Dr. Dumay verliest...

by Menno ter Braak

Autobiografische roman

239 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

Menno ter Braak was a Dutch writer and literary critic, considered the Netherlands’ most important essayist and cultural critic during the Interbellum period. His shrewd intellect and challenging of preciousness in art earned him the title of the ‘conscience of Dutch literature’.

Together with friend and collaborator Edgar du Perron he founded the influential literary magazine “Forum”, which called for a rejection of contemporary aestheticism, as well as the Committee of Vigilance of anti-National Socialist Intellectuals.

In 1937, Ter Braak wrote what today stands as one of the most scathingly perceptive indict­ments of the Nazi movement, “National Socialism as a Doctrine of Rancour”, in which he expressed his urgent concern for the growing popular­ity of National Socialism. Upon the German invasion in 1940, he took his own life within hours after the Dutch surrender.

See for a full list of essays, publications and fiction (and often freely available to download or read online): http://dbnl.nl/auteurs/auteur.php?id=...

Reviews

[Jerobeam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het verborgen thema van dit boek is de worsteling van de hoofdpersoon met zijn seksuele geaardheid. Was Menno ter Braak van de herenliefde en kon hij niet uit de kast komen? Lees het op depiependemeerkoet.nl (rechtstreekse link).

[Arjen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are Dutch, you have to read Ter Braak. This is one of his few works of fiction. Pre-existentialist existentialist writing. Angst, fear, alienation, choice, freedom, personality and hints of Pirandello.

Crucial in understanding Vogels and Voskuil. Of course, Stendhal is referred to (or was that in Hampton Court, or both?).

[Tom_blok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Nice!