Louis Paul Boon

Paul F. Vincent

The great Flemish writer Louis Paul Boon began his life's work with this extraordinary novel, a story of World War II as seen through the unglamorous, uncourageous, unhistorical eyes of the man on the street. Frustrated with the dainty, straightforward, neatly chronological narratives that dominated fiction in his country, Boon started including overheard conversations, newspaper articles, manifestos, and other sights and noises of daily life in his work. Happily foul-mouthed and dirty-minded, eager to wade into the mud, Boon was resolutely unliterary while pursuing the most literary of goals: a new kind of writing, and a more honest way of looking at the world.

My Little War

P. C. Evans

This collection of short stories showcases 20th-century Dutch authors-- including Hugo Claus, Harry Mulisch, and Gerard Reve-- who are inadequately represented in translation. The range of styles, subject matter, and political argument among these writers makes for a startling reminder that Holland has been both a crossroads in Europe and an imperial power with entanglements from South Africa to the East and the West Indies to Shanghai. Claustrophobia, paranoia, power, and desire are the themes of many of these stories, and whether set at home or in exotic locales, they turn an eye to global events.

Twentieth Century Stories from the Dutch

In Praise of Navigation

Daniël Robberechts

A young man circles Avignon experiencing the town's history and exploring his own nature and sexuality.

Paul F. Vincent

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