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De verdwenen dagboeken van Frans Hals
Een Amerikaanse doctoraal student van Nederlandse afkomst wordt gevraagd de pas ontdekte dagboeken van Frans Hals te vertalen, waardoor zijn leven drastisch verandert.
337 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 11, 2019
rating: 3.5
As I neared the end of this book, I turned to the internet to learn more about Frans Hals and to look for more examples of his paintings. (Seven color images are included in the book -- unusual for fiction.) That's what I like about historical fiction. If well-done, it makes me want to learn more.
The diary entries brought 17th C Haarlem to life. Hals had 10 children -- 2 by his first wife, 8 by his second. If that were mentioned in the diary entires, I missed it, but that goes a long way to explaining why money was always in short supply.
I also did a Google search on Kernan, and learned that he was a journalist who died in 2005 at the age of 78. That surprised me; I expected him to have been younger when he wrote this novel. Why? Because of the many diary entries that were 'sex reports.' Those were the least credible passages. I can't see an educated man from that time period writing so much of that kind of detail in something as tangible as a diary.
As I neared the end of this book, I turned to the internet to learn more about Frans Hals and to look for more examples of his paintings. (Seven color images are included in the book -- unusual for fiction.) That's what I like about historical fiction. If well-done, it makes me want to learn more.
The diary entries brought 17th C Haarlem to life. Hals had 10 children -- 2 by his first wife, 8 by his second. If that were mentioned in the diary entires, I missed it, but that goes a long way to explaining why money was always in short supply.
I also did a Google search on Kernan, and learned that he was a journalist who died in 2005 at the age of 78. That surprised me; I expected him to have been younger when he wrote this novel. Why? Because of the many diary entries that were 'sex reports.' Those were the least credible passages. I can't see an educated man from that time period writing so much of that kind of detail in something as tangible as a diary.
September 27, 2020
When you are Dutch and you find a book in English about a Dutch painter, especially diaries of a Dutch painter, then you are intrigued. So when I saw The Lost Diaries of Frans Hals I was happy. It is always interesting to read about the life of a person who lived long ago. So I started reading. And I got angry at the writer. There is this farm where they find old diaries. Yeah right. And they want to know if the diaries are ligit. That is understandable. And then they ask a student who speaks Dutch because his family is from Holland to read and translate the diaries. Okay, I get that. But then: was this kid a scholar in old 17th century handwriting? I see a lot of old Dutch writing because I am interested in geneology. And it is very very difficult to find out what is written in the 17th century. The way they were writing is not easy to read and they also had so many words that are not used anymore. And this boy who has no experience with that is reading the diaries like a novel? I don't think so... What is also strange: he quotes from the novel words as 'Nieuwe Gracht'. But in those days they wrote that differently: 'Nieuwe Gragt'. When I got over this I found out that this book was written without knowledge of my country. And that made me again a little irritated. I few examples: On page 40 he is talking about the stony beach where Hals is going to with his girlfriend. A stony beach in Holland? We only have sandy beaches. On page 45 Hals says: 'I thought we were going to look at the ocean..' What? The Ocean? That is a bit further away. This is the North Sea. Hals would have known that. On page 46 he is drinking geneva (jevener) a real Dutch treat. But he is tasting traces of anise flavour. Well my husband is a true jenever-fan. But he never ever tasted anise flavour in that. Does the writer mean Pernot? That is French. Page 89: here he talks about festivities where they use mistletoe. That was not a Dutch thing. And on page 90 he talkes about inches. That is not Dutch and never was. Now we have centimeters. But in the old days they had other measurements like a 'thumb'. I was so irritated I told my husband what made me angry all the time and he asked me why I didn't stop reading. Why didn't I indeed? Because I was really interested in the big story. And that was very well done. Now I know a lot more about the life of Frans Hals and because I have seen his paintings in the Museum in Den Haag it interested me even more. So: okay it gets three stars for that.
August 15, 2011
Having majored in art in college, I love to read books about the lives of famous artists. I spotted this one at a favorite library book sale a couple of years ago, but it sat in my TBR (to be read)pile ever since. I should have read it right away! This book is a thoroughly enjoyable and delightful story. It was so easy to get engrossed in the tale and find yourself hoping that the diaries are indeed authentic. The author managed to depict Hals not as a stuffy historical figure, but as a pretty cool guy with a dry sense of humor and zest for life. This book has the same sort of feel as "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" (also two of my favorites), but was published years prior. I was sad to discover that author Michael Kernan passed away in 2005. Would have loved to read more of his works.
October 9, 2010
The heart of this novel is an historical account of the life of Frans Hals, a Dutch painter and contemporary of Rembrandt. It is set around the idea that books have been found that may be lost diaries of Hals, and a graduate student in art history, Peter Van Overloop, is translating them. The novel goes back and forth between VanOverloop's life and that of Hals, as VanOverloop translates. VanOverloop seems a rather nerdish kind of guy, unsure of himself and unlikely to go very far in his field, until the diaries exert a change in his life. The personality and life of Hals shine through and make me want to read more about him. The question of the authenticity of the diaries plays a part in the story, and the slightly surprising ending fits well.
