With the exception of 'Disgrace', I like Coetzee's literary essays better than his fiction. The essays on Italo Svevo and Bruno Schulz were my favorites here (Schulz's striving to "mature into childhood" is now deeply etched into my brain.)
Here's a review that does the book more justice than I ever could: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ent...

Some writers are more interesting to read about than to read. Case in point: Faulkner.

Though at times formulaic (each essay begins with biography and then segues into criticism) and sometimes more descriptive than analytical, this collection of literary essays is ultimately a wonder. Coetzee--unsurprisingly--repeatedly wields his immense literary acumen and boundless linguistic knowledge, thus, making for engaging, insightful, and provocative essays throughout. Perhaps what is most remarkable about this wide-raging collection is his selection of authors and texts, which highlights some lesser exposed novelists from the first half of the 20th century, all of whom wholly deserve Coetzee's exposure, praise, and thoughts. Here's hoping for a revival of the likes of Italo Svevo, Bruno Schulz, and Robert Walser!

This is a magnificant collection. It is both for admirers of Coetzee's fiction and for those who wish to read about a number of literary greats across the shores. A must read!

Bem interessante alguns ensaios de autores bem conhecidos como Gabriel G. Marques.

I wasn't familiar with all of the writers discussed here by Coetzee (Bruno Schulz? Sandor Marai? Hugo Claus?), but I did enjoy his essays on Musil, Grass, and Joseph Roth. Almost half of the essays consider authors who wrote in German; among the writers in English discussed are Whitman, Faulkner, Beckett, Graham Greene, Bellow, Roth and Arthur Miller. Essays on Nadine Gordimer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and V.S. Naipaul round out the book.

At times Coetzee's erudition approaches that of Borges, giving the sensation that one is reading tablets handed down from Olympus; occasionally, his inner pedant breaks free. But what is surprising about most of these essays is their relative freedom from pedantry. Most are accessible (well, maybe not the essay on Walter Benjamin) and even if you can't expect to follow all of Coetzee's literary cross-referencing, you will learn something from these essays.

I particularly liked his commentary on the quality of translation of various works; in particular, the essay on Paul Celan and his translators was the high point for me. Among other things I learned was that Celan had an affair, and a subsequent lengthy correspondence, with Ingeborg Bachmann. (A lot of depressed writers in "middle Europe" in the mid-20th century: Celan eventually killed himself, after years of depression, and Bachmann was found dead in her bed after "a suspicious hotel fire").

With the pieces in Inner Workings (Coetzee’s second volume of literary essays after Stranger Shores), he examines the work of a wide range of writers, past and contemporary, ranging from Europe to the Americas. As was the style and scope of Stranger Shores, the critiques and discussions in this collection are accessible, but challenging at times in their erudition. Coetzee showcases his inquisitive mind for analysis and interpretation throughout these pieces. He raises questions that reveal his surefooted understanding of the lives of writers and an intense interaction with their works. He writes with flawless command of subjects, whether it is psychology, history, or some other field or discipline pertinent to his study. He is masterful at describing and summarizing texts, but also brilliant at uncovering deeper meanings. The sum total of each essay is fascinating in its discussion of literary figures and their works. As a former Nobel recipient, Coetzee views literature as more than stories. For him, it is the creative process of shaping reality by exposing and illuminating truths. In this way, he exalts the art of literature as a system that functions to identify, investigate, and ultimately change reality. These essays show how this process of change links inseparably with a writer’s experiences.