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Editor, The Babel Guide to Dutch and Flemish Fiction in English Translation
Oxford : Boulevard Books, 2001
207 pages. ISBN 1 899460 80 2
Contributors: Jane Fenoulhet, Theo Hermans, Yann Lovelock, Barry Price, Katheryn Ronnau Bradbeer, Reinier Salverda, Dennis Strik, Paul Vincent
Authors reviewed: Alberts, Arion, Armando, Benali, Bernlef, Bilderdijk, Blaman, Boon, Bordewijk, Bouazza, Breton de Nijs, Brouwers, Claus, Couperus, Cremer, Daum, Dermout, Van Dis, Dorrestein, Durlacher, Van Eeden, Elsschot, Emants, Enquist, Fabricius, Friedericy, Friedman, Geeraerts, Gijsen, Gilliams, Grunberg, Haasse, De Hartog, Hermans, Insingel, Japin, Krabbe, Lampo, Van Leeuwen, De Loo, Lulofs, Mahieu, Marugg, Michiels, Minco, Moring, Mulisch, Multatuli, Nooteboom, Oberski, Van Ostaijen, Palmen, Du Perron, Polak, Presser, Provoost, Quintana, Reve, Ruebsamen, Ruyslinck, Van Schendel, Schierbeek, Streuvels, Teilinck, Tepper, Vandeloo, Van der Velde, Vestdijk, De Vries, Vuyk, Walschap, Wang, De Winter, Wolkers.
From the reviews:
Babel literary guides are known for being handy-sized, upbeat reference books that review works of literature in succinct commentary followed by brief excerpts. Previous Babel guides have been published on French, German Italian, Portuguese and Scandinavian fiction. This guide to Dutch and Flemish fiction begins with a compact introduction to some of the latest anthologies in English and continues on through a quick-paced, alphabetically arranged authors’ sampler containing over 100 works of fiction originally written in Dutch [ …]. Although the number of authors and books reviewed is extensive, I regretted not seeing mention of Maarten ‘t Hart and Annie M.G. Schmidt. However, the coverage is remarkable as it stands and my longing to see more entries is the best recommendation that I can make for this little gift-guide for all those who enjoy reading Dutch and Flemish literature as I do, primarily in English translation.
Rita Ingram Givens, The Low Countries 9, 2001
To familiarize English-language readers with the literature from the Low Countries, Theo Hermans and his colleagues have brought together more than one hundred introductory reviews on eighty or so Dutch fiction writers, mostly from the post-war period but including some nineteenth and early twentieth-century writers as well. The reviews provide a brief characterization of each writer and of one or two of their major works, followed by a short excerpt in Englsh translation. This combination is just enough to provide a basic sense of what the work is about, to whet the reader’s appetite in the hope that she will go in search of more in bookshop or library. The usefulness of this little volume, to this reviewer at least, is proved by the fact that even if one is familiar with Dutch literature one can still discover in this book new and unfamiliar writers.
Wim van Mierlo, New Comparison 33-34, 2002
Nuttig als naslagwerk om te zien of een boek in vertaling verschenen is, een uitkomst als geheugensteun of ter oriëntatie en bovendien a good read. Eén waarschuwing: het is een uitermate lelijk boek met rare tekeningen op de omslag en ook de bladspiegel en het lettertype zijn niet erg uitnodigend. Echter, wie een keer begint te bladeren, leest wel door.
Henriette Louwerse, Neerlandica extra muros 41, 2003, 1
Last updated 6 April 2006 by Theo Hermans.