Kees Snoek

Kees Snoek has produced a magnificent new biography of E. du Perron. Du Perron has always been one of the Dutch writers I have had great interest in, though this has always been more based on reputation than actual reading of his works. This interest stems from my interest in literature of the fifty years around the turn on the 20th century, and for Dutch literature the writers who came up during the 1930s, particularly the group around Vestdijk, Marsman, Ter Braak and Du Perron.

I have learnt a tremendous lot from reading this biography. I knew nothing of the erotic poetry that Du Perron wrote and self-published to kick of his career. Very naughty, and humorous poems. I was very disappointed to read that Du Perron came from a very wealthy, bourgeois background, not really having a need to work, leisurely and somewhat self-indulgently writing and self-publishing works that never really broke through.

Obviously, the biography provides a wealth of material of Du Perron's life in the former colony Indonesia. In his later years, Du Perron became very interested in, and wrote several books about Multatuli. The biography about Du Perron illuminates the existence and activities of a writing relative of Multatuli, and other Indonesian freedom fighters who are contemporaries of Du Perron.

It is hard to tell whether it is a strength or weakness that the biography is heavily reliant on Du Perron's own autobiographical novel Het land van herkomst. Well beyond page 500, the biography closely follows the events of the novel, mostly proving them accurate. This cross-referencing the novel is a bit irritating, and makes you wonder whether the author has truly followed up on all developments in Du Perron's life if he had not had the guidance of the novel.

The biography has nearly 1,250 pages, of which 996 pages text followed by 250 pages of notes, etc. A major investment of reading time, but very satisfactory and well worth.… (meer)

As a result of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, relations with that country and some of its political leaders, as well as writers have been strained over the past sixty years. As a young man, Pramoedya Ananta Toer resisted the Dutch oppressors, and was imprisoned by the Dutch in the final years of the anti-colonial struggle. Pramoedya was sympathetic with the Communists and joined the left-wing writers' guild Lekra. This choice later led to friction with the new Indonesian authorities, resulting is a ban on his books, destruction of manuscripts and many decades of imprisonment. Ironically, during these years, Pramoedya's books were translated and published in the Netherlands.

Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Essay en interview is a small publication, consisting of a biographical essay and an interview held with Pramoedya Ananta Toer in 1991. The essay and interview sketch a life of struggle and many years of imprisonment and torture, which Pramoedya had to endure. Manuscripts of some of his best known works were confiscated or destroyed several times, leaving the author no other possibility but to compose his works orally, and later, have manuscripts smuggled out.

Pramoedya Ananta Toer was often cited for, but never actually won the Nobel Prize. He remains on of Indonesia's greatest writers of the Twentieth Century.… (meer)