Literary Cynics: Borges, Beckett, Coetzee

257 Pages·2017·21.27 MB·English

by  Arthur Rose

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Literary Cynics
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Also Available from Bloomsbury
Borges, Between History and Eternity
Hernan Diaz
Since Beckett: Contemporary Writing in the Wake of Modernism
Peter Boxall
The Slow Philosophy of J.M. Coetzee
Jan Wilm
Strong Opinions: J.M. Coetzee and the Authority of Contemporary Fiction
Edited by Chris Danta, Sue Kossew and Julian Murphet
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Literary Cynics

Borges, Beckett, Coetzee
Arthur Rose
Bloomsbury Academic
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
LONDON • OXFORD • NEW YORK • NEW DELHI • SYDNEY
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Bloomsbury Academic
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BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
First published 2017
© Arthur Rose, 2017
Arthur Rose has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988,
to be identified as Author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
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accepted by Bloomsbury or the author.
British Library Cataloguing- in- Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: HB: 978- 1- 4742- 5864- 7
ePDF: 978- 1- 4742- 5867- 8
eBook: 978- 1- 4742- 5866- 1
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A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
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To my parents
For whom we do the things we do
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Contents

Acknowledgements viii
Abbreviations x
Introduction 1
Paradox One Money Problems in Borges, Beckett and Coetzee 31
1 The Currency of Cosmopolitan Fame 35
Paradox Two Coetzee, Borges and Negotiated Truth 65
2 Borges’s Parables 73
Paradox Three Borges, Beckett and the Sincerity Paradox 101
3 Beckett’s Impromptus 107
Paradox Four Locating Beckett in Patagonia and South Africa 139
4 Coetzee’s Lessons 145
Paradox Five Creaturely Dog Men 183
Conclusion: On Mere Life 189
Notes 191
Bibliography 221
Index 241
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Acknowledgements

In one sense, this project originated out of a series of conversations with
Sam Durrant and Brendon Nicholls. That my signposting remains frustrat-
ingly obdurate will amuse them greatly. Steven Connor and Richard Brown
made helpful comments to a first incarnation and, in so doing, improved
subsequent drafts immeasurably. My anonymous reviewers at Bloomsbury
honed a rusty manuscript, as did Ben Bollig, Adam Winstanley, Maebh Long,
Ryan Topper, Peter Rose, Michael Springer, Luna Dolezal, Phil Horkey, Mike
Marais, Thando Njovane and Marco Bernini, each of whom gave of their time
and energy to help me tackle issues ranging from Peronism in Argentina
to comma placement in referencing material. A single telephone conversa-
tion with Robbie Duschinsky helped me to crystallize four years of thinking.
Mark Richardson and David Avital were patient and supportive editors at
Bloomsbury.
A whole contingent of friends and intellectual comrades helped. In Leeds,
Ashraf Riadh Abdullah, Gustavo Carvajal, Alejandra Ortiz, Ed Powell, Adrian
Knapp, Henghameh Saroukhani, Katie Elphick, Chris Stone, Ragini Mohite,
Emma Trott, Hannah Copley, Stefan Skrimshire, Elizabeth Pender, Kasia
Mika, Michael J. Kelly, Claire Lozier, David Sugden, Ruth Swanwick, Jane
Taylor, Jane Plastow and Mark Taylor- Batty. In Durham, John Moles, Jane
Macnaughton, Corinne Saunders, Sarah McLusky, Rebecca Oxley, Andrew
Russell, Marco Bernini, Will Viney, Rick de Villiers and Marc Botha. In South
Africa, Simon van Schalkwyk, Jennifer Malec, Donald Powers, Joe Palmer,
Paul McNally, Ross Esson, Tim and Jeanne Matthis and others unmentioned.
In South Korea, Chull Wang. In Argentina, Fabian, Sarah, Fiona and Lucas
Martinez. This not to mention those people in the Beckett, Borges and Coetzee
communities, who, in ways small and large, have helped bring this book to
print. To those not enumerated, my apologies: such lists necessarily remain
incomplete.
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Acknowledgements ix
My parents, Peter and Celia, bore financial and emotional burdens in help-
ing me see this project to its close. This book is dedicated to them. My sister,
brother- in- law and nephews, Sarah, Sean, Sebastian and Sam provided solace
and privacy when I needed it (and barrages of guffaws when I didn’t). Chris
and Denise Mathew provided a home away from home, and Jill and Imogen
Ashfield didn’t give up on me. For this, and love, I thank them.