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The City Where Coetzee Is God.

  • Published In: Atlantic, 2026, v. 337, n. 4. P. 94 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Shteyngart, Gary 3 of 3

Abstract

This essay explores the legacy and complex relationship of Nobel laureate J. M. Coetzee with his native city, Cape Town, South Africa, where he was born and raised before leaving in 2002. It examines how Coetzee’s literary work, marked by themes of alienation, displacement, and the moral burdens of colonialism and apartheid, reflects a blurred and often ambivalent portrayal of Cape Town and South Africa’s social realities. The article also discusses Coetzee’s personal background, his ambivalence toward his Afrikaner heritage, and his emotional remoteness, as well as the divided local reception of his work and persona—from reverence to critique. Through visits to key locations and conversations with scholars and locals, the piece highlights the tension between Coetzee’s dystopian narratives and the evolving, cosmopolitan cityscape he left behind. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Atlantic. 2026/04, Vol. 337, Issue 4, p94
  • Document Type:Nonfiction Work
  • Subject Area:Social Sciences and Humanities
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:1072-7825
  • Accession Number:192240066
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