Dutch Learning Community and Resources

In honour of the ‘Boekenweek’ (i.e., book week) in the Netherlands and Flanders between the 11^th and 19^th of March we’re taking the opportunity to tell you about three of the most important writers in Dutch literature.

We’re talking about the ‘Big Three’ post-war authors; Harry Mulish, Willem Frederik Hermans and Gerard Reve. This term was introduced by the literary critic Kees Fens in the 70s. In Flanders they often talk about ‘Big Five’ post-war Dutch language authors and include the Flemish writers Louis Paul Boon and Hugo Claus to the list. 

Harry Mulisch
Harry Mulisch was born in 1927 in Haarlem and passed away in 20210. He was a playwright, poet and novelist. He grew up during the second world war in which his Austrian-Hungarian father was a ‘collaborator’ and his mother a German-Jew. This has a great impact on him as writer. He is known as one of the most important post-war Dutch writers and is part of the ‘Big Three’ Dutch post-war writers together with Willem Frederik Hermans and Gerard Reve. With his work translated in at least 38 languages, Harry Mulish is the most translated Dutch writer. Next to this he has won a great many literary prizes.

A piece of his writing
“Hate is the darkness, that’s no good. And yet we’ve got to hate Fascists, and that’s considered perfectly all right. How is that possible? It’s because we hate them in the name of the light, I guess, whereas they hate only in the name of darkness. We hate hate itself, and for this reason our hate is better than theirs”.
- Harry Mulish, The Assault (i.e., De Aanslag)

Top recommendations:

• De Aanslag (EN: The Assault)
• De Ontdekking van de Hemel
• Twee Vrouwen
  

Willem Frederik Hermans
Willem Frederick Hermans was born in Amsterdam in 1921 and passed away in 1995. He was a poet, novelist, essayist, columnist and polemicist. Besides being a writer, he was also a doctor in math and physics. Growing up in the darkness of the second world war, it’s not surprising that his writing is style is mostly existentialist and generally quite bleak.

Two pieces of his writing*
“How strange, she says, that we are here together now. Unbelievable. I often think that is actually not that much difference between living and dreaming. The difference is just an illusion, because, when we are awake, we view everything far too prejudiced to see that life is also a dream”.
- Willem Frederik Hermans, Nooit Meer Slapen

&

“There are two types of writers. The first type want to justify themselves as humans. While the second type want to justify themselves as writers.”
- Willem Frederik Hermans, Het Sadistische Universum

Top recommedations:

• De Donkere Kamer van Damokles (EN: The Darkroom of Damocles)
• Nooit Meer Slapen (EN: Beyond Sleep)
• Het Behouden Huis (EN: The House of Refuge)

*This section was translated from Dutch. Please check the notes at the bottom of this article to see the full quote in Dutch.

Gerard Reve
Gerard Reve was born as Gerrard Kornelis van het Reve in 1923 in Amsterdam and passed away in 2006. He was a prolific poet, novelist, journalist and letter writer. He was the first openly gay Dutch author and his work often explores themes like religion, politics and sexuality. His most famous work is his 1947 book ‘De Avonden’ (i.e., The Evenings). The book is full of dark, nihilist humor and itis required literature in virtually every Dutch high-school. Since 1997 he suffered from Alzheimer and he passed away nine years later. 

Two pieces of his writing*
“Oh, dear, dear people, I love you, and I embrace you passionately, despite the dreaded distance. Let us not hate one another, but, on the contrary, love each other, wait for Death together, and let us lack nothing in the meantime”.
- Gerard, Reve, Op Weg Naar het Einde 

&

“I live, he whispered, I breathe. And I move. I breathe, I move, therefore I live. What else can happen? Disasters may come, pains, horrors. But I am alive. I may be locked up or tormented by terrible diseases. But still, I breathe, and I move. And I’m alive”.
- Gerard Reve, De Avonden (I.e., The Evenings)

Top recommendations:

• De Avonden (EN: The Evenings)
• Op Weg Naar het Einde
• Nader tot U

*This section was translated from Dutch. Please check the notes at the bottom of this article to see the full quote in Dutch.

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I hope you enjoyed this blog about these Dutch writers that are vital for gaining an understanding of Dutch literary history. Let’s connect and discuss further in the forums on the community about your thoughts on these Dutch writers and their books. Next to this, I would also love to know about writers from your country that had a big impact on literature. You can do so here on the forums: https://academy.europa.eu/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=10515

Notes
Here in the notes you can find a list of the full Dutch versions of the quotes that were translated for this article.

•  “Zo vreemd, zegt ze, dat wij hier nu samen zijn, onbegrijpelijk. Ik denk dikwijls dat er eigenlijk niet veel verschil is tussen leven en dromen. Het verschil is maar schijnbaar, doordat we, als we wakker zijn, alles veel te bevooroordeeld bekijken om te zien dat het leven ook een droom is”.
  - Willem Frederik Hermans, Nooit Meer Slapen
  
  
• “Er zijn twee soorten schrijvers. De eerste soort wil zich, zichzelf, rechtvaardigen als mens. De tweede soort wil zich rechtvaardigen als schrijver.”
  - Willem Frederik Hermans, Het Sadistische Universum
  
  
• “Oh, lieve, lieve mensen, ik houd van u, en ik omhels u allen hartstochtelijk, ondanks de geduchte afstand. Laten we elkaar niet haten, maar, integendeel, elkaar liefhebben, gezamenlijk op de Dood wachten, en het ons in de tussentijd aan niets laten ontbreken”.
  - Gerard Reve, Op Weg Naar het Einde
  
  
• “Ik leef, fluisterde hij, ik adem. En ik beweeg. Ik adem, ik beweeg, dus ik leef. Wat kan er nog gebeuren? Er kunnen rampen komen, pijnen, verschrikkingen. Maar ik leef. Ik kan opgesloten zijn, of door gruwelijke ziekten worden bezocht. Maar steeds adem ik, en beweeg ik. En ik leef”.
  - Gerard Reve, De Avonden (i.e., The Evenings)