J. M. Coetzee’s late work exhibits a productive dialogue between fiction and other arts as part of his interest in the possibilities of thinking in mediums other than ordinary language. Focusing particularly on the Jesus novels, this article examines the critical role of music and how Coetzee uses musical forms as literary strategies that open up alternative possibilities of communication and thinking. Revisiting the famous “What is a Classic?” essay and the biographical moment that leads Coetzee to the music of J. S. Bach, I look at how Coetzee writes musically by considering questions of content, form, and technique, and then turn to the representation of music in relation to mathematics. I propose that the interest in music in the Jesus novels is part of his conscious engagement with ordinary language and his inherent desire to transcend it that characterizes the late work.

JM 库切的晚期作品展示了小说与其他艺术之间富有成效的对话，这是他对普通语言以外的媒介思考的可能性感兴趣的一部分。本文特别关注耶稣小说，探讨了音乐的关键作用，以及库切如何利用音乐形式作为文学策略，开辟沟通和思考的替代可能性。重温著名的“什么是经典？” 文章和引导库切接触 JS 巴赫音乐的传记时刻，我通过考虑内容、形式和技巧问题来研究库切如何进行音乐写作，然后转向音乐与数学的关系。我认为耶稣小说中对音乐的兴趣是他有意识地参与日常语言的一部分，也是他超越日常语言的内在愿望的一部分，这是他晚期作品的特点。