Bleeker is een doorsnee man die opeens zijn leven wil veranderen. Dat lukt uiteindelijk niet, hij is niet geschikt voor een grote verandering. Heel subtiel en fijntjes wordt de uitspatting van Bleeker beschreven. ( )

Een zeer triest verhaal over een man, Willem Bleeker, die er een week vandoor gaat, omdat hij helemaal onverschillig wordt ten aanzien van zijn gezin en werk. Hij is een gewone burgerman die maar net rond kan komen en eigenlijk een zeer oninteressant leven leidt. Uit pure ellende keert hij tenslotte weer terug naar zijn gezin om zijn niet noemenswaardig leventje te vervolgen. Knap geschreven. Ik werd er destijds knap depressief van. Rijke ervaring om dit te lezen. ( )

The story was written in 1972 and it feels like that too. Willem Bleeker seems a somewhat older father and I was a little shocked to find out that he is only 32. He has an ulcer, is constantly tired, is stuck in his job already and actually it's a hopeless case. Civilian life he doesn't seem to be able to handle it. But the uncertain life of his former friends in Amsterdam is even worse for him. That he finds out when he runs away from home.

The entire story covers just a few days, the days he ran away from his wife and two young children y in The Hague to Amsterdam, where he grew up. Although his old friend Gerry immediately accepts him, their lives cannot be more different. And none of the described lives is recognizable to me. Is it because I was in a different environment? Or has life really changed that much in 40 years? I guess it will be a combination of both.

I read the book with interest, but it also felt very old-fashioned. And it's not a book that I will list for high school students to read. Then the fun of Dutch literature is gone. For me having to read such books was the biggest reason not to read a lot of Dutch literature for a long while, although that is completely unfair to contemporary Dutch writers.

http://boekenwijs.blogspot.com/2012/01/bleekers-zomer.html ( )