Welcome to the second week on Netherlands’ edition of the Flyaway Friday! Are you ready to fly off to the Land of Tulips? We even gave you a travel guide to Netherland last week. Do not forget to check it out!
Books That Will Take You To Netherlands
You do know how we travel to a country without passport nor the hassle of the crowd, via the cheapest mode of travel – books. So this week let me talk about books that are set in Netherlands. Let us get on with it, shall we?
Historical Fiction
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
The story is told in the first person by Griet, who is hired as a maid by the master painter Vermeer’s family in Delft. She joins the chaotic family with too many children, an oblivious wife and a husband who doesn’t care about the finance of the family. Griet has fend off the advances of a rich patron, an infatuated young man and fight off the dream of being a wife of the painter.
What can you expect:
This fictionalized account of the story behind the famous painting also acts as a great social commentary!
Every month we travel to a country without passport nor the hassle of the crowd, via books. Let me talk about books that are set in Netherlands. Let us get on with it, shall we? #flyawayFriday #armchairtravels Share on XThe Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
Set in the Seventeenth Century, eighteen year old Nella arrives in Amsterdam as the wife of Johannes Brandt, who is kind but distant to her and leaves her at the mercy of her sharp tongued sister. Johannes gifts a miniature sized replica of their household and it falls upon Nella to furnish her gift with the help of a miniaturist, whose creations mirrors its real life counterparts. How does this change their lives once and for all?
What can you expect:
A suspense filled story of love and obsession that you can’t put down till the end.
Contemporary
The Dinner By Herman Koch
Two brothers and their wives meet in a fancy restaurant in Amsterdam. Behind their apparent polite small talks, they need to discuss matters of grave importance. Their sons have committed something terrible and illegal and they have to decide how it is to be handled. By the time their dinner comes to an end, their trivial facade is broken. Where does all these leave the ‘happy families’ and ‘blood is thicker than water’?
What can you expect:
A mind blowing thriller that spans over a dinner which talks about politics, mental health and other uncomfortable dinner table conversations.
The Light of Amsterdam By David Park
A single mother, a middle aged couple and 50 something male all heading to Amsterdam for the weekend are united by their misery regarding a close family member. They arrive at the city hoping for a change in their lives and does the city offer them a recourse?
What can you expect:
This slow character oriented fiction explores the complexities of love and relationship.
Classics
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
This classic book captures the poignant story of a young girl from the German occupied Amsterdam. She captures the happenings during the war, especially to the Jews in the form of diary entries between 1942-44 while hiding from the Germans in an attic.
What can you expect:
Despite the hard times set in the book, it is surprisingly full of life and spirit making it a must read!
The Fall by Albert Camus
Jean-Baptiste Clamence, a successful Parisian barrister, has come to recognize the deep-seated hypocrisy of his existence. His epigrammatic and, above all, discomforting monologue gradually saps, then undermines, the reader’s own complacency. (From Goodreads)
Let us travel to Netherlands via books like Fall, Diary of young girl, Goldfinch and more. Let us get started shall we? #flyawayFriday #armchairtravels Share on XOther honorable mentions
- Tulip Fever By Deborah Moggach
- The Goldfinch By Donna Tartt
- The Laws by Connie Palmen
- The Fault In Our Stars By John Green
That is all for now, folks. I will meet you all soon with a guest blogger next week on the Netherlands edition of the Flyaway Friday. Also if you have any question for our Dutch blogger about Netherlands or their culture, do drop them in the comments.
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Let us chat
Have you read any of these books? Do you know any other book set in Netherlands that is not listed here? What are the stereotypes and facts that you have read about the country that you have heard of? Let us talk.
Thanks for sharing. I’ve never been but great to have so much knowledge.
Thank you!
I love learning about new places! Thanks for sharing about the Netherlands!
I am glad you liked the post!
I had my eye on the Miniaturist. I enjoy that setting.
We had to read the Diary of Anne Frank in High School and it was really heartbreaking.
I agree on Miniaturist with you!
Nice list. So far only one I have read from here is The Diary of Anne Frank. I think im ready to check out the rest of the books on your list! 🙂
Yay I will happy if you do!
Girl with a Pearl Earring has been on my list for some time. It sounds like one I would devour 🙂 Great list!
It might be kinda slow though. Fair warning!
Nice list. I loved The Fault in Our Stars but it made me sob.
That book is worth crying about.
A great list of books. I have The Miniaturist on my TBR.
Gemma @ Gemma’s Book Nook
Let me know when you get to it.
Neat list Gayathri!! This isn’t a place you’d think to read about even though I know there are murder mysteries that are really good set here. Thanks!
I’ve always wanted to visit Amsterdam—it’s my dream destination. Reading books set there is the closest I can get to it until I move off my arse and book tickets. 😂
I still think of it as Holland – I try to correct myself before it comes out of my mouth
How very interesting.