Elizabeth Costello

this book completely knocked me on my ass and shocked me, frankly. i wasn't coming to it expecting anything--never read coetzee, this book "just happened to be there" used, etc etc...i guess it was too weird and therefore "self-indulgent" for critics and readers, but i love stuff like this. and the ending treatment was great.

This book made me consider life in western culture from a perspective no other novel has. Also, one of the chapters borrows from Franz Kafka's style, and that was a lot of fun too.

A series of eight story featuring an unempathetic, uncharasmatic older writer who fails to create any lasting impression on the reader, and on those in her world, including her children. While the novel is poetic and craftfully written, it offers no intrigue or action for the reader to follow. What's left is a very dry read even if the final chapter is slightly more interesting than the previous...more

A series of eight story featuring an unempathetic, uncharasmatic older writer who fails to create any lasting impression on the reader, and on those in her world, including her children. While the novel is poetic and craftfully written, it offers no intrigue or action for the reader to follow. What's left is a very dry read even if the final chapter is slightly more interesting than the previous ones.   hide

I was bored to tears and struggled to finish this book. Not my cup of tea or maybe I don't get the overall idea of this book

The first chapter of this book really grabbed my attention, with the references to performance and perception. But the series of lectures given by Elizabeth Costello, the main character, in each chapter, didn't hold my attention. In fact, even in the fictional world, the lectures are not well received. The creation of a successful and aging writer who cannot perform in person, even as she strives...more

The first chapter of this book really grabbed my attention, with the references to performance and perception. But the series of lectures given by Elizabeth Costello, the main character, in each chapter, didn't hold my attention. In fact, even in the fictional world, the lectures are not well received. The creation of a successful and aging writer who cannot perform in person, even as she strives to impact her audience with something meaningful is interesting - her fiction is valued, but her actual opinion is scorned.   hide

would like to read his prize winning works..im sure they are even better

Collection of essays, essentially, which are told through the adventures of its strong-minded protagonist. "Adventures" is not the right word, though, since Ms. Costello is a writer in her 70s and mostly all she does is go to literary events and talk. Very interesting, but not everyone's cup of tea.

Way too intellectual for me. A story told through a series of lectures. OMG, I had to skim them.

This book drove me crazy. The title character is completely annoying. I liked some of this author's other books but not this one!