Sobriquet 47.15

The following post was originally published on 10/15/08.

Since I did not leave campus until after ten this evening, I haven't had a whole lot of time to work on the dissertation. Since I was so tired, I decided not to force myself to read any criticism, figuring fatigue would prevent me from focusing. Instead, I finally began reading Andre Brink's The Rights of Desire. Although I do not anticipate devoting much space to the novel in a dissertation focused on J. M. Coetzee, I want to at least familiarize myself with a work many scholars have discussed in relation to Disgrace. Whether or not Brink will figure into my project remains to be seen, but I can definitely see how comparing the two books could yield significant insight into either individual text. Indeed, the reclusively bookish Reuben Oliver bears more than a passing resemblance to the equally standoffish scholar at the center of Coetzee's novel.

For tomorrow: Read, transcribe, work on the bibliography, or read a bit more of The Rights of Desire.