Chances are you haven’t heard of Maria Dermoût before, especially if you don’t read Dutch. She left behind a small body of work -- two novels, both published when she was in her 60s, and five short story collections. It appears that throughout most of her life, writing was something she engaged in f...
I won't try to tell anyone what this book is about -- it has elements of the ghost story and the murder mystery, but is fundamentally unlike any other book I have read. It is a story made up of a series of other stories, and the writing is seriously gorgeous. I highly recommend it!
This is a strange little novel that very nearly has a plot. I had to reach the final page before I figured out that the entire book is a study of loss. It takes place in the Moluccas (Spice Islands) near the end of Dutch colonial rule. Much of what happens parallels the author's life, and the book a...
Log in with Facebook 
