But reve, a noted dutch novelist who died in 2006 at the age of 73, and whose 1947 debut novel has been recently translated under the title of the evenings, keeps the narrative at a brisk pace. But british readers are unlikely to have heard of the evenings or gerard reve. The evenings is not a novel in which much happens not much of note, anyway and the characters are not particularly sympathetic. Top 10 great dutch crime fiction novels share here is a list of great dutch crime fiction novels you want to check out. In 2007, the evenings was named as one of the top 10 dutch language novels of all time by readers of the newspaper nrc handelsblad. Gerard reves diabolically funny novel, the evenings, came out in 1947, but has only recently been translated into english. The maddeningly private actress, who died in 1993, had dropped hints about her work with the dutch resistance during world war ii, and now a new book puts the whole story together, providing an in. But what is this novel about and is it really all that it is hyped up to.
Jan 30, 2017 the english translation of the evenings has brought renewed attention to what made the novel an unlikely classicand to its reputation for being too dutch to resonate with a nonnative. In 1947 the dutch writer gerard reve published the evenings, which would become the most famous postwar novel in the netherlands. Attitude if the evenings had appeared in english in the 1950s, it would have become every bit as much a classic as on the road and the catcher in the rye. Gerard kornelis van het reve was born in amsterdam in 1923 and published the evenings. Reves the evenings was considered shocking for its portrayal of youth in a postwar netherlands. First published in 1947, the evenings has been crowned the best dutch novel of all time by the dutch society of literature. Twentythreeyearold frits van egters lives with his parents, works at an office job, and spends his evenings wandering the streets of amsterdam and visiting friends and relatives. The website contains thousands of literary texts, secondary literature and additional information, like biographies, portrayals etcetera, and. Nrcs best dutch novels is a list of the most popular dutch language novels as of 2007. Oct 22, 2016 it is a novel lauded in the netherlands as a modern classic, while its author is a literary titan. Jan 31, 2017 in all fairness to salinger, the evenings is so much better eileen battersby irish times reves keen eye for absurdity manages to cast the mundane in a new, albeit macabre, light financial times as funny as it is ultimately profound eileen battersby irish times books of the year 2016 this 1947 dutch novel, considered the netherlands.
Set during the last ten dark days of 1946, the story. The evenings was voted the best dutch novel of all time by the society of dutch. David fickling books to publish classic dutch novel. Gerard reve 19232006 is considered one of the greatest postwar dutch authors, and was also the first openly gay writer in the countrys. A lot of people here in the netherlands not including me regard gerard reve as one of the three greatest dutch writers together with harry mulisch and willem frederik hermans. How audrey hepburn helped the dutch resistance during wwii. A type of probability theory that postulates that profit opportunities will arise when inconsistent probabilities are assumed in a given context and are in violation of the. The evenings is peppered with such dark humour and has been declared the ultimate book on the art of boredom. Jan 31, 2017 a complicated and controversial character, reve is also hugely popular and critically acclaimed his 1947 debut the evenings was chosen as one of the nations 10 favourite books by the readers of a leading dutch newspaper while the society of dutch literature ranked it as the netherlands best novel of all time.
It should also be acknowledged as one of the finest. The prayers of a superfluous man the evenings is appearing in english translation, and american and british readers are finally getting a chance to read gerard reves book, lauded as the greatest dutch novel. In the evenings, reve captured the disaffection of dutch youth through fritss grotesque dreams, his ability to joke about anything even war casualties, and his constant intermingling of the. Published for the first time in english, this is the 1947 debut novel by controversial dutch writer reve 19232006, who went on to a rich career. This list is based on an internet survey on books, carried out by the dutch newspaper nrc handelsblad in the beginning of 2007. This plotless story is, depending on your viewpoint, either a deeply cynical or a very funny description of the last ten days of 1946, as seen through the eyes of the young office clerk frits van egters. The evenings by gerard kornelis van het reve was originally published in holland in 1947, but it wasnt until last year, the interminable and dreary year of 2016, that an english translation became available. True to his name, gerard reve fills his 1947 debut novel the evenings with a series of dreams, nightmares, and daydreams fantasies that have as much to do with the nazi. Gerard reve 19232006, was the first openly gay writer in the netherlands. It is a novel lauded in the netherlands as a modern classic, while its author is a literary titan. Delia, the main character in double dutch, is passionate about double dutch and is the most talented student on her schools team. This book is one of the most famous dutch novels and a certain read for high school students.
