Cover of The Pole by J.M. Coetzee

The Pole

J.M. Coetzee

A Polish pianist falls for a married Catalan woman, and neither of them handles it well.

Coetzee’s short novel follows an elderly performer of Chopin who becomes fixated on a woman who arranged his concert in Barcelona, and the correspondence and misunderstanding that follow. It is spare, self-contained and characteristically concerned with older men who have not settled their feelings about desire. Good Coetzee rather than great Coetzee.

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Recommended by 1 Person

Tyler Cowen

J.M. Coetzee, The Pole. Short, compelling, self-contained, again deals with older men who have not resolved their issues concerning sex. Good but not great Coetzee.

Source · October 2023

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