The Penguin Book of Dutch Short Stories by Joost Zwagerman (English) Paperback B

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For anyone interested in European literature these stories are an undiscovered snapshot of some of the most interesting and important writing of the 20th and 21st century. From the same culture that consistently draws worldwide attention for its groundbreaking and avante-garde movements in the visual arts, this collection displays the same playfulness, innovation and sense of humour in Dutch literary movements. The stories are varied: subversive, profound, hilarious; stylistically experimental and psychologically astute. The majority of these stories appear here in English for the first time, and many of these names will be unfamiliar to English-speaking audiences.

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

A collection of innovative and astonishing short stories from Dutch writers from 1850 to the present day.A husband forms gruesome plans for his new fridge; a government employee has a haunting experience on his commute home; prisoners serve as entertainment for wealthy party guests; an army officer suffers a monstrous tropical illness. These short stories contain some of the most groundbreaking and innovative writing in Dutch literature from 1915 to the present day, with most pieces appearing here in English for the first time. Blending unforgettable snapshots of the realities of everyday life with surrealism, fantasy and subversion, this collection shows Dutch writing to be an integral part of world literary history.

Author Biography

Joost Zwagerman (1963-2015) was a novelist, poet, essayist and editor of several anthologies. He started his career as a writer with bestselling novels, describing the atmosphere of the 1980s and 1990s, such as Gimmick! (1988) and False Light (1991). In later years, he concentrated on writing essays - notably on pop culture and visual arts - and poetry. Suicide was the theme of the novel Six Stars (2002). He took his own life just after having published a new collection of essays on art, The Museum of Light.

Review

Forms a loose narrative - both historical and literary - of the twentieth century...watching the decades roll by in this looking-glass world, familiar yet strange, is one of the book's chief pleasures...the stories here will provoke, delight and impress. Joost Zwagerman's selection forms a fascinating guidebook to a landscape you'll surely want to wander in again. -- Claire Lowden * TLS *There is a lot of northern European melancholy in the collection, though they are often tinged with wry humour...The Second World War and Dutch colonialism also cast their shadows on these stories. Unblemished comedy is in short supply. And you have to ask: is this gloominess a reflection on the Dutch temperament, or on the present selection?... An excellent book -- Jonathan Gibbs * Minor Literatures *An affectionate love-letter to the Dutch short story which deserves to be cherished by all * TN2 Magazine, Trinity College Dublin *the range of stories, styles and authors means you can happily plunge in free of preconceptions and rarely findyourself disappointed. Similar anthologies can vary wildly in quality but The Penguin Book Of Dutch Short Stories keeps the bar high throughout mainly because, it seems, Zwagerman chose to include stories he admired on merit rather than making sure a list of boxes were ticked... -- Charlie Connelly * New European *

Promotional

A husband forms gruesome plans for his new fridge; a government employee has a haunting experience on his commute home; prisoners serve as entertainment for wealthy party guests; an army officer suffers a monstrous tropical illness.

Review Text

Forms a loose narrative - both historical and literary - of the twentieth century...watching the decades roll by in this looking-glass world, familiar yet strange, is one of the book's chief pleasures...the stories here will provoke, delight and impress. Joost Zwagerman's selection forms a fascinating guidebook to a landscape you'll surely want to wander in again.

Review Quote

Forms a loose narrative - both historical and literary - of the twentieth century...watching the decades roll by in this looking-glass world, familiar yet strange, is one of the book's chief pleasures...the stories here will provoke, delight and impress. Joost Zwagerman's selection forms a fascinating guidebook to a landscape you'll surely want to wander in again.--Claire Lowden, TLS Great stuff--Jon McGregor There is a lot of northern European melancholy in the collection, though they are often tinged with wry humour...The Second World War and Dutch colonialism also cast their shadows on these stories. Unblemished comedy is in short supply. And you have to ask: is this gloominess a reflection on the Dutch temperament, or on the present selection?... An excellent book--Jonathan Gibbs, Minor Literatures An affectionate love-letter to the Dutch short story which deserves to be cherished by all-- TN2 Magazine, Trinity College Dublin the range of stories, styles and authors means you can happily plunge in free of preconceptions and rarely find yourself disappointed. Similar anthologies can vary wildly in quality but The Penguin Book Of Dutch Short Stories keeps the bar high throughout mainly because, it seems, Zwagerman chose to include stories he admired on merit rather than making sure a list of boxes were ticked... --Charlie Connelly, New European

Promotional "Headline"

A husband forms gruesome plans for his new fridge; a government employee has a haunting experience on his commute home; prisoners serve as entertainment for wealthy party guests; an army officer suffers a monstrous tropical illness.

Details ISBN0141395729 Publisher Penguin Books Ltd Series Penguin Modern Classics Year 2016 ISBN-10 0141395729 ISBN-13 9780141395722 Format Paperback Publication Date 2016-09-29 Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom Media Book Edited by Joost Zwagerman DEWEY 839.3130108 Translated from Dutch Author Joost Zwagerman Pages 592 Imprint Penguin Classics Language English UK Release Date 2016-09-29 Narrator Tom Judd Translator Carlos E. Calvo Birth 1939 Affiliation Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Bipolar Clinic and Reseach Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Position Associate Professor of Psychiatry Qualifications Ph.D. Alternative 9780141395739 Audience General NZ Release Date 2016-09-30 AU Release Date 2016-09-30 We've got this

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