The perfect book club is made up of three key things. Herman koch, the dutch bestselling author of the dinner hilarious, disturbing and humane. The protagonist of the evenings is frits van egters, a twentythreeyearold office worker whose life seems to have ground to a halt in the gloom of a dutch winter. A winters tale in 1947, shortly before his 24th birthday. An understated novel thats funny, bizarre and yet emotionally renewing. Dec 31, 2016 first published in 1947, the evenings has been crowned the best dutch novel of all time by the dutch society of literature. The novel follows frits van egters, a 23yearold office clerk living in amsterdam and covers 10 days from december 22 to december. A complicated and controversial character, reve is also hugely popular and critically acclaimed his 1947 debut the evenings was chosen as one of the nations 10 favourite books by the readers of a leading dutch newspaper while the society of dutch literature ranked it as the netherlands best novel of all time. Top 10 great dutch crime fiction novels mysterytribune. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
But the evening can still make up for a great deal. The evenings by gerard reve a dark dutch masterpiece. The society of dutch literature ranked it as the countrys best 20thcentury novel and its thirdbest of all time. But british readers are unlikely to have heard of the evenings or gerard reve nearly 70 years. There is no great arc of growth or adventure, either and yet it is a nearperfect novel, an astonishingly accomplished work for such a young writer, who captures a time of life, and in history. A banal existence is the unlikely start for the best dutch novel of all time. Dutch authors tonke dragts longstanding bestseller the letter for the king will finally appear in the u. Jan 22, 2017 the novel being praised, gerard reves the evenings, was originally published in 1947. Oct 12, 2017 last year he was finally recued from this oblivion when sam garretts translation of his first novel, the evenings, was published by pushkin press. Index of the project gutenberg works of samuel hopkins adams english as author little miss grouch a narrative based on the log of alexander forsyth smiths. A winters tale the postwar masterpiece 01 by gerard reve isbn. Jan 31, 2017 an understated novel thats funny, bizarre and yet emotionally renewing. The evenings by gerard reve pushkin press 9781782271789. The closing scenes, set on a chilly new years eve, during which frits begs gods forgiveness for mocking his parents so brutally, are surprising and deeply moving.
Dutch words for novel include roman, nieuw, ongewoon, nieuw uitgevonden, ongebruikelijk and wijzingswet. His earlier works were published under the name simon van het reve. Gerard reves diabolically funny novel, the evenings, came out in 1947, but. Nov 27, 20 3 thoughts on 10 great dutch reads in translation fitzrufus november 27, 20 at 4.
Mar 09, 2017 dutch literature doesnt often break into the american market the way french, italian or german literature does, but the first english translation of a major postwar dutch novel, the evenings. Gerard reves dutch classic the evenings finally has an english. Mar 15, 2017 this months pick for dutch literature was the evenings by gerard reve. On 1 november 1947, gerard reve published what was to become one of the classics of dutch literature. The evenings was voted the best dutch novel of all time by the society of dutch literature, and its author, gerard reve 19232006, was the first openly gay writer in the netherlands. As the description of this listopia says vote for your favorite dutch novels. Dutch illustrator dick matena made a graphic novel out of the evenings in 4 parts. A translation of a novel by gerard reve that centers on a young clerk has invited recent comparisons to books like the catcher in the rye. You could say the evenings is about nothing, and nothing happens. The book published under reves original penname, simon van het reve. The book has been praised on both sides of the atlantic and has led.
Dutch crime novelists are not that wellknown compared to their british and scandinavian counterparts, but believe it or not, there is some great authors coming from this region. This is the first edition to have been translated into english. The novel being praised, gerard reve s the evenings, was originally published in 1947. The dutch public originally voted for their bestloved books from a longlist. B iographers and many dutch people who lived through world war ii have doubted the participation of a young audrey hepburn in work for the resistance against. Find poems and short stories in 7 languages on publish your own works and get in touch with our readers worldwide. A masterful depiction of boredom the evenings by gerard. Nearly 70 years after its first publication and 10 years after reves death, the longawaited english translation of the dutch modern classic was released this thursday. Why it took so long to translate a dutch classic the atlantic. Madness in words the strange depths of dutch fiction. But englishlanguage readers are only now getting a chance to judge this dutch classic for themselves. Dutch to share their dark masterpiece, 70 years on books. Hollywood legend audrey hepburn was a wwii resistance spy.
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