Louis Seynaeve lives in a small Flemish village. He goes to a boarding school. His family is Catholic, his father, who lives his life following rigidly his principles, is a printer and a Flemish nationalist. Seynaeve is interested in one single thing: the world of books. The second world war, the German occupation of Belgium and the Flemish-Walloon conflict pulsating in the background serve merely as a backdrop to the story of the young man`s awakening. With his most important novel the Flemish writer, Hugo Claus (1929-2008), who was nominated for the Nobel prize several times, presents us with a Bildungsroman and an overall picture of Belgium in the 20th century. `I want to write a book which introduces Flanders, the one I knew and the one that doesn’t exist anymore'- told the author some years before the birth of the novel. The Sorrow of Belgium is one of the fundamental novels of the 20th century. The ambitious text comprises several styles, from sarcastic humour to heart-rending tragedy, from the general historical questions to sensitive psychological observations. Now, 28 years after its publication, Szabolcs Wekerle`s Hungarian translation is also available.
The book will be previewed by András Forgách, who will also carry on a conversation with the translator of the book.
- Date of Publication: 31st May 2011
- Book Launch: 9th June 2011.
- Info: http://szepirodalom.harmattan.hu, www.harmattan.hu
- Co-production: Flemish Government, Flemish Literary Fund, L’Harmattan Kiadó
- Order the book online »
