DISGRACE

Sinopsis

Winner of the 1999 Booker Prize, this novel by J. M. Coetzee follows David Lurie, a 52-year-old professor in post-apartheid South Africa who leads a controlled, emotionally detached life. His routine unravels after he engages in an unethical relationship with a student, refusing remorse even when confronted, which leads to public disgrace and resignation. Seeking refuge, he retreats to his daughter Lucy’s rural home, where both face violence and shifting power dynamics in a fractured society. As Lurie confronts loss, shame, and vulnerability, the novel examines personal downfall alongside the broader tensions of a nation grappling with the legacy of racial oppression, justice, and moral ambiguity.