Midgley is referred to in "The Lives of Animals" (1999), an unusual fictional work by the South African novelist J. M. Coetzee. The book has been likened to a cross between a short story and a philosophical dialogue, as Coetzee's protagonist, Elizabeth Costello, often speaks at length about philosophical ideas. Many reviewers expressed bafflement at the text, which has an enigmatic and riddling style. As one reviewer noted, "the reader is not quite sure whether he is intended to spot some confusion or contradiction or non-sequitur in protagonist's arguments." Other critics however have noted many affinities between "The Lives of Animals" and Midgley's philosophy, and have used Midgley's ideas to make sense of Coetzee's famously confusing work.