that the character is completely unhinged, it hits fairly close to home. I read this book wanting to know “what happens” but I came out thinking a lot about myself. A very fun, sometimes disturbing, and always thought-provoking ride.

There are very, very few books that I would deem “not worth consuming.” Even books which I know are poorly written but have engaging characters and/or plot merit a “worth consuming!” from me. I love reading, and a book does not need to be profound or qualify as great literature to be worthwhile.

That said, I feel that Disgrace was a waste of my time. The writing was hauntingly beautiful, the only really enjoyable part of the book. I had absolutely no sympathy for the protagonist; instead, like his daughter, I was irritated by pretty much everything he said and did. His self-righteous internal dialogue simply justified actions which he knew were unreasonable. I can see the message and how this character adds to it; I just don’t think it’s worth suffering the experience of his personality to get there.

This is the first of J.M. Coetzee’s books that I have read, and because of the skill of his craft and beautiful language, I have high hopes for the others. I simply hope that they lack Disgrace’s infuriating protagonist.

It’s really just an okay mystery novel. It reminds me of the movie that just came out, National Treasure (although if I’m not mistaken this book came first). I guess I can see why this book receieved so much attention – it makes some controversial assumptions – but at the basic level it’s a very ordinary, less-than-brilliant action/adventure/mystery novel. If the movie is well done it may be better than the book, which already reads like a film. The characters are pretty much one-dimension, and some of the “surprises” are groaners that feel like a desperate author’s ploy to keep the reader’s attention. It definitely does that (I sat down and read it in one day) but nonetheless, I don’t think The DaVinci Code will make it into the ranks of great literature. It’s an entertaining read but a mediocre example of the art. I’m really sort of disappointed. Maybe I’ll read some of the “replies” to the information presented here, if I can find a good unbiased version, and at least learn something from it.