A notary clerk in Friesland, who was the model for Uriah Heep
werd, in Friesland, who was the model for
Uriah Heep.9
But enough of all this merry nonsense - of
which, incidentally, no mention is found in
any Dickens encyclopedia - nonsense
which, if it proves anything at all, is evi
dence of the tragic, and certainly unattai
nable wish to incorporate Dickens in per
son into our country. The fact that his
work has taken root here should be
enough. If I have touched on this question
at all, it is because of my desire to be
complete in my incompleteness, rather
than any wish to reopen this old wound
with its history in the bitter quarrels of
the sectarian groups - yet another form of
compartmentalisation! - in this part of the
country.
The very fact that I, a representative of
another Dutch group, the Dickens Move
ment, have been permitted to have my say
here today is sufficient evidence of what
spiritual harmony can achieve where scho
larly insights diverge. I should therefore
like to thank the Haarlem Branch for the
hospitality they have shown, and the au
dience for their patience and kind attenti
on.
NOTEN
1 B. Luger, Dickens in Holland. A short
history of appreciationin Haarlem Dickensian
GazetteJuly 1991.
2 B. Luger, Dickens' populariteit in Neder
land in de negentiende eeuwin The Dutch Dicken
sian, vol. IX, Dec. 1987 no. 18.
3 Luise Sigmann, Die englische Literatur
von 1800-1850 im Urteil der zeitgenössischen deut-
schen Kritik, Heidelberg 1918, Cap. XVI.
4 C. van Steynen, in Haarlem Dickensian
Gazette, March 1992.
5 A.M.A. Bogaerts, Chesterton and the
Victorian Age, Hilversum, 1940, p. 10.
6 In fatsoen hersteld. Zedelijkheid en weder
opbouw na de oorlog, Eds. Hansje Galesloot
Margreet Schrevel, Amsterdam.
7 Cf. Ido Weijers, Terug naar het behou
den huis. Romanschrijvers en wetenschappers in de
jaren vijftig. Amsterdam 1991.
8 M. 't Hart, De romans van Charles Dic
kens, in: Bijlage section of Vrij Nederland, July
14th 1979.
9 J. Palm, Dickens in Bronkhorst, in Histo
risch Nieuwsblad, 0/91.
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