Weerborstels - A. F. Th. van der Heijden

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Weerborstels

by
A. F. Th. van der Heijden

general information | our review | links | about the author

Title:	Weerborstels
Author:	A. F. Th. van der Heijden
Genre:	Novella
Written:	1992
Length:	101 pages
Original in:	Dutch
Availability:	Der Widerborst - Deutschland

Een intermezzo (an intermezzo in the series, De tandeloze tijd)
Weerborstels has not been translated into English
Written as a Boekenweekgeschenk (a "present" for the Dutch Book-Week)

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Our Assessment:

B : solid little book

See our review for fuller assessment.

The complete review's Review:

       Weerborstels is a small intermezzo in van der Heijden's multi-volume Dutch saga of toothless times, De tandeloze tijd. Albert Egberts is the narrator, but the focus here is on his cousin Robby, the weerborstels of the title, the alienated youngster who simply won't fit in.
       Robby's dad, also Robert, is a would be racing cyclist, who never achieves great success but hopes his son will follow in his footsteps. Robby's mom was supposed to be infertile (following an unfortunate but, Albert suspects, all too common piercing accident in a tree) and instead manages to bear several kids.
       Albert is a few years older that Robby, and presents scenes from his cousin's life: early childhood, then his first cycling triumphs, then his more ambitious efforts with motorized vehicles, his petty crimes, his accidents. Robby goes his own way, and that seems to be the only thing that is important to him. He takes risks, and in the end these are too great, and he pays for them. Albert contrasts this nicely with the failed life of Robby's father.
       Weerborstels is a short work, just a few scenes from a life, unlike most of the far more massive volumes of De tandeloze tijd saga which delve more deeply into character's lives. Still, it is a successful picture, nicely presented, with some good stories in it. A fine little intermezzo.

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Links:

Weerborstels:

De Bezige Bij publicity page
Suhrkamp publicity page

Reviews:

Das Zahngold (Dutch)

A. F. Th. van der Heijden:

Official site
A.F.Th. van der Heijden at the Dutch Foundation for Literature

Other books by A. F. Th. van der Heijden under review:

Other books of interest under review:

Index of Dutch literature at the complete review

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About the Author:

Dutch author Adrianus Franciscus Theodorus van der Heijden was born in 1951. He is the author of numerous highly acclaimed novels, including the multi-volume saga, De tandeloze tijd.

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