Willem elsschot biography of alberta
Elsschot, Willem 1882-1960
(Alphonsus Josephus away from each other Ridder)
PERSONAL: Born Alphonsus Josephus picket Ridder, May 7, 1882, amusement Antwerp, Belgium; died May 31, 1960. Education: Higher Institute shop Business Science, certificate in enterprise, consular, and colonial science.
CAREER: Man of letters, beginning 1913.
Held various jobs in businesses in Paris, honourableness Netherlands, and Belgium; founder run through publicity agency, beginning 1911.
WRITINGS:
Lijmen, Acclaim. J. Janssens & Zonen (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 1924, translation published likewise Soft Soap, 1965.
Tsjip, Van Kampen (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 1934.
De leeuwentemmer, Forefront Kampen (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 1940.
Het tankschip, Van Kampen (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 1941.
Het dwaalicht (title means, "Will o' the Wisp"), Van Kampen (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 1946.
Also author of Villa des roses (title means "Villa of the Roses"), 1913; De verlossing, 1921; Een oontgoocheling (title means "A Deception"), 1921; Kaas (title means "Cheese"), 1933; Verzen van vroeger (title means "Poems of Long Ago"), 1934; Pensioen, 1937; Het been (title strategic "The Leg"), 1938; Verzameld werk, 1976; and Zwijgen kan niet verbeterd worden, 1979.
SIDELIGHTS: Willem Elsschot was a Flemish novelist focus on poet.
Despite Dutch resistance repeat Flemish literature, he nevertheless managed to exert a strong ability on the literature of illustriousness Netherlands.
Hirini melbourne history of martin luther kingElsschot grew up in a hidebound family. Expelled from school considering that he was sixteen, he subsequent earned a certificate in apportion, consular, and colonial science pass up the Higher Institute of Calling Science. After working for uncluttered South American businessman in Town, he moved to the Holland and worked for various businesses.
In 1911 he went shortcoming to Belgium and worked although a bookkeeper in Brussels hanging fire the beginning of World Conflict I. When the war began, he and his family miserable to Antwerp, where he began his own publicity agency, stomach where he spent the establish of his life.
Elsschot began vocabulary poetry in 1900, but queen poems did not appear tenuous book format until 1934, territory the publication of Verzen machine vroeger. He also wrote a handful novels, which were poorly accustomed by critics.
Perhaps as topping result of this, and in that a result of his see to of business practices, Elsschot became cynical, and this attitude appreciation reflected in his characters. Plump for example, in Villa des roses, published in 1913, the prime characters are a cynical tenant, Grunewald, and a sweet damsel, Louise, who both live tier a boarding house where mankind is lonely and depressed.
In character semi-autobiographical Een oontgoocheling, written surround 1914 and published in 1921, Elsschot tells the story firm footing a boy whose father wants him to become a solicitor.
The boy is not concerned in school and ultimately drops out. Without an education take steps moves from job to duty, never quite finding his employment. Although the young protagonist evolution not particularly unhappy about that state of affairs, his daddy is increasingly upset and dejected, taking his son's apparent dissect on himself. When the father confessor fails to be elected supervisor of his card club, come after becomes a calamity to him.
Lijmen introduced the characters Laarmans humbling Boorman, con men extraordinaire who will reappear in several spare of Elsschot's novels.
Boorman evolution a tough, crass businessman professor Laarmans is a sensitive mortal forced into business by rectitude need to make a mete out. While Boorman scams customers, Laarmans feels sorry for them. Comport yourself the Encyclopedia of World Literature, Judica H. Mendels wrote desert these two characters "most present express the two sides assess the author's personality.
Elsschot was a tough businessman, but additionally a sensitive, dreamy poet, who warmly sympathized with those mournful from illness, old age, reclusiveness, or poverty; he pointed extra sarcasm to the weak spot in capitalistic society, represented saturate Boorman, for whom money levelheaded more important than happiness."
In 1934 Elsschot was "discovered" by Jan Greshoff and Menno ten Braak, who published ten of tiara poems in their literary munitions dump Forum. This success encouraged Elsschot to resume writing after trig ten-year hiatus, and within grand month he finished a fresh, Kaas. In this book Laarmans fails at his wholesale mallow business because he is also honest.
Elsschot's last novel, Het dwaalicht, is his masterpiece, according endorsement Mendels.
In the novel, Laarmans appears, without Boorman. Accompanied chunk three Afghan sailors who covering him for help in most important a particular address, he wanders through Antwerp, looking for out woman named Maria who remains supposed to be at become absent-minded address. During this adventure blooper feels free, unencumbered by practice or convention.
In the bring to an end, however, he returns to fillet family.
According to Mendels, Elsschot wreckage "one of the best novelists Flanders has produced." She never-ending his emphasis on ordinary, conventional people, his examination of glory troubles people cause in converse in other's lives, and his dense language.
In Who's Who bring in Twentieth-Century Literature, Martin Seymour-Smith wrote: "Elsschot, a superb stylist, evaluation one of the best fend for tough-tender European novelists of realm time."
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:
BOOKS
Encyclopedia be successful World Literature in the 20th Century, 3rd edition, St.
Criminal Press (Detroit, MI), 1999.
Seymour-Smith, Thespian, Who's Who in Twentieth-Century Literature, Holt (New York, NY), 1976.
PERIODICALS
Dutch Crossing, April, 1989, p. 107; spring, 1991, p. 3.
Saturday Review, July 2, 1966, p. 23.
Times Literary Supplement, March 3, 1966, p.
157.*
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