The Death of Jesus

Orphan. I’m undecided whether or not to recommend that you must read J.M. Coetzee’s two novels titled The Childhood of Jesus and The Schooldays of Jesus before you read the third novel, The Death of Jesus. Normally, reading a series in sequence leads to greater understanding. For these three novels, there’s no understanding, only lots of questions. The main question that David, the now ten-year-old protagonist, asks in this novel is: Why am I here? While Simon and Inez act as if they are his parents, he is an orphan, as we all are, since at some time we are all alone in the world with our unanswered questions about the meaning of life. I’ve read all three novels, and feel unsettled, which is probably the best outcome achievable from these unusual and finely written novels. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Death of Jesus from amazon.com.