Foe A Novel
Foe A Novel by J. M. Coetzee, published by Penguin on January 5, 1988, is a reprint edition comprising 160 pages in English. This book reinvents the story of Robinson Crusoe, focusing on the character of Susan Barton, who seeks the renowned writer Daniel Foe to tell her tale. As a castaway recently rescued from a desert island, she grapples with the complexities of her relationship with Cruso, the enigmatic figure who has died, and his silent manservant, Friday. Coetzee’s narrative explores the intricacies of storytelling and the power dynamics inherent in it.
Readers will find a rich examination of themes such as the seduction and tyranny of narrative, as Barton attempts to convey her truth while simultaneously crafting her own version of Cruso. The book delves into the interplay between fiction and reality, revealing how stories can transform our understanding of history and identity. With its literary and historical elements, Foe invites contemplation on the nature of storytelling itself, making it a thought-provoking read for those interested in the complexities of narrative and character.
Official synopsis Publisher
With the same electrical intensity of language and insight that he brought to Waiting for the Barbarians, J.M. Coetzee reinvents the story of Robinson Crusoe—and in so doing, directs our attention to the seduction and tyranny of storytelling itself.
J.M. Coetzee’s latest novel, The Schooldays of Jesus, is now available from Viking. Late Essays: 2006-2016 will be available January 2018.
In 1720 the eminent man of letters Daniel Foe is approached by Susan Barton, lately a castaway on a desert island. She wants him to tell her story, and that of the enigmatic man who has become her rescuer, companion, master and sometimes lover: Cruso. Cruso is dead, and his manservant, Friday, is incapable of speech. As she tries to relate the truth about him, the ambitious Barton cannot help turning Cruso into her invention. For as narrated by Foe—as by Coetzee himself—the stories we thought we knew acquire depths that are at once treacherous, elegant, and unexpectedly moving.
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