Marcellus Emants
DiscussionsDutch writing in English - An appreciation
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1Randy_Hierodule
Does anyone have any words to offer on his work - good or bad? I have deferred reading him for years. A Posthumous Confession is the book I have. He seems to be lumped in with "the naturalists". Others so branded - I'm thinking of Zola and Dreiser - have put me to sleep (though I did enjoy Therese Raquin).
2JanWillemNoldus
Ben,
"A Posthumous Confession" speaks quite a lot about sleeping and ways to fall asleep, but I don't think you will be put to sleep by it. Though he is indeed (but wrongly IMO) considered as a naturalist, Emants has other things to say than Zola &c. In fact, I guess he has mainly been put in the same category as Zola for chronological reasons . And a bit because he was one of the first readers of the naturalists in the Netherlands. But is that enough to be considered one of them?
This book - quite slim - is indeed what the title says: a monologue left behind (by a deceased man). It concerns essentially his view of his relation with his wife. Besides that there is Insomnia and his way to deal with it... I will not say more so as not to give away the plot (because there is one!).
And: nice to have you in this group, Ben! I know you are interested in books by Couperus. So am I. There's a thread on him here.
Happy reading!
"A Posthumous Confession" speaks quite a lot about sleeping and ways to fall asleep, but I don't think you will be put to sleep by it. Though he is indeed (but wrongly IMO) considered as a naturalist, Emants has other things to say than Zola &c. In fact, I guess he has mainly been put in the same category as Zola for chronological reasons . And a bit because he was one of the first readers of the naturalists in the Netherlands. But is that enough to be considered one of them?
This book - quite slim - is indeed what the title says: a monologue left behind (by a deceased man). It concerns essentially his view of his relation with his wife. Besides that there is Insomnia and his way to deal with it... I will not say more so as not to give away the plot (because there is one!).
And: nice to have you in this group, Ben! I know you are interested in books by Couperus. So am I. There's a thread on him here.
Happy reading!
3Randy_Hierodule
Thank you for the reply and welcome - you have anxious to read it (and apply its remedies - assuming they are legal, of course).
I would enjoy more discussion of Couperus's work. I confess that after tracking down as many of his books as was financially possible, I have thus far read only Ecstacy - which I quite enjoyed. I cornered one of my neighbors, native of Holland, but he mostly just groaned and told me that he HAD to read Couperus in school. Which is how I felt about Nathaniel Hawthorne (It took me ages after high school to read and enjoy his supernatural stories).
I would enjoy more discussion of Couperus's work. I confess that after tracking down as many of his books as was financially possible, I have thus far read only Ecstacy - which I quite enjoyed. I cornered one of my neighbors, native of Holland, but he mostly just groaned and told me that he HAD to read Couperus in school. Which is how I felt about Nathaniel Hawthorne (It took me ages after high school to read and enjoy his supernatural stories).
