Super Short Summary

Life and Times of Michael K by J. M. Coetzee follows the life of Michael K, who grows up in poverty with a cleft lip, and embarks on a dangerous journey from Cape Town to his mother's rural village during a fictional civil war under apartheid. Themes include the complexity of mother-son relationships, the passage of time, the value of life, war's effects, and racial dynamics in South African society. The narrative delves into issues of illness, death, and forced labor.