Life & times of Michael K

by J. M. Coetzee

First published 1983

Amid civil unrest, the frail Michael K sets out to fulfill his dying mother's wish: return to her rural home. Alone after her passing, he escapes imprisonment and finds solace in the wilderness, eking out a meager existence. But this fragile peace is soon shattered as the realities of the violent conflict encroach on his solitary life, testing his determination to live with dignity.

Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, african-literature

Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: character-driven, man-vs-nature, man-vs-society

Setting: South Africa

Period: 20th-century

249 pages · Hardcover · Ravan Press

Content warnings: violence

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