Summary of "Life and Times of Michael K"

Michael K is a rebel fighting for his independence in his own way. He lives with his mother in Cape Town during the war. Michael K quits his job as a gardener to take his mother away from the city. She wants to go to the countryside where she grew up as a child.

He and his mother does not have a travel permit, but they still make it out of the city by avoiding the military. On their journey Michael's mother dies and he is left and all alone and bewildered.

He finds a deserted farm where he settles down, living peacefully and growing his own food. All this ends when he is accused of cooperating with the guerillas and is therefore sent to a work camp. He doesn't want to work nor eat and he grows thinner and thinner. He is finally hospitalized. Still he won't eat and this makes his doctor confused. The doctor tries to understand his patient, in long monologues.

Coetzee writes a sad story about a sad man. His writing is very good but he does not make this story very interesting. I would not recommend this book, because it is not much fun to read. Coetzee has written many other good books that are far better than this one, for example Disgrace.