At times, the tone belies the dramatic or horrific nature of events. When the brutal attack occurs, it is like being shook out of a lyrical trance as you realise that though the writing is beautiful, all else has turned ugly very quickly. It's a shock and a testament to the skill of Coetzee that it works so well. The relationship between David and his daughter, Lucy is explored in similarly complex ways. It's heartbreaking to see the slowly charted breakdown in communication between the two of them.
Disgrace is written with immense skill and devotion - a beautiful but disturbing book.