Nooteboom's work is a profound exploration of existence, frequently delving into themes of memory, time, and identity. His prose is characterized by a lyrical quality and philosophical depth, inviting readers to contemplate the intricacies of the human experience. The author masterfully weaves together reality with dreams and mythology, creating uniquely evocative literary landscapes. His writing serves as an invitation to examine the ever-shifting nature of reality and our place within it.
Exploring the life of the mind, Cees Nooteboom delves into the interconnectedness of literature, music, art, travel, and gardening. His reflections offer a rich tapestry of insights that celebrate creativity and the human experience, inviting readers to consider the profound impact of these elements on personal growth and understanding. Through his unique perspective, Nooteboom emphasizes the importance of cultural and artistic engagement in shaping one's worldview.
An exceptionally current volume of poems from one of Europe's greatest poets that dwell on the most pressing reality of our times: the coronavirus pandemic. One of the leading living European writers, Cees Nooteboom never shies away from contemporary issues. His latest collection of poems, Leaving, begins in a garden with descriptions of Mediterranean plants, but what emerges are memories of the war--images of a distant past that have never disappeared. The poems take another turn when, unexpectedly, a mysterious virus takes control of the world and turns life upside down. A collection that can be read as a single poem, in which desolation and beauty, past and future, nostalgia and mortality all merge to represent the most mature work of a great poet. German artist Max Neumann's haunting images that accompany the poems work as complex visual metaphors that further underline the beauty and the gravity of the poems. Together, they make for a delicate and thoughtful read.
Originally published in 2019, this work delves into the intricate relationship between Venice, its iconic lion symbol, and the surrounding waters. It explores the city's rich history, cultural significance, and the unique interplay between its architecture and the aquatic environment. The narrative offers insights into Venice's evolution, capturing the essence of a city that has captivated artists, historians, and travelers for centuries.
533 days in the life of a great writer, reflecting on his immediate
surroundings on the island of Menorca, on literature, global affairs and his
place in the universe.
The great Dutch author and traveller Cees Nooteboom (author of Roads to
Santiago and The Following Story) sheds new light on the city, its history and
its treasures
Cees Nooteboom wrote the poems that make up Monk's Eye on two islands: he
began them on the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog and finished them on the
Spanish island of Minorca, where he has spent summers for decades.
Written in response to and published together with a series of drawings by the
Berlin-based artist Max Neumann, the book draws on Nooteboom's personal
reflections--his arsenal of memories, dreams, fantasies, landscapes, stories
and nightmares--and presents a set of prose poems that complements and echoes
Neumann's work.
Two men talk in Tokyo. One, a Belgian, is a diplomat. The other, Dutch, is a photographer. What, they wonder, is the real face of Japan? How can they get beyond the European idea of the nation and its people--with its exoticism--and see Japan as it truly is? The Belgian has an idea: he helps the photographer find a model to shoot in front of Mount Fuji as the "typical Japanese." The plan works better than either had imagined--in fact, it works too well: the photographer falls in love, neglects his friend and his career, and, feeling out of place and disillusioned in Holland, returns to Japan as often as possible over the next five years. A reunion is planned: the three will meet again at Mount Fuji. Time, it seems, has stood still . . . except the woman has a secret, and plans of her own. This moving novel of obsession and difference is the latest masterwork from one of the greatest European writers working today, redolent with the power of desire and alive to the limits of our understanding of others.
"At once playful and poignant, beautiful and bizarre, this masterpiece uses the minutiae of everyday life to illuminate the broadest questions of human existence, all couched in the glittering prose of one of Europe's outstanding stylists. The Roman emperor Caligula famously called off an invasion of Britain and instead ordered his legions into the surf to attack the god of the sea. Cees Nooteboom is more civil. As autumn falls each year he writes Poseidon a letter requesting permission to return to his home in Minorca the following spring. Of course, it would be discourteous if the letters were no more than a series of demands. So Cees seeks the wisdom of the trident-wielding deity, and takes the opportunity to keep him up to speed on his own musings"--Publisher's description
