The Schooldays of Jesus

By: J. M. Coetzee

Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart

David is the small boy who is always asking questions. Simon and Ines take care of him in their new town, Estrella. He is learning the language; he has begun to make friends. He has the big dog, Bolivar, to watch over him. But he'll be seven soon, and he should be at school. And so, with the guidance of the three sisters who own the farm where Simon and Ines work, David is enrolled in the Academy of Dance. It's here, in his new golden dancing slippers, that he learns how to call down the numbers from the sky. But it's here, too, that he will make troubling discoveries about what grown-ups are capable of. In this mesmerizing allegorical tale, Coetzee deftly grapples with the big questions of growing up, of what it means to be a parent, the constant battle between intellect and emotion, and how we choose to live our lives.

©2016 J. M. Coetzee (P)2017 HighBridge, a Division of Recorded Books

I think I just listened to a parable

Set the reading pace at 120. I need to let the book marinate for a while to write a review.

SEXUAL PERVERSION PRESENTED AS BRILLIANT

Warning: this book starts off charming and quirky. But, halfway through, it becomes an author's indulgent exercise in sexual perversion, desperately trying to convince the audience that sexual assault, rape and murder are sophisticated acts of philosophical brilliance. Worse, there is a disturbing undertone of pedefilia to this story. The author uses a six year old child to convince adults, and the reader, that men who think like this should be allowed to hang out with your kids. This is not literature. This is worse than child porn. This is an award winning author acting like he is now so self important, he no longer has to be human. In simple words, this book made me throw up.