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Bob Van Laerhoven

Goodreads Author

Born

in Ravels, Belgium

Website

http://www.bobvanlaerhoven.be/en

Twitter

bobvanlaerhoven

Genre

Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Member Since

November 2012

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Van Laerhoven made his debut as a novelist in 1985 and quickly became known for his colorful, kaleidoscopic novels, in which the fate of the individual is closely linked to broader social transformations. International flair has become his trademark. His novels blend literature and suspense.
AVID TRAVELLER
Bob Van Laerhoven became a full-time author in 1991. As a freelance travel writer, he explored conflicts and trouble spots across the globe from the early 1990s to 2005. Echoes of his experiences on the road also permeate his novels. Somalia, Liberia, Sudan, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, Laos, Bosnia, Albania, Myanmar… to name but a few.
MULTIFACETED OEUVRE
All these experiences contribute to Bob Van Laerhoven’s rich and commendable oeuv ...more

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Why is "Baudelaire's Revenge" so provocative when it comes down to sex? It seems that you focus on the cruel side of sex. Why not on the healing side?

Bob Van Laerhoven First: why did I have to ask the question myself? Is it the man addressing the author? Partly, maybe. But foremost I did it while many readers don't w…moreFirst: why did I have to ask the question myself? Is it the man addressing the author? Partly, maybe. But foremost I did it while many readers don't want to ask that question in public. Let me tell you this: as a male who has had a loving and tender sex life until now, it hurts me to write these harsh sex scenes that sometimes are necessary in my novels. But as an author, I write them because I have to if I want to be true to my themes. Not in a cheap way, mind you, not for "commercial reasons", on the contrary. Only when the layer of themes in a novel make it necessary.

Why I write about the destructive power of sex? Because I was a travelling author in mostly conflict-torn countries in the period 1990 until end of 2003 and what I’ve witnessed has made a lasting impression on me. I've seen the maimed Pakistani women who were accused of adultery. I've spoken with the genitally mutilated women of Africa. I have seen and spoken to the raped and desperate women of the Bosnian enclave Srebrenica during the Bosnian war. I’ve seen and spoken to the drugged rapists in Liberia during the civil war in the nineties. In many countries - Burma, Lebanon, Laos, to name just a few - I listened to the testimonies of women who were submitted to sexual domestic violence, even sadism.

And then, at fifty, when I thought I had seen and heard enough cruelty, Fate brought me a five year long relationship with a much younger woman, very sensitive and intelligent, who had been abused by her father in her early teens. Via her, I’ve seen, felt and deplored the bitter and sad consequences of such unnatural male lust. An incest victim has to struggle all her life to become herself - and not an object of lust - and to be able to welcome the healing power of loving sex.

All those - and more - experiences are the reason for why I try to delve into the warped sexual needs of especially the male psyche - I know how much damage those twisted needs can do. As a result of the way in which I treat the subject, some readers may be shocked, but isn’t it the task of a novelist to open our eyes to the most hidden and frightening impulses that lurk in our minds?

My cross-over novels between literature and the mystery novel are thus not “simple”. They are not “easy reads”. But I do hope that they give something back in return: if we don’t try to shine a light into our most obscure vices, if we don’t try to analyze and to understand them, mankind will never be able to evolve into something better.

In my view, literature has become one of the last vestiges of art where the artist can dig profoundly into the human condition. Let us read for pleasure and entertainment. Sure. But let us also read novels that ask fundamental questions, that explore the human condition in every corner, be it light or dark.

That was also Charles Baudelaire's intent. Baudelaire, a poetical genius but a wreck of a man, was prone to sadomasochistic tendencies and he tried to exorcise these dispositions in his poetry. "Baudelaire's Revenge", being a novel wherein Baudelaire plays an important role, reflects the decadency of the poet but also of his era.

Decadency is not limited to sexuality alone. In 1870, the chasm between rich and poor in France had grown into absurd dimensions: the aristocracy held orgies, the workers were famished. That is as shocking - or even more, if you ask me - as sexual decadency.

So, yes, "Baudelaire's Revenge" can be provocative but also invites the reader to ponder about the hidden impulses and inclinations with which every man is burdened.

There's much more to say and to think about the subject, but let me just - as a last afterthought - add this: why do you think that Islamic State (IS) - which pretends to be a religious organization - uses horrific sexual violence in Iraq and Syria? Not because the victims are branded as infidels: that's the excuse for the foot soldier, mostly very young men with little education. But the leaders of IS are no idiots: they know all too well that rape is a formidable weapon in war.

These sexual crimes are truly horrendous. Why then don't you hear more about them? The UN estimate that IS has turned more than 1500 women and children(girls and boys) into sexual slaves and Amnesty International has reported that IS abducts whole families and that its "soldiers" go from door to door in the Iraqi town of Mossoul to rape the women.

