The Garden Where the Brass Band Played

The Garden Where the Brass Band Played | Simon Vestdijk

#BookReport 35/21

A day late but I wasn‘t at home. Now I am and I am looking proudly at my achievements this week. My absolute favorite was Once There Were Wolves but I enjoyed all of these above average!

Cinfhen

squirrelbrain I just posted mine a day late too 😁 but did a joint report / forecast! Looks like you had a great reading week. 3y

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I still need to gather the books I‘ve planned to read this week! (edited) 3y

Cinfhen Yay!!! You really had an outstanding week 🎉♥️🙌🏻 3y

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TrishB Great week 👍🏻 3y

Deblovestoread I finished the McConaghy yesterday. Couldn‘t put it down. Great reading week! 3y

Megabooks Great week!! 3y

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BarbaraBB

The Garden Where the Brass Band Played | Simon Vestdijk

pick

Nol Rieske is a boy who is very sensitive to the emotions of other people (in that way I do understand the comparison with Proust, @Liz_M ).
At a garden party, he meets his piano teacher's daughter, and he will never again be able to get her out of his mind. Their mutual love and admiration for music (for example Bizet‘s opera Carmen) isn‘t enough however: Nol's desperate love for her inevitably leads to a catastrophe.
#1001books #Dutch

Liz_M It may have been the translation, but the moody, dense, wordiness also felt Proustian to me. 😀 Nice review! 3y

BarbaraBB @Liz_M That is true. It reads a bit Proustian. I read a lot of Vestdijk in my life and I didn‘t notice that earlier but I guess you are right. 3y

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Liz_M

The Garden Where the Brass Band Played | Simon Vestdijk

What do you think @BarbaraBB, is Vestdijk on par with Joyce, Kafka, and Proust?

Liz_M Personally, I don't think so. It is well-written, but not spectacular or groundbreaking. 3y

BarbaraBB I‘ve always been surprised about Boxall‘s choice of Dutch authors and their work. He didn‘t do much research I think. Vestdijk is of course not in the same league as Proust or Kafka. While I personally like his work (haven‘t read this one yet), his books are getting out of print here. 3y

Liz_M @BarbaraBB I did wonder if the person writing the blurb was getting a percentage of the book sales. 😂 3y

BarbaraBB That or just gaining as much money for doing as little as possible. Like asking one person for their opinion and making that the standard... 3y

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