De zaak Beukenoot was the book week present (Boekenweekgeschenk) of 1950. The story is fairly simple and can be readily understood from the cover illustration. An inebriated, middle-aged man breaks a shop window, stumbles in and reappears with a women's bra in his hands or pocket. Brought up by the police he is incoherent and can't even remember his own date of birth. This leads to a very severe treatment which ends with long detention and a conviction. In the mean time it aspires that Mr Beukenoot is lowly educated and a member of the proletariat. The novella which borders on the absurd is read as a complaint against class justice.

De zaak Beukenoot was the last book published by Marianne Philips (1886 - 1951), who was active from 1929 - 1950. The publication of the novella was part of a contest where readers had to guess the identity of the author. The novella, its theme, style of writing and the world it describes are a bit of a curiosity. ( )