We hear a lot about the atrocities of IS - the deplorable beheadings and such - but a lot less about their sexual crimes. Why? Because victims of rape often keep quiet. Not only in war time: it is estimated that plus minus 60 percent of the victims of sexual harassment in the US don't lodge a complaint....If mankind can't analyze - and canalize! - the dark side of lust and aggression, we will all be doomed...(less)

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Hey Bob! I'm writing a research paper on Maupassant and I'm trying to connect his fictions to his illness. You mention in one of your posts that he was obsessed with flies eating his brains. I think that is just so interesting, I see flies in a lot of his works. I cannot find anything scholarly on that whatsoever though. Could you point me in the direction where you learned this? I would be eternally grateful.

Bob Van Laerhoven Hi Jay, glad to be some help. Maupassant's obsession with "brain-eating flies" is mentioned in a lot of biographies, and one of them - a venerable BBC…moreHi Jay, glad to be some help. Maupassant's obsession with "brain-eating flies" is mentioned in a lot of biographies, and one of them - a venerable BBC arts site, thus, very reliable :-) - says it clear:

Maupassant became increasingly sombre as the syphilis attacked his spinal chord. He became obsessed with the notion that there were flies devouring his brain and in January 1892 he attempted to shoot himself, when he failed he rammed a paper knife into his throat and was committed to an asylum the next day. He died some months later, a little before his 43rd birthday.

You'll find the whole biography under this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/art...
Wish you lots of success with your research paper...Greetings from Flanders ...
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Bob Van Laerhoven’s books

Average rating: 3.68 · 1,005 ratings · 329 reviews · 83 distinct works • Similar authors

	Baudelaire's Revenge 3.22 avg rating — 293 ratings — published 2007 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Return to Hiroshima 4.35 avg rating — 80 ratings — published 2010 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Shadow Of The Mole 4.36 avg rating — 72 ratings — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Alejandro’s Lie 4.37 avg rating — 41 ratings — published 2013 — 20 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Scars of the Heart: Short Stories 4.70 avg rating — 23 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dangerous Obsessions 3.95 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2015 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dossier Feuerhand 3.70 avg rating — 20 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	De schaduw van de mol 3.48 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Heart Fever 4.06 avg rating — 16 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Long Farewell 4.64 avg rating — 14 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Bob Van Laerhoven's Blog

Baudelaire's Revenge: syphilis was the AIDS of the 19th century

Baudelaire's Revenge by Bob van Laerhoven

When the French translation of De wraak van Baudelaire – La Vengeance de Baudelaire – was published in France and Canada, many readers were speculating on the novel’s surprising end: is it “esoteric” or not? The same goes for the English translation – Baudelaire’s Revenge – published this year in the US by Pegasus Books.

Without giving away the answer – that would be foolish of me after all my Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 26, 2014 00:55 • Tags: 19th-century, aids, baudelaire, baudelaire-s-revenge, france, stds, syphilis

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Bob is Currently Reading

Bob Laerhoven is currently reading

Fractured Tears: A struggle for Justice

by Amy Shannon (Goodreads Author)

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Bob Laerhoven said: " Do we truly know our marriage partners? Unfortunately, many real-life examples tell us we do not. Fractured Tears by Amy Shannon demonstrates what can happen when one of the partners drops their mask. Amy Shannon presents us with a fictionalized acco Do we truly know our marriage partners? Unfortunately, many real-life examples tell us we do not. Fractured Tears by Amy Shannon demonstrates what can happen when one of the partners drops their mask. Amy Shannon presents us with a fictionalized account of the violence that nearly destroyed her main character Anna. Still, from the beginning, we know that the story is firmly rooted in her personal reality.
After thirteen years, tensions have risen in Anna’s and Ted’s marriage due to Ted’s dependence on alcohol and drugs. However, Ted is not a one-dimensional character: we learn that the couple has lost a young child and can imagine that this traumatic experience may have driven him to become a junkie. But when Anna challenges her husband to fix what’s going wrong in their marriage, Ted changes before her eyes into a man consumed by murderous hate. He nearly kills her, and Anna can only narrowly escape the house, chased by her outraged husband.
When the police are called in, a veritable crusade begins for Anna. First, as a victim of domestic violence, she encounters veiled suspicion: wasn’t it maybe her fault that her husband went berserk? The facts slowly become apparent during the investigation, but then Anna’s fight with the justice system begins for an appropriate punishment for Ted.
I’m Belgian. Our justice system is slow but across the board reliable. In her case, Anna can’t really say the same about the American system: mistakes are made, files get lost, and a certain degree of indifference is tangible. But Anna doesn’t give up. She doesn’t want to live with the ongoing fear that her vindictive husband sooner or later will show up at her house.
As a male, I was fascinated by Anna’s story, but at the same time, I felt embarrassed. Domestic violence –and, for sure, extreme domestic violence – remains mostly a male bastion. Is it the fierceness of the male ego, or is it the hidden fear of women’s inner strength that triggers the overwhelming need to destroy the partner? Fractured Tears doesn’t give a clear answer but tells Anna’s story with so many deeply felt emotions that the reader can feel the authenticity of this story, which provides the novel with an extra powerful dimension. ...more "

