Ideeën

by Multatuli

Digitized from 1865 volume.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Nook

First published January 1, 1865

About the author

Eduard Douwes Dekker, better known by his pen name Multatuli (from Latin multa tuli, "I have suffered much"), was a Dutch writer famous for his satirical novel, Max Havelaar (1860) in which he denounced the abuses of colonialism in the colony of the Dutch East Indies (today's Indonesia). He is considered one of the Netherlands' greatest authors.

Determined to expose the scandals he had witnessed during his years in the Dutch East Indies, Douwes Dekker began to write newspaper articles and pamphlets. Little notice was taken of these early publications until, in 1860, he published his satirical anticolonialist novel Max Havelaar: The Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company under the pseudonym Multatuli. Douwes Dekker's pen name is derived from the Latin phrase multa tuli, meaning "I have suffered much" (or more literally: "I have borne much"). It refers both to himself and to the victims of the injustices he saw.

Multatuli made several attempts to write for the stage. One of his plays, Vorstenschool (The School for Princes, published in 1872 in the fourth volume of Ideën), expresses his nonconformist views on politics, society, and religion. Out of fear of offending the Dutch king, it was three years before the play was first staged. The premiere and subsequent tour were a great success, forming one of the highlights of Multatuli's career as a writer.

Reviews

[Chrétien Breukers · Rating 3 out of 5]

De vraag die ik mezelf stelde, was: Hou ik van het werk van Multatuli. Na herlezing van deze keuze uit de Ideeën moet ik, opnieuw, zeggen: Nee.

[Hans Moerland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Komrij’s selectie uit Multatuli’s “Ideeën” wekt bij mij bepaald niet de behoefte dat werk integraal te gaan lezen. De onderhavige bundel bevat nogal een allegaartje van schrijfsels. Verschillende stukken en stukjes getuigen weliswaar van de scherpe en kritische geest van de auteur –niet voor niets zou deze het grote voorbeeld zijn geweest voor Hugo Brandt Corstius–, maar over het algemeen laten ze zich niet gemakkelijk lezen en vergen ze behoorlijk wat kennis van zaken over gebeurtenissen, gewoonten, verhoudingen en zeker ook gezagsdragers en andere personen uit de negentiende eeuw. Qua stijl doen de “Ideeën” me, in hun pedanterie, soms veeleer aan Arnon Grunberg denken dan aan Hugo Brandt Corstius.