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Old 01-18-2009, 10:55 PM   #1
Spalax

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Oct 2005
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Default Simon Vestdijk: Else B?hler
As I mentioned last spring, after Stewart had reviewed "The Garden Where the Brass Band Played", I regard Simon Vestdijk (1898-1971) as one of the more important twentieth century Dutch authors. But since the above novel and "Rum Island" were translated into English decades ago, translation of Vestdijk into English has come to a full stop.

So here I'm going to briefly review one of his typical early novels: "Else B?hler", which is the tale of the somewhat obsessive love of a Dutch young man for his parents' neighbours' German housemaid, during the rise of Hitler in the 1930s. The Wikipedia article on this novel is, quite frankly, insulting in its brevity. I remain totally perplexed at the indifference of the Dutch literary establishment as they never promote any books by Vestdijk abroad, while praising every new translation of books by obscure contemporary authors, as if they are works of outstanding genius.

Anyway, I read this novel a couple of years ago and have a good feeling about it. In 1986, the Vestdijkkroniek, a publication by the Vestdijkkring (i.e. Vestdijk Circle) published a theme issue on this novel. In the first essay, the critic R. Marres asks pertinently what the main plot or theme of "Esle B?hler" is. Here is the brief initial summary:

The story begins in 1933-34. A student, Johan Roodenhuis, who lives with his parents, falls in love with a German housemaid. His mother is against this liaison, as it is beneath Johan's standing. He has long contemplative conversation about her with his friend Peter. When Else returns to Germany, he follows her, and during a Nazi meeting, he shoots his assumed rival, and is condemned to death. The whole story is written in prison. You will note that this novel first appeared in 1935, long before Camus' "L'?tranger" which has a similar frame story, ditto "Lolita", though Vestdijk was hardly the first to use such a device. Marres continues to comment on how this novel is a kind of way of coming to terms with the idol of Vestdijk's youth, Ina Damman, as she is called in another novel. Roodenhuis is now after a more mature young woman. Other critics disagree, which is a good sign: this means that there is plenty to ponder and interpret in this seemingly simple and tragic tale.

The whole motivation for the shooting is not crystal clear, whether it be jealousy or not. Vestdijk shrouds this in mystery. Even Roodenhuis' love for, or crush on, Else is not clear cut. She is vulgar, yet when she walks along the street she does so in a stiff, almost soldierly manner. Nor does he like her mocking, pouting lower lip. And so this critical analysis proceeds. There is even an interview with Vestdijk, where he is asked about the real-life woman on whom Else B?hler was modelled (i.e. Maria Schrader from Kleve / Cleves, just over the German border, whence one of Henry VIII's unfortunate wives also hailed).

The blurb on the back of the novel is less subtle:

The sly, vulgar, petit bourgeois Else B?hler is the first novel character in whom Vestdijk embodies the myth of sensuality - in a young woman. Johan Roodenhuis describes his grotesque love story with Else B?hler, the neighbour's young housemaid - a flirtatious affair that ends up with murder. The novel unfolds against the backdrop of a well-ff suburb of detached houses in The Hague.

When Else returns to Germany, Johan follows her in his obsession for his femme fatale. He ends up going to a meeting of Brownshirts, and loses his cool when he sees his purported rival. Saying farewell to Else becomes saying farewell to life. This is regarded as one of Vestdijk more "scandalous" novels, and is also a satire on the German collective spirit. Of the six or so Vestdijk novels I've read, I think I would rank this maybe second after "The Garden in Which the Brass Band Played" (i.e. "De koperen tuin"), although, as you know, I shy away from rankings.

When it will appear in English, is anyone's guess. I'm not even sure whether the book has appeared in German.
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