Willem Elsschot
Encyclopedia
Willem Elsschot (ˈβ̞iləm ˈʔɛlsxɔt) (7 May 1882 - 31 May 1960), was a Flemish
writer and poet (pseudonym
of Alphonsus Josephus de Ridder). A few of his works have been translated into English.
's family. During secondary school, he developed a love for literature. He was quite restless, having various types of jobs in cities from Antwerp and Brussels
to Rotterdam
and Paris
. During the First World War
, he served as the secretary of a national food relief committee in Antwerp. After the war he started his own advertising
agency, which he ran until his death.
Willem Elsschot died in Antwerp in 1960, receiving a national literary award posthumously. He is interred in the Antwerpen Schoonselhof.
Elsschot published poems in a magazine titled "Alvoorder". His writing took off while he worked in Rotterdam
, where he wrote Villa des Roses (1913). His most famous work came in the 1920s and 1930s: Lijmen (1924), Kaas (1933), Tsjip (1934) en Het Been (1938).
Central themes in his work are business
and family life
. His style is characterised by detailed descriptions of surroundings and a mild cynicism
. In his first books he works with the same characters, giving the readers a familiarity and a sketch of life in Antwerp during the 1930s. His characters Boorman an entrepreneur on one side (always looking for scams and opportunities like in the book Lijmen) and Frans Laarmans, a clerk, evolve through these books until Laarmans (in the very poetical, pensioen "pension"), in his later days finds himself going home. Retired. And goes out for the very last time before ending, very cynically, but satisfied... home.
Some lines of his poem Het Huwelijk/The Marriage (1933) are among the most cited poetry in the Dutch language.
.
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
writer and poet (pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Alphonsus Josephus de Ridder). A few of his works have been translated into English.
Life
Alfons-Jozef was born in Antwerp to a bakerBaker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
's family. During secondary school, he developed a love for literature. He was quite restless, having various types of jobs in cities from Antwerp and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
to Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he served as the secretary of a national food relief committee in Antwerp. After the war he started his own advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
agency, which he ran until his death.
Willem Elsschot died in Antwerp in 1960, receiving a national literary award posthumously. He is interred in the Antwerpen Schoonselhof.
Works
- For the translation of the titles, see the "Bibliography" section
Elsschot published poems in a magazine titled "Alvoorder". His writing took off while he worked in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, where he wrote Villa des Roses (1913). His most famous work came in the 1920s and 1930s: Lijmen (1924), Kaas (1933), Tsjip (1934) en Het Been (1938).
Central themes in his work are business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
and family life
Family Life
Family Life is a magazine published by, and primarily for, the Old Order Amish. The publisher is Pathway Publishers of Aylmer, Ontario, Canada. Unlike some Amish publications, Family Life is printed entirely in English rather than Pennsylvania Dutch or German.The magazine was founded in 1968 and is...
. His style is characterised by detailed descriptions of surroundings and a mild cynicism
Cynicism
Cynicism , in its original form, refers to the beliefs of an ancient school of Greek philosophers known as the Cynics . Their philosophy was that the purpose of life was to live a life of Virtue in agreement with Nature. This meant rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, health, and...
. In his first books he works with the same characters, giving the readers a familiarity and a sketch of life in Antwerp during the 1930s. His characters Boorman an entrepreneur on one side (always looking for scams and opportunities like in the book Lijmen) and Frans Laarmans, a clerk, evolve through these books until Laarmans (in the very poetical, pensioen "pension"), in his later days finds himself going home. Retired. And goes out for the very last time before ending, very cynically, but satisfied... home.
Some lines of his poem Het Huwelijk/The Marriage (1933) are among the most cited poetry in the Dutch language.
Graphic Novel
In 2008 the two novels Kaas (Cheese, 1933) and Het dwaallicht (short story, translated as "Will o' the Wisp" and collected in "Three Novels", 1946) were made into graphic novels by Dick MatenaDick Matena
Dick Matena is a Dutch comics writer and cartoonist. He has also publishing under the pseudonyms A. den Dooier, John Kelly and Dick Richards.-Toonder studio's:...
.
External links
- Elsschot society (Dutch)