21
10. Frans Coenen (1866-1936) wrote novels and essays and was considered an important
representative of the so-called Movement of the Eighties. His works mark the transition period
from naturalism to psychological impressionism. Famous in his time he is now almost
forgotten.
11F. Coenen, Charles Dickens en de romantiek 1911p. 74.
12. F. Coenen, op cit., p. 86.
13. Simon Vestdijk (1898-1971) was one of the most fertile writers of the Netherlands. He
wrote more than 200 books. He was an eternal candidate for the Nobel prize for Literature but
never got it.
14. S. Vestdijk, 'Dickens als psycholoog', Essays in Duodecimo, Amsterdam 1952. 176- 181.
In this article he compares the works of Dickens with those of Kafka.
15. Godfried Bomans (1913-1971) was the most widely read and the most popular writer of
his time. He was a fervent admirer of Charles Dickens, translated the Pickwick Papers his
favourite book into Dutch and edited the translations of all the works of Dickens in the
series of Prisma pocket books. He was vice-president of the Dickens Fellowship and co
founded the Haarlem Branch of the Fellowship. His essays on Dickens were collected in 1972
in a volume entitled Dickens waar zijn Uw spoken? (Dickens, where are your ghosts?).
16. G. Bomans, Dickens waar zijn uw spoken? Amsterdam-Brussel, 1972, p. 95'
17. ibid. p. 96.
18. ibid. p. 91,92.
19. Theun de Vries (1907-2005) takes a rather isolated position in Dutch literature because of
his communist sympathies. He was an active member of the communist party which he
eventually left in 1971. Nevertheless his books were very popular, dealing with the resistance
of the Second World War he was held prisoner in a concentration camp and in general
with all kinds of social problems, often situated in the past.
20. M. 't Hart (1944-) studied biology and worked after his doctorate at Leiden university. He
wrote many books about his Calvinistic youth and fiercely attacked Christianity from which he
fell away. His books are translated into several languages and some are put on the screen.
21M. 't Hart, op. cit., pp. 14-15.
22. Charles Dickens, Great Expectations.
23. just one example the pathetic scene of Martha on the banks of the Thames in
David Copperfield: "Oh the river, the river", etc.
24. J.C. Bloem (1887-1966) is one of the greatest poets in twentieth-century Dutch
literature.
25. J. C. Bloem, Foreword to the translation of De krekel bij den haard Cricket on the
Hearth], p. 6-7.
26.G. Bomans, Dickens waar zijn Uw spoken, Amsterdam-Brussels 1972, p. 93.
27. F. Coenen, Charles Dickens en de romantiek, 1911p. 25.
28. J.C. Bloem, Foreword to the translation of De krekel bij den haard Cricket on the Hearth],
p. 10.