Dec 12, 2022 03:50AM · see review

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In “Catch Me on a Blue Day,” M.E. Proctor uses delicate, high-strung suspense, including a hefty array of characters and international intrigue. Proctor manages to give her private detective Declan Shaw an array of personality traits that make him a ...more
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Bob Laerhoven made a comment in the group Indie Voices: Authors & Books — Introduce Yourself topic " The lamentations of a translated Flemish author When one considers that approximately three million books are published annually in the U.S. alone—two ...more "
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Bob Laerhoven rated a book it was amazing Firemoon by Marri Champié (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
In my home country, Belgium, they call me the "only representative" of the "cross-over novel," a mixture of literature and crime novels. With "Firemoon," American novelist Marri Champié has written an accurate and fascinating mix of genres, held toge ...more
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As a writer, I know how difficult it is to write an elegant, suspenseful series with a broad array of fascinating characters and historical flair. Lou Kemp's Celwyn series is precisely doing that and more: mixed in the ingredients for her daring stea ...more
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In my home country, Belgium, they call me the "only representative" of the "cross-over novel," a mixture of literature and crime novels. With "Firemoon," American novelist Marri Champié has written an accurate and fascinating mix of genres, held toge ...more
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Bob’s Quotes

“Hoeveel bedroevender nog dan vroeger vond ik het sedert die dag (...) dat ik geen aanleg voor schrijven had en ervan moest afzien ooit een beroemde schrijver te worden.”
― Marcel Proust, À la recherche du temps perdu, Tome I

tags: aanleg, beroemd, schrijven, talent

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“All that I ask out of life is that it be constant and unending euphoria.”
― Roman Payne

tags: adventurer, adventuress, aiming-high, aventurier, become-happy, dreameress, eudaemonia, eudaemonic-life, eudaimonia, eudaimonic-happiness, eudaimonic-life, euphoria, euphoric, exciting-adventures, exciting-life, exciting-love, exciting-relationship, exciting-relationships, fall-in-love, fall-in-love-everywhere, fall-in-love-with-a-woman, fall-in-love-with-women, fall-in-love-with-your-life, happy-love, how-to-attract, how-to-be-happier, how-to-be-happy, how-to-be-happy-and-successful, how-to-look, how-to-love, how-to-love-a-person, how-to-love-a-woman, how-to-love-others, how-to-love-people, how-to-love-someone, how-to-win-love, how-to-win-love-back, how-to-win-the-world, joy, joyful-love, love-and-happiness, loving-girls, loving-women, pleasurable, pleasure, roman-payne, rules-for-happiness, rules-for-success, rules-of-attraction, success-and-happiness, the-dreameress, the-wanderess, wanderess

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“He was no god, just an artist; and when an artist is a man, he needs a woman to create like a god.”
― Roman Payne

tags: adventuress, aesthete, allegory, ambition, artist, artistic, artistic-endeavor, artistic-expression, artistry, artists, artists-art, artists-heart, artists-life, artists-way, beautiful, beautiful-life, bravery, courage, dance, desire, direction, dreams, female, female-beauty, female-characters, female-empowerment, female-hero, female-liberation, females, feminine, femininity, feminism, femme, filles, first-love, freedom, gentle, girl, girl-power, girl-quotes, girls, goal, goals, happiness, hearts, hiding, imagination, inspiration, inspirational, inspirational-attitude, inspirational-life, inspirational-quote, inspirational-quotes, inspire, love-poem, men-and-women, men-and-women-in-love, men-and-women-relations, men-and-women-relationship, muse, muses

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“She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belongs to no man and to no city. She knows nothing of borders and invents her own rules and customs. 'Time' for her isn’t something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water.”
― Roman Payne

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“Ô, the wine of a woman
from heaven is sent,
more perfect than all
that a man can invent.

When she came to my bed and begged me with sighs
not to tempt her towards passion nor actions unwise,
I told her I’d spare her and kissed her closed eyes,
then unbraided her body of its clothing disguise.

While our bodies were nude bathed in candlelight fine
I devoured her mouth, tender lips divine;
and I drank through her thighs her feminine wine.

Ô, the wine of a woman
from heaven is sent,
more perfect than all
that a man can invent.”
― Roman Payne