eventually embarks upon. Even though Michael K. is physically unattractive, not highly intelligent, and not blessed with worldly goods, he emerges as a kind of hero in the book. Even though he has limited means of opposition to the sweeping power of the war and chaos about him, Michael K. still manages to become a clear symbol of resistance to war and personal choice. Life and Times of Michael K. also carries a clear message about the importance of a central, spiritual life in human existence. While the events of Michael K's life lead him to flee unrest, and eventually to prison, these events are in a way secondary to the importance of his spiritual interior world. Coetzee's novel is essentially a life-affirming look at the importance of internal dignity and spirituality in the face of the arbitrary and sometimes cruel nature of the world around us.

While Life and Times of Michael K. carries a clear and powerful message, it is also a difficult book to read at times. Overall, the book is depressing and unhappy in its tone and content. Even Michael's triumph over external forces is greatly limited, as the freedom that he manages to gain is dangerously fragile and incomplete. Overall, the book is bleak and despairing, as Coetzee clearly outlines the limited choices available to someone like Michael K. In an unforgiving world.

Coetzee's writing style is clear,...

He paints a clear and often merciless picture of the pitiful of the lives of Michael and his mother. He writes of Michael's mother, "Her nights among the dying in the corridors of Somerset Hospital had brought it home to her how indifferent the world could be to an old woman with an unsightly illness in time of war" (p. 7).
Personally, I found J.M. Coetzee's Life and Times of Michael K. To be inspiring and insightful, despite the sometimes depressing tone. The book is a powerful reminder of the power and importance of the human spirit. It also provides a powerful insight into the essential human need for freedom of choice and action. In the book, Michael K. is painted as among the physically and mentally least gifted of his countrymen. At the same time, Michael K's unyielding strength of his need for freedom and dignity shows that he is among the best of all of us.

In conclusion, J.M. Coetzee's Life and Times of Michael K. is a deeply inspiring and insightful book. The book is a sad reminder of the absurdity of war, and the damaging power of racism and violence. Although often deeply depressing in tone and content, the Coetzee's book provides a powerful and enlightening reinforcement of the immense dignity and power of the human spirit.

Works Cited

Coetzee, J.M. Life and Times of Michael K. Penguin Books.