COETZEE, J. M.
Among the major South African writers, J. M. Coetzee has perhaps been unique in his unwillingness to write directly about life under apartheid. This novel's themes include personal shame, the subjugation of women, a changing country, and romantic poetry. The writer won the Booker Prize for this effort, making him the first writer to win the trophy twice, the first time for Life & Times of Michael K.