Diary of a Bad Year
{{Short description|2007 book by J. M. Coetzee}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox book |
| name = Diary of a Bad Year
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = File:Diaryofabadyear.jpg
| caption = First edition
| author = J. M. Coetzee
| cover_artist =
| country = Australia
| language = English
| series =
| genre =
| publisher = Text Publishing
| release_date = 3 September 2007
| media_type = Print
| pages = 304pp
| isbn = 1-921145-63-3
| oclc= 174094405
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}
Diary of a Bad Year is a book by South African-born Nobel laureate J. M. Coetzee. It was released by Text Publishing in Australia on 3 September 2007, in the United Kingdom by Harvill Secker (an imprint of Random House) on 6 September, and in the United States on 27 December.
Plot summary
The protagonist, called Señor C. by the other characters, is an ageing South African writer living in Sydney, Australia. The novel consists of his essays and musings alongside diary entries by both Señor C. and Anya, a neighbour whom he has hired as a typist. The essays, which take up the larger part of each page, are on wide-ranging topics, including the politics of George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Guantánamo Bay, and terrorism. The diary entries appear beneath the essays and describe the relationship that develops between the two characters, a relationship that ultimately leads to subtle evolutions in both their worldviews.
Awards and nominations
- New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, 2008: shortlisted
- The Age Book of the Year Award, Fiction Prize, 2008: shortlisted
- Victorian Premier's Literary Award, The Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction, 2008: shortlisted
- Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, Best Fiction Book, 2008: shortlisted
- Australia-Asia Literary Award, 2008: longlisted[http://www.dca.wa.gov.au/programs/arts_cultural_dev/western_australian_premiers_australia-asia_literary_award Australia-Asia Literary Award 2008] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120061228/http://www.dca.wa.gov.au/programs/arts_cultural_dev/western_australian_premiers_australia-asia_literary_award |date=20 November 2008 }}
Extracts
- [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/20390 Extract from The New York Review of Books]
- [http://books.guardian.co.uk/extracts/story/0,,2155838,00.html Extract from The Guardian]
Reviews
Upon release, Diary of a Bad Year was generally well-received.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-04 |title=Diary of a Bad Year |url=https://www.complete-review.com/reviews/mcewani/atonement.htm |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=Complete Review}} On Bookmarks Magazine Mar/Apr 2008 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a {{rating|3.5}} (3.5 out of 5) based on critic reviews with a critical summary saying, "Critics disagreed over whether reading each of the three narratives separately or reading a whole page at a time was the most rewarding method, but they generally concurred that, no matter how the novel is read, Diary of a Bad Year is a treat".{{Cite web |title=Diary of a Bad Year By J. M. Coetzee|url=http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/book-review/diary-bad-year/j-m-coetzee|access-date=14 January 2023 |website=Bookmarks Magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910085846/http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/book-review/diary-bad-year/j-m-coetzee |archive-date=10 Sep 2015}}
- {{cite news|first=Andrew|last=Riemer|title=Diary of a Bad Year|url=https://www.complete-review.com/reviews/coetzeej/diary.htm|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2007-08-24|accessdate=2007-10-25}}
- {{cite news|first=Neel|last=Mukherjee|title=Diary of a Bad Year|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/fiction/article2361536.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706202706/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/fiction/article2361536.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 July 2008|work=The Times|date=2007-09-01|accessdate=2007-10-25 | location=London}}
- {{cite news|first=Maggie|last=Gee|title=Diary of a Bad Year|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/fiction/article2348797.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080718203313/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/fiction/article2348797.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 July 2008|work=The Sunday Times|date=2007-09-02|accessdate=2007-10-25 | location=London}}
- {{cite news|first=Justin|last=Cartwright|title=Diary of a Bad Year, by J M Coetzee|url=http://arts.independent.co.uk/books/reviews/article2912593.ece|work=The Independent|date=2007-09-02|accessdate=2007-10-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106004947/http://arts.independent.co.uk/books/reviews/article2912593.ece|archive-date=6 January 2009|url-status=dead}}
- {{cite news|first=Aveek|last=Sen|title= Señor C - At the gateway to oblivion|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071005/asp/opinion/story_8395380.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613184738/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071005/asp/opinion/story_8395380.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 June 2008|work=The Telegraph|date=2007-10-04|accessdate=2007-10-25}}
References
External links
- [http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/catalog/book.htm?command=Search&db=main.txt&eqisbndata=184655120X Diary of a Bad Year] at booksatrandom
{{J. M. Coetzee}}
Category:Novels by J. M. Coetzee