Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee
"Disgrace" is a novel that explores the life of a middle-aged professor in South Africa who is dismissed from his position after having an affair with a student. After losing his job, he moves to the countryside to live with his daughter, where they experience a violent attack that significantly alters their lives. The story delves into themes of post-apartheid South Africa, racial tension, sexual exploitation, and the struggle for personal redemption.
The 255th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 1263
This book was first published in 1999
39 Lists
- score: 120 -- The 100 Best Books from 1900 to the Present - 2024 (Weight: 190)
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- score: 101 -- 'The perfect library': the 196 books selected by 133 personalities - 2020 (Weight: 190)
- score: 100 -- The 50 best books of the past 100 years - 2022 (Weight: 167)
- score: 74 -- What are the Goncourt Winners’ Favorite Books? - 2023 (Weight: 128)
- score: 67 -- 25 acclaimed international writers choose 25 of the best books from the last 25 years - 2013 (Weight: 160)
- score: 59 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 180)
- score: 53 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 140)
- score: 53 -- Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers - 2006 (Weight: 170)
- score: 50 -- Harenberg Buch der 1000 Bücher - 2005 (Weight: 160)
- score: 47 -- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition - 2011 (Weight: 100)
- score: 46 -- TrueLit's Top 100 Favorite Books (2023) - 2023 (Weight: 80)
- score: 44 -- Top 10 British, Irish or Commonwealth Novels from 1980 to 2005 - 2006 (Weight: 120)
- score: 36 -- The Best of the Booker - 2008 (Weight: 106)
- score: 34 -- 100 Books of Classical and Modern Foreign Literature - 2013 (Weight: 80)
- score: 29 -- 100 Novels That Shaped Our World - 2019 (Weight: 54)
- score: 26 -- A Century of World Literature 1925 - 2025 - 2025 (Weight: 40)
- score: 17 -- Vendela Vida's Book Choices from "The Writer's Library" - 2020 (Weight: 30)
- score: 14 -- A Hundred Novels to Change Your Life - 2019 (Weight: 28)
- score: 13 -- NY Times Editors Choice 1990-1999 - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 65)
- score: 13 -- In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels - 2011 (Weight: 30)
- score: 8 -- 50 Essential Reads by Contemporary Authors - 2004 (Weight: 30)
- score: 7 -- 100 Essential Books - 2009 (Weight: 20)
- score: 7 -- The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users - 2008 (Weight: 20)
- score: 6 -- 25 Books to Read Before You Die - 2023 (Weight: 10)
- score: 4 -- The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read - 2009 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- Booker Prize - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 7)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Novels Written in English - 2015 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 500 Must Read Books - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 70 Classic Booker Prize-Nominated Novels, Recommended by our Readers - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 50 Books Everyone Needs to Read, 1963-2013 - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Novels in English Since 1900 - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 31 Books Every South African Should Read - 2016 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 501 Must-Read Books - 2006 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Big Jubilee Read - 2022 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Librarians' Choice - Top 20 South African Books, 1994-2014 - 2014 (Weight: 1)