Dutch book.

[Shea]

Dag,

I'm reading Multatuli's book" Max Havelaar ".
My question is ,after this book what could I read for deepening the Dutch Literature?

Dank u wel,
Shea

[Wim]

Hi Shea,

What kind of books do you like? Willem Frederik Hermans (1921-1995), Gerard K. (van het) Reve (b. 1923), and Harry Mulisch (b. 1927) are considered the most important modern Dutch novelists, but there are many others as well. In much of the modern Dutch literature WW II is very important.

You could try Nooit meer slapen by Willem Frederik Hermans (first published 1966). It is about a geologist travelling to northern Norway to find meteorites, but his travel was doomed from the start... I think it one of the best modern novels which is not about the war.

If you'd like something magical (and therefore completely different! ) you could try Deirdre en de zonen van Usnach by A. Roland Holst. It is an old Irish saga, retold in very beautiful poetic prose. First published 1920. I'm afraid it won't be easy to find - try the internet.

If you'd tell me what kind of stories you like I could advise you - I hope .

Groetjes,
Wim

[Shea]

Hi Wim ,

I dislike love/spy novels!!

I can say to you that I've read Dorrestein 's books, Noteboom's one,Haasse's one in my language.

But I 've read Van Dis and Mulisch too( Indische duinen en De Aanslag)
And one Hugo Claus' book (Het verdriet van Belgie)in English.
I 'm honest if I say that I like Mulisch.

But I was thinking about Cobra's writers when I 've put my question on the forum .I think they could be useful for my tastes.
There is a book that I want to read but I have to wait for my arrival in the Netherlands.And after......

So,if you want to advice....go ahead!!!

Groetjes,
Shea

[Shea]

I've forgotten to write that I like the historical novels as well,especcially those ones where are described the religious struggles.

But please,at least for now they must be in English . I'm not able to read a whole book in Dutch yet.

Dank u wel.
Groetjes,
Shea

[iandominicp77]

Anne Frank then

[LaPingvino]

I'm not able to read a whole book in Dutch yet.

At least give it a try...

[barbara]

My advice: Get two copies, one in Dutch and one in English. Try to read the book in Dutch and go back to English when you get stuck.

[Wim]

Hi Barbara,

I think it's a good advice. The only thing is, Dutch teachers and the Dutch literary in-crowd think Dutch literature very important, but international publishers seldom do. In other words: in fact only a few Dutch books have been translated. Maybe Het achterhuis (Anne Frank's diary) is one of the exeptions that confirms this rule. It has been translated into many many languages.

But most of the Dutch books don't get such a chance. If there are any translations at all, they're usually in English (providing the largest number of possible readers). And then there is the problem if a book published in a foreign language during (say) the eighties, is still available. Even most of the acknowledged Dutch literature is hard to find in our own bookshops. Most bookshops go for the fast buck (well, euro ) by selling cookbooks in December or a million copies in a month of the latest Harry Potter story. Most of the Dutch novelists live on a stipend, others have already died (and often had different professions to live on). I may exaggerate this a little, but I hope you get my point.

Anyway, if you manage to find Dutch books, be it in Dutch or in any other language, enjoy them. That's what they were written for after all.

Met vriendelijke groeten,
Wim

[Shea]

Goede middag,

Wim is right!
In fact the book that I'm searching is in Dutch.
It's a Mulisch's novel that he wrote in the sixties.
I found it in The Hague ,in a second-hand bookshop.
Unfortunately I didn't buy it
because I wanted to try to find it in English .So I went home without buying it.The title translated into English is "The rat king".

I'll wait for next occasion! And also the another book (more recent! Van Toorn's book)I can find it only in Dutch.
So ,I think that only thing I can do is to carry with me an extra case for the books during my next trip.
But the writers' name are very important for me.I could find the books quickly in this way.
Dank u wel,
Shea

[Wim]

Hi Shea,

The Dutch title of Mulisch's book you meant is Bericht aan de rattenkoning. I tried the site of second hand bookshops (all over Europe and even in the USA) and found quite a lot of hits for this book. Prices from EUR 3,80 to 20,00, except handling. You could try this site for all kinds of antiquarian books (unfortunately much of the Dutch literature is ): http://www.antiqbook.nl.
A couple of times I ordered books through this site, both from the Netherlands and from Belgium, and it worked well. You can search both by author and by title. You can order in English, too.

Groetjes,
Wim

[Marco]

Hi Shea,
You could try Nooit meer slapen by Willem Frederik Hermans (first published 1966). It is about a geologist travelling to northern Norway to find meteorites, but his travel was doomed from the start... I think it one of the best modern novels which is not about the war.

That's a good book!!!

I always like reading novels by Hella Haasse, those are (usually) historic novels.
Am currently reading 'Een hart van steen' by Renate Dorrestein.

[Shea]

Hi Marco,
are you reading "Een hart van steen"?! Beautiful book .Sometimes it can upset you but again a beautiful book !
Instead my preferite Dorrestein' s book is "Zonder genade".

Groetjes,
Shea

By the way,do you know any Wolkers' book?

[Wim]

Hi Shea,

Wolkers' best known book Turks fruit ('Turkish delight' - 1969) exists in an English translation. It is about an artist who falls in love with a bourgeois girl and it shows all the physical aspects of that love, which was quite shocking in those days. So it fitted perfectly in the turbulent late sixties. Orthodox ministers of church thought it pornography. Schools tried to ban the book. You'll understand that such actions were the ultimate advertisement any book could get . It became very popular, especially amongst young people, and so did the film, which was published soon after. But it was too easily forgotten that it really was a good book, in spite of all the carnal aspects of love. After all Wolkers is (or at least was, he's rather old now and his latest real novel dates from some 20 years ago) an artist and a novelist, not a pornographer!

I know his book Terug naar Oegstgeest ('Back to Oegstgeest') to be translated, too. As a boy Wolkers lived in Oegstgeest, a village in the neighbourhood of Leiden (which is between The Hague and Amsterdam). The book recalls his youth over there.

Groetjes,
Wim

[Shea]

Dank je wel weer Wim.

Now it's up to you(jullie) to advise me about the writers'names.All my knowledge about the Dutch Literature has ended.
I don't mind which kind of writers or books you prefer ,I think every kind of book can give you something of special (a little like the music).
Above all if the book 'll give me the possibility to understand .
I don't think a book can be good or not.I read it and then I decide it.By myself,without no external influence.
I don't use moral criterions (or else) when I read . I only wish to read !

Maybe I'm boring but it's what I feel now.
Help ..I'm becoming too melodramatic !

Welterusten,
Shea

[Marco]

Hi Marco,
are you reading "Een hart van steen"?! Beautiful book .Sometimes it can upset you but again a beautiful book !
Instead my preferite Dorrestein' s book is "Zonder genade".

Groetjes,
Shea

By the way,do you know any Wolkers' book?

Yeah, I just finished it. You're right, it's absolutely a beautiful book. I have to admit that it didn't shock me though.