Five recommendations for Boekenweek
These are must-reads!
Door Olivia Nijsse
By Olivia Nijsse
Olivia Nijsse
Bianca Slab
From: Romania
Studies: international relations and international organisation
Favourite book: REM by Mircea Cărtărescu
Translation into English, French, German, Swedish, and Italian
As the book’s title suggests, reading REM was ‘a dream-like experience’ for Bianca. The novella, part of Cărtărescu’s collection of short stories Nostalgia, tells of Svetlana. In conversation with her lover, she looks back at her childhood, mixing dreams and reality.
The book was recommended to Bianca by her high-school literature teacher, whom she saw as a role model. The book left a deep impression and even inspired her to start writing surrealistic fiction herself. ‘These surrealist themes are very close to my heart. I like this mix of not being able to tell what is real and what isn’t.’
It felt like the book was taking her on all kinds of adventures. ‘I find it fascinating to explore different ways of being different people, even if I don’t agree with the character. I let the book transport me wherever it wants to.’
Interestingly enough, she says, surrealism is actually quite realistic: ‘Just like in the book, perception can be very flawed. People have their own life experiences, which impact how they see the world.’
Lucia Canora Flores
From: Spain
Studies: applied social psychology
Favourite book: Las Memorias de Idhún by Laura Gallego
Translated into Catalan, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Polish, Romanian, and Turkish
Lucia first read the trilogy Las Memorias de Idhún (The Memories of Idhún) when she was a teenager, at the same time as her best friend and her sister. ‘The moment I started reading, I was transported from my bedroom. I really lived that entire experience.’
The book tells the story of four planets inhabited by fantastic creatures, but Lucia felt it was more familiar than other fantasy novels. ‘Because they’re so human, it’s easy to identify with the characters. But I was thinking wow weird it was to relate to someone who was half-dragon. But they also have human problems.’
The book also provided escapism. ‘Normally, books allow you to escape somewhere, but in this one, people were escaping to another world, and I escaped with them.’
It’s also full of twists and turns. ‘I’ve always loved romantic stories, but this one was just amazing. It was almost crazy.’ Las Memorias de Idhún is told from several different perspectives, even allowing the reader to identify with the ‘villain’, which leads to unexpected developments. Especially when the villain also turns out to be someone’s lover… It’s the perfect formula for an emotional rollercoaster, Lucia explains: ‘It still gives me chills just to think about it.’
Jakov Jurlin
From: Croatia
Studies: international business
Favourite book: Osmi Povjerenik by Renato Baretić
Translated into French, German, Slovenian, Macedonian, Serbian, and Ukrainian
‘Incredibly funny, grounded, and well-crafted’, is how Jakov describes his favourite book, Osmi Povjerenik (The Eighth Commissioner). The book’s main character is Siniša, a Croatian politician who gets involved in a scandal and is exiled to the island of Trećić, which, just like its inhabitants and its language, is completely made up.
Together with Siniša, the reader slowly starts to understand the fictional mixture of Croatian, Italian, and Australian English. ‘That’s what’s so clever about it’, Jakov explains. ‘I became really invested in the way Baretić describes this fictional culture and even teaches you a new language.’
Because Jakov spent every summer of his childhood on a Croatian island, the book feels like a homecoming to him. ‘I can really relate to the remoteness. Being isolated, but also the beauty of it.’ The people inhabiting Trećić also feel familiar: ‘They’re all very old, but you know, in that Mediterranean way, they still go fishing every day, they’re still active. It really promotes Mediterranean cuisine as well.’
Random elements, like the prime minister’s speech impediment, characters suddenly appearing, and discoveries made on the island make the story feel complete, says Jakov. ‘It’s incredibly funny. It’s random, but it really hits you at just the right time with all the randomness.’
What is Boekenweek?
Boekenweek – which lasts not seven, but ten days – shines a light on Dutch writers, books, and bookshops. The event started in 1932 and takes place every year in March, organised by the CPNB, a foundation for the promotion of Dutch books. Every year, the CPNB asks a writer to write the week’s gift, which is a prestigious gig. Spending just 15 euros at a bookshops means you get the gift for free. Boekenweek traditionally starts with a ball in Amsterdam.
Pien Dorgelo
From: The Netherlands
Studies: academic teacher training
Favourite book: Gozert by Pieter Koolwijk
Translated into Danish and Frisian
Ever since she started her academic teacher training, Pien has been reading children’s books. Gozert was the first book she read, and it’s still one of her favourites. It’s about Ties and Gozert, his imaginary friend. Together, they go on adventures, which they call ‘missions’. Ties loves it, but his parents aren’t as happy.
The book, which spawned two sequels, is full of fantasy, beautiful illustrations, and adventures, says Pien. ‘Everything they experience is like a party, which makes everything in the book fun. You’re immediately captured by that world.’ Children’s books are also wonderfully accessible: ‘I know I’ll be completely absorbed just a few pages in.’
Reading children’s books helps with her interactions with the kids in her class, she’s found. ‘We can both be enthusiastic about the same thing. Even though I’m talking to a twelve-year-old, we’re equals.’ Gozert has also given her more insight into children’s experience, especially those who also have imaginary friends. ‘I completely understand. I can imagine what it’s like for those kids, in part because I read this book.’
Another important aspect: ‘Gozert is just such a happy book. I was smiling when I finished it.’
Ilse Westenenge
From: The Netherlands
Studies: international relations and international organisation
Favourite book: Ik kom hier nog op terug door Rob van Essen
Not translated
While Ilse reads mostly English-language books, she challenged herself last summer by reading Ik kom hier nog op terug (I’ll get back to this), and she loved it. ‘It was very recognisable. I could see myself in the protagonist’s personality. He was just a university student, except in the eighties.’
The partially autobiographical novel tells the story of Rob Hollander, who gets the opportunity to travel back in time to undo a mistake. Ilse says it’s a great description of what life is like at different times and in different places. ‘It’s really observational, but I enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed reading how everything worked in all the different worlds.’
Van Essen also surprised her with unexpected metaphors. ‘How he felt connected to the toilet that flushed too soon, as though it was waiting for him. That was really funny.’
The book is also full of imagination. Social situations are described through the protagonist’s eyes, which enable the reader to reflect on themselves. ‘I think I do that myself as well, especially if I don’t know people very well. I always wonder how I come across to them.’
The different timelines means it takes a while to really get into the book, Ilse warns, but it saves the best for last. ‘Everything comes together at the end. All the puzzle pieces fall into place.’
Challenge: Start a book
If the above students’ stories have inspired you to read or maybe even write a book, check out the Faculty of Arts’ student challenge ‘Start a book‘. Every day for ten days, they’ll share a different first sentence of a novel, starting on 12 March. It’s up to you to write a second and a third sentence…