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And still more to come
Apr. 6th, 2001 10:18 am60. Jan de Hartog (F.R. Eckmar) - Ratten op de trap
Since august this is the first Dutch book I have read. Not that I'm bothered, I feel comfortabe enough reading English or German, but it's funny to read your own language once in a while. I found this one in a hostel in New Zealand and took it, I hope they'll forgive me, there's not many Dutch backpackers around there anyway.
It is an old fashioned detective, a real whodunnit. In a theatre the police get invited because one of the actors has had threats for a while. That evening he gets killed, so the police had to keep everybody inside (it was a rehearsal only, so luckily there weren't any spectactors) and talks to everyone. This takes up most of the chapters. Some need an extra interview, which is never a good sign in a murder case, in the end the mystery obviously gets solved.
The best thing about it was, for me, the way people speak to each other, it was published in '59, though I had the impression it was written even earlier. Society has changed a lot ever since. Just a funny conclusion after reading a detective.
61. Hylke Speerstra - Het wrede paradijs
Also in Dutch, though translated from Frysian, a minority language in the Netherlands. Life stories from expats, people who left the Netherlands, mostly Friesland, for place on earth where they though it would be better, mainly Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, United States and Brazil.
More journalistic than anything else this book, given the background of the author not surprising. Some life stories are touching, others funny, all of them good to read. In my opinion some of the stories shouldn't have made the final cut, but the majority are usefull for anyone considering to leave his or her country to start a new life.
I am amazed about the role the government played in the fifties, when the main migration happened from the Netherlands, I am amazed how blatanly racistic some people can be, not only those who went to South Africa and am annoyed by the main role religion played in most of their lives. I think everybody is entitled to their opinion and also on their beliefs, but once again I get confirmation about the suffering through organised religion in the lives of people. Good book.
62. Thomas Harris - Hannibal
I went to see the movie this weekend, tried to find out what I wrote about the book, but found out that I forget to list it, though I clearly remember reading it sitting in the sun on a bench near Coogee, last September. As nearly always I prefer the book over the movie, though I didn't think it was a bad movie at all, I really enjoyed myself. Just think it's a shame that a lot of the small details that make you like a book, can't be incorporated into a movie. Oh well, nothing I can do.
Since august this is the first Dutch book I have read. Not that I'm bothered, I feel comfortabe enough reading English or German, but it's funny to read your own language once in a while. I found this one in a hostel in New Zealand and took it, I hope they'll forgive me, there's not many Dutch backpackers around there anyway.
It is an old fashioned detective, a real whodunnit. In a theatre the police get invited because one of the actors has had threats for a while. That evening he gets killed, so the police had to keep everybody inside (it was a rehearsal only, so luckily there weren't any spectactors) and talks to everyone. This takes up most of the chapters. Some need an extra interview, which is never a good sign in a murder case, in the end the mystery obviously gets solved.
The best thing about it was, for me, the way people speak to each other, it was published in '59, though I had the impression it was written even earlier. Society has changed a lot ever since. Just a funny conclusion after reading a detective.
61. Hylke Speerstra - Het wrede paradijs
Also in Dutch, though translated from Frysian, a minority language in the Netherlands. Life stories from expats, people who left the Netherlands, mostly Friesland, for place on earth where they though it would be better, mainly Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, United States and Brazil.
More journalistic than anything else this book, given the background of the author not surprising. Some life stories are touching, others funny, all of them good to read. In my opinion some of the stories shouldn't have made the final cut, but the majority are usefull for anyone considering to leave his or her country to start a new life.
I am amazed about the role the government played in the fifties, when the main migration happened from the Netherlands, I am amazed how blatanly racistic some people can be, not only those who went to South Africa and am annoyed by the main role religion played in most of their lives. I think everybody is entitled to their opinion and also on their beliefs, but once again I get confirmation about the suffering through organised religion in the lives of people. Good book.
62. Thomas Harris - Hannibal
I went to see the movie this weekend, tried to find out what I wrote about the book, but found out that I forget to list it, though I clearly remember reading it sitting in the sun on a bench near Coogee, last September. As nearly always I prefer the book over the movie, though I didn't think it was a bad movie at all, I really enjoyed myself. Just think it's a shame that a lot of the small details that make you like a book, can't be incorporated into a movie. Oh well, nothing I can do.
