oscar van den boogaard more than a lover (Meer dan een minnaar)
* A moving, bitter and funny portrait of parents and children in search of happiness World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 288 pages The enigmatic Regina Flemming has told her family she is going to Paris for the weekend. In actual fact, however, she is with the man next door, aboard the Herald of Free Enterprise when it capsizes. Having survived the disaster, she is now confronted with the biggest decision of her life. She decides to return home as though nothing has happened, by way of Paris where she buys a Dior scarf for her husband. He has just gone through a traumatic weekend, during which he drove the neighbor’s heavily pregnant wife to Zeebrugge to identify her husband’s body. That same night the neighbor children have had their first taste of wild euphoria. At graveside Regina bids a final farewell to the love of her life, and leaves the Parisian scarf in his coffin.
Since his debut, Dentz, in 1990, oscar van den boogaard has put together an impressive literary oeuvre. Novels such as Julia’s Delight and Love’s Death have been nominated for many prizes and translated into many languages. ‘Oscar van den Boogaard constructs a compelling, delightful and always surprising universe.’ – le monde On More than a lover ‘Van den Boogaard’s ninth novel confirms his strength, it contains all the elements that has made so many of us adore his work.’ – elle ‘A dazzling novel. Van den Boogaard’s style is musical, his composition is perfect, his metaphors exquisite and his characters are very much true to life.’ – nrc handelsblad
Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2010, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij