"Mrs. Dermout, in the manner of Thoreau and the early Hemingway, is an extraordinary sensualist. [...] in passages of a startling, unadorned, three-dimensional clarity; often one can almost touch what she describes."[1]
Dermoût was a Dutch novelist born on a sugar plantation[2] in Pati, Java, Dutch East Indies, and educated in the Netherlands, who wrote in Dutch. After completing her education she returned to Java, where she married and travelled extensively across Java and the Moluccas with her husband. In 1933 her husband was pensioned, and the couple returned to the Netherlands. Maria Dermoût was widowed in 1952.
Dermoût died in The Hague in 1962. She is the subject of the biographyGeheim Indië. Het leven van Maria Dermoût 1888-1962 ("The Secret East Indies. The Life of Maria Dermoût 1888-1962") in 2000 by the Indo-European (Dutch-Indonesian) author Kester Freriks.
Body of workedit
Dermoût turned to writing early in life, but remained largely unpublished until she was 63.[2] She wrote two novels, both of which were not published until she was in her sixties: The Ten Thousand Things (De tienduizend dingen, 1955) and Days Before Yesterday — also published as Just Yesterday (Nog pas gisteren, 1951).[3] There are English translations of her novels by Hans Koning. Some of her short stories were published in translation in magazines such as Vogue during the 1960s. In Dutch, five short-story collections by her were also published.
She is viewed as one of the giants among Dutch-Indies literary writers, and The Ten Thousand Things in particular is widely regarded as an idiosyncratic masterpiece. The book has been translated into thirteen languages. As Hans Koning puts it in his Introduction to the New York Review Books edition of the novel:
"Dermoût was sui generis, a case all her own. She did not write about her Indies as a Dutch woman, or as a Javanese or an Ambonese. Hers was a near-compassionate disdain for the dividing lines, the hatreds and the fears ... She painted landscapes, still lifes and people in a world of myth and mystery."
Although not conventionally autobiographical, both of her novels draw from Dermoût's own life. In particular, like the central character in The Ten Thousand Things, Dermoût lost her son in violent circumstances (he died in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp). The Javanese childhood experiences and reminiscences described in Days Before Yesterday are based on, but do not mirror, her own childhood in the tropics.
"Still, Maria Dermoût an author for the happy few. Is she a writer's writer? Certainly not. She is a storyteller par excellence. Her stories are subtle, but they are also accessible. Nonetheless she remains an author for the happy few, equal to the greats of Dutch prose, but much less known than they are. There are many reasons for her modest literary reputation: her own modesty, the small body of her work, the brevity of her literary career. But it is mainly her work itself that is the cause. It possesses something that wards off hordes of readers, yet still manages to attract a handful, who then embrace it and spread the word of its exquisite nature. The shell seekers among the readers, the slow walkers, those who stop and turn and bend over to pick up that one beautiful shell - they recognize her extraordinary work."[4]
Referencesedit
^New York Review Books website. Retrieved 26 October 2011
^ ab"Maria Dermout". New York Review Books. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
^Encyclopædia Britannica "Her first two novels, Nog pas gisteren (1951; Yesterday) and De tienduizend dingen (1955; The Ten Thousand Things), are fictionalized accounts of her youth. Although written in an economic style, the two novels are rich in details of island life as experienced by both the colonials and the native people"
^Jong, Oek de. Oek de Jong leest Maria Dermoût. (Amsterdam, 2005) P.7-8 [1]
External linksedit
Maria Dermout website.(in Dutch)
Doolan, Paul (2013). "Maria Dermoût and 'Unremembering' Lost Time" (PDF). Canadian Journal of Netherlandic Studies. 34 (2): 1–28. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
April 10, 2024
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Maria Dermout news newspapers books scholar JSTOR April 2008 Learn how and when to remove this template message Maria Dermout 15 June 1888 27 June 1962 was an Indo European novelist considered one of the greats of Dutch literature and as such an important proponent of Dutch Indies literature In December 1958 Time magazine praised the translation of Maria Dermout s The Ten Thousand Things and named it one of the best books of the year Maria DermoutMaria Dermout in 1907BornHelena Anthonia Maria Elisabeth Ingerman 1888 06 15 15 June 1888Pati Dutch East IndiesDied27 June 1962 1962 06 27 aged 74 The Hague NetherlandsOccupationNovelistSignatureWhitney Balliett of The New Yorker wrote Mrs Dermout in the manner of Thoreau and the early Hemingway is an extraordinary sensualist in passages of a startling unadorned three dimensional clarity often one can almost touch what she describes 1 Contents 1 Biography 2 Body of work 3 References 4 External linksBiography editDermout was a Dutch novelist born on a sugar plantation 2 in Pati Java Dutch East Indies and educated in the Netherlands who wrote in Dutch After completing her education she returned to Java where she married and travelled extensively across Java and the Moluccas with her husband In 1933 her husband was pensioned and the couple returned to the Netherlands Maria Dermout was widowed in 1952 Dermout died in The Hague in 1962 She is the subject of the biography Geheim Indie Het leven van Maria Dermout 1888 1962 The Secret East Indies The Life of Maria Dermout 1888 1962 in 2000 by the Indo European Dutch Indonesian author Kester Freriks Body of work editDermout turned to writing early in life but remained largely unpublished until she was 63 2 She wrote two novels both of which were not published until she was in her sixties The Ten Thousand Things De tienduizend dingen 1955 and Days Before Yesterday also published as Just Yesterday Nog pas gisteren 1951 3 There are English translations of her novels by Hans Koning Some of her short stories were published in translation in magazines such as Vogue during the 1960s In Dutch five short story collections by her were also published She is viewed as one of the giants among Dutch Indies literary writers and The Ten Thousand Things in particular is widely regarded as an idiosyncratic masterpiece The book has been translated into thirteen languages As Hans Koning puts it in his Introduction to the New York Review Books edition of the novel Dermout was sui generis a case all her own She did not write about her Indies as a Dutch woman or as a Javanese or an Ambonese Hers was a near compassionate disdain for the dividing lines the hatreds and the fears She painted landscapes still lifes and people in a world of myth and mystery Although not conventionally autobiographical both of her novels draw from Dermout s own life In particular like the central character in The Ten Thousand Things Dermout lost her son in violent circumstances he died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp The Javanese childhood experiences and reminiscences described in Days Before Yesterday are based on but do not mirror her own childhood in the tropics nbsp Grave headstoneAuthor Oek de Jong appropriately wrote Still Maria Dermout an author for the happy few Is she a writer s writer Certainly not She is a storyteller par excellence Her stories are subtle but they are also accessible Nonetheless she remains an author for the happy few equal to the greats of Dutch prose but much less known than they are There are many reasons for her modest literary reputation her own modesty the small body of her work the brevity of her literary career But it is mainly her work itself that is the cause It possesses something that wards off hordes of readers yet still manages to attract a handful who then embrace it and spread the word of its exquisite nature The shell seekers among the readers the slow walkers those who stop and turn and bend over to pick up that one beautiful shell they recognize her extraordinary work 4 References edit New York Review Books website Retrieved 26 October 2011 a b Maria Dermout New York Review Books Retrieved 2021 01 08 Encyclopaedia Britannica Her first two novels Nog pas gisteren 1951 Yesterday and De tienduizend dingen 1955 The Ten Thousand Things are fictionalized accounts of her youth Although written in an economic style the two novels are rich in details of island life as experienced by both the colonials and the native people Jong Oek de Oek de Jong leest Maria Dermout Amsterdam 2005 P 7 8 1 External links editMaria Dermout website in Dutch Doolan Paul 2013 Maria Dermout and Unremembering Lost Time PDF Canadian Journal of Netherlandic Studies 34 2 1 28 Retrieved 14 September 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Maria Dermout amp oldid 1211551843, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
