title: Mijn lieve gunsteling by: Rijneveld, Marieke Lucas published: 2020 read: 2024-02 preview

Lucas Rijneveld (then known as Marieke Rijneveld) wrote one of the most me-influential books, “De avond is ongemak”, about a girl trying to cope with the extreme protestant craziness after her brother dies in an accident.

And she, just like her parents, fails.

This second book is more of the same, but with a different topic. Again a farmer’s family, again a daughter, again a loss in the family. But this time the book, in a different writing style from the previous, revisits the Lolita topic: the vet, who is the main storyteller in the book, repeatedly has sex with the adolescent girl.

An obsessive relationship follows, which can only end in disaster. And, true to the original, it sort of does.

How can a writer decide to rewrite one of the most acclaimed novels of the (last) century? Is it not suicidal? And indeed, it is much criticised for that. The narrative style and the story is very much like Lolita, but still, the narration is more oppressive, being devoid of the lighthearted optimism, nearly naiveté, of the original. It is more modern in that, but also more in style with Rijneveld’s other book.

I think the book is worth picking up. Don’t compare it with Lolita, as that is not the purpose it serves. It is a beautiful, dark book in its own right. A highly recommended read.