Childhood: Two NovellasFrom the author of the hit The Evenings - two classic novellas that are considered among Gerard Reve's best work Young Elmer longs to make friends and tries to control the world around him by forming secret clubs, of which he is always the president. When he invites Werther to become a member, a game of attraction and repulsion begins. What follows is a psychological masterpiece; Reve brilliantly conjures up a child's whole world, full of oppression and enchantment. During the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam, a boy watches as the family of one of his friends slowly loses everything and is then taken away. This is a deceptively simple story imbued with subtle horror. These two classic novellas, from the giant of post-war Dutch literature Gerard Reve, have all of the uncanny atmosphere and the incisive, dark wit of The Evenings. |
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afternoon already ANTAL SZERB Apeldoorn arrived attic Aunt Jaanne asked balcony began beneath Boslowitses brother candle cardboard close club dark Dirk doctor door eight thirty EKA KURNIAWAN elderberry Elmer Esperanto everything face father fetch fire floor front GAITO GAZDANOV garden GERARD REVE gramophone recording hair hand Hans's heard horn inside kitchen letter liquorice listened looked loudly Maarten Martha Meccano methylated spirits mother asked moved neighbour nice Otto paper picked play pulled quickly quietly rain replied seemed shouted silence sitting someone spoke stairs stared STEFAN ZWEIG stood storage shed street Suddenly Sunday Sunday Telegraph tell thin thing thought told tomorrow took tossed turned Uncle Uncle Hans voice wait walked Werther asked Werther's aunt Werther's mother windmill window words wrote yeah zither