Louis Ferron
Encyclopedia
Louis Ferron was a Dutch
novelist and poet.
, and when he was killed shortly before the end of World War II
, Karl Heinz was raised in Bremen
as the stepchild of his father's widow. After the war he returned to the Netherlands, where he was renamed Aloysius (Louis) Ferron. He was raised by his mother's parents, but also stayed with foster families and in children's homes. Initially he desired to be a painter; at age 18, he got married (to a daughter of the author Lizzy Sara May), and his wife encouraged him to become a writer.
Ferron's literary debut was a set of poems called "Kleine Krijgskunde," in the May 1962 issue of the literary journal Maatstaf
, which also published, in August 1965, his short story "Ergens bij de grens." His first booklength publication was the poetry collection Zeg nu zelf, is dit ontroerend?, published in 1967. In 1974 he published a second book of poetry, Grand Guignol. After that he published mainly prose work, for which he is known best. Ferron was also a translator of James Baldwin
and Vladimir Nabokov
.
He died of intestinal cancer, three days after receiving the first copy of his last novel, Niemandsbruid.
and Sigmund Freud
; he was influenced by Thomas Bernhard
and especially by Louis-Ferdinand Céline
. In his novels, Ferron unmasks ideologies and romantic illusions to uncover the chaos of desire and secret formal conventions. A number of critics call his work postmodern, especially considering his presentation of reality as unknowable. In Turkenvespers (1977), for instance, the protagonist (an unreliable narrator to begin with), finally no longer knows whether he himself exists independently, or is only an actor in the imagination of a perverse movie director.
In his treatment of historical subjects Ferron also thematizes a rather unclear reality. Especially German history fascinated him; the novels Gekkenschemer, Het stierenoffer, and De keisnijder van Fichtenwald are often referred to as his "Teutonic trilogy," and were republished in a single volume in 2002.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
novelist and poet.
Biography
Louis Ferron was born in Leiden out of an adulterous relationship between a married German soldier and a waitress from Haarlem named Ferron. His father took the boy to GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and when he was killed shortly before the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Karl Heinz was raised in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
as the stepchild of his father's widow. After the war he returned to the Netherlands, where he was renamed Aloysius (Louis) Ferron. He was raised by his mother's parents, but also stayed with foster families and in children's homes. Initially he desired to be a painter; at age 18, he got married (to a daughter of the author Lizzy Sara May), and his wife encouraged him to become a writer.
Ferron's literary debut was a set of poems called "Kleine Krijgskunde," in the May 1962 issue of the literary journal Maatstaf
Maatstaf
Maatstaf was a Dutch literary magazine, founded in 1953 by Bert Bakker. Bakker, who was the magazine's first editor, is credited with bringing in poets such as Ida Gerhardt...
, which also published, in August 1965, his short story "Ergens bij de grens." His first booklength publication was the poetry collection Zeg nu zelf, is dit ontroerend?, published in 1967. In 1974 he published a second book of poetry, Grand Guignol. After that he published mainly prose work, for which he is known best. Ferron was also a translator of James Baldwin
James Baldwin (writer)
James Arthur Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.Baldwin's essays, for instance "Notes of a Native Son" , explore palpable yet unspoken intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies, most notably in mid-20th century America,...
and Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
.
He died of intestinal cancer, three days after receiving the first copy of his last novel, Niemandsbruid.
Themes
Ferron's work involves topics found in the work of Friedrich NietzscheFriedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
and Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
; he was influenced by Thomas Bernhard
Thomas Bernhard
Thomas Bernhard was an Austrian novelist, playwright and poet. Bernhard, whose body of work has been called "the most significant literary achievement since World War II," is widely considered to be one of the most important German-speaking authors of the postwar era.- Life :Thomas Bernhard was...
and especially by Louis-Ferdinand Céline
Louis-Ferdinand Céline
Louis-Ferdinand Céline was the pen name of French writer and physician Louis-Ferdinand Destouches . Céline was chosen after his grandmother's first name. He is considered one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century, developing a new style of writing that modernized both French and...
. In his novels, Ferron unmasks ideologies and romantic illusions to uncover the chaos of desire and secret formal conventions. A number of critics call his work postmodern, especially considering his presentation of reality as unknowable. In Turkenvespers (1977), for instance, the protagonist (an unreliable narrator to begin with), finally no longer knows whether he himself exists independently, or is only an actor in the imagination of a perverse movie director.
In his treatment of historical subjects Ferron also thematizes a rather unclear reality. Especially German history fascinated him; the novels Gekkenschemer, Het stierenoffer, and De keisnijder van Fichtenwald are often referred to as his "Teutonic trilogy," and were republished in a single volume in 2002.
Awards
- Multatuliprijs, 1977, De Keisnijder van Fichtenwald of de Metamorfose van een Bultenaar
- AKO LiteratuurprijsAKO LiteratuurprijsThe AKO Literatuurprijs is the best known prize for literature in the Netherlands. It is awarded to authors writing in Dutch and highly coveted for its recognition as well as the award amount of 50,000. The ceremony is televised live each year. The prize was conceived in 1986 and inaugurated the...
, 1990, Karelische nachten - Ferdinand Bordewijk PrijsFerdinand Bordewijk PrijsThe Ferdinand Bordewijk Prize or F. Bordewijk-prijs is a literary award, presented anually by the Jan Campert Foundation to the author of the best Dutch prose book....
, 1994, De walsenkoning - Constantijn Huygens Prijs, 2001, for his entire oeuvre