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January 18, 2021The ping-pong model of a plot that is here-and-there or now-and-then can get formulaic (Eric Larson should give it a rest) but the "conversation" between 17th century Holland and 20th century New York illumine each of the two principal characters in wondrous ways. I'm not at all sure that the "diaries" aren't real discoveries and that the Frans Hals presented there isn't the actual Dutch artist. It's the next best thing to a biography that probably cannot have. Catalogues raisonne serve their important purpose — and now I'd to have one of those on my shelf — but this imagined autobiography rings very true.
April 7, 2016
Really enjoyed this book. The diary entries were wonderful, and the contemporary story was interesting, as well. Color plates were a nice surprise.
April 18, 2015
Loved it. A present day mystery all mixed in with old Dutch master history. What's not to love there?
March 11, 2020
This is a delightful read, a novel that unfolds on two levels.
In present-day New York, Peter Van Overloop, is a graduate student, struggling to finish his dissertation on the seventeenth-century Dutch painter, De Hooch. As providence would have it, a series of diaries falls into the hands of an art dealer. Purported to be the lost diaries of Frans Hals, another master painter of the Dutch golden age, Peter is hired to translate the books and determine their authenticity. What unfolds is a delightful journey into seventeenth century Haarlem. The novel moves back and forth from contemporary New York to the past. And what a past it is!
Author Michael Kernan creates a Haarlem rich with character, color, and descriptive flavor. Reading it, one slips effortlessly into a past that is more vivid than the present. Certainly, this is the best part of the novel. You cannot get enough of the cobbled streets, windblown weather and antics of the people who lived and breathed life into some of the world's most famous paintings. Frans Hals comes to life with a critical eye, boisterous sense of humor and worldly conceit. We live with him as he experiences the ups and downs of fortune, the varied interwoven lives of children, friends, and others, all amidst the historical canvas that is the backdrop for a fascinating life.
Without a doubt, Frans Hals was a masterful painter. What Kernan's book does so well is open our eyes to the kind of irascible character he was. He comes alive for us, stepping from the aged canvas of history, into the light.
One forgets that this is a novel. It seems so real that it's easy to forget Kernan has shaped a life from intensive research and documentation. To his credit, Hals emerges from these pages more real than the characters living in the present. Raise a glass of Dutch ale to Kernan!
In present-day New York, Peter Van Overloop, is a graduate student, struggling to finish his dissertation on the seventeenth-century Dutch painter, De Hooch. As providence would have it, a series of diaries falls into the hands of an art dealer. Purported to be the lost diaries of Frans Hals, another master painter of the Dutch golden age, Peter is hired to translate the books and determine their authenticity. What unfolds is a delightful journey into seventeenth century Haarlem. The novel moves back and forth from contemporary New York to the past. And what a past it is!
Author Michael Kernan creates a Haarlem rich with character, color, and descriptive flavor. Reading it, one slips effortlessly into a past that is more vivid than the present. Certainly, this is the best part of the novel. You cannot get enough of the cobbled streets, windblown weather and antics of the people who lived and breathed life into some of the world's most famous paintings. Frans Hals comes to life with a critical eye, boisterous sense of humor and worldly conceit. We live with him as he experiences the ups and downs of fortune, the varied interwoven lives of children, friends, and others, all amidst the historical canvas that is the backdrop for a fascinating life.
Without a doubt, Frans Hals was a masterful painter. What Kernan's book does so well is open our eyes to the kind of irascible character he was. He comes alive for us, stepping from the aged canvas of history, into the light.
One forgets that this is a novel. It seems so real that it's easy to forget Kernan has shaped a life from intensive research and documentation. To his credit, Hals emerges from these pages more real than the characters living in the present. Raise a glass of Dutch ale to Kernan!
November 1, 2020
I had recently seen a PBS special on Vermeer when I picked up this book: an interesting continuation on the theme of Dutch Masters. The book follows a young, inept Dutch grad student living in New York who falls into a job of translating a series of old Dutch diaries, allegedly by the artist Frans Hals. The book moves back & forth between the young man’s misadventures and the diary he is translating.
The diary becomes the more interesting narration. For those who have not had the opportunity to take a few art history classes, it is an enjoyable adventure into an artist who was responsible for bringing more life into the stern Dutch painting techniques. The rigidity of Dutch life as contrasted with an artist who sought to bring movement and light into his canvases allows viewers of Hal’s works to appreciate them more.
The translator is of less interest, though he has his own adventures. The reader must admire his devotion to the diaries, and his final joy at recognizing the man brought to life in the pages.
There were moments when I thought about not finishing - diaries/journals are my favorite genre — but I am glad I completed the book: 3.5 stars
The diary becomes the more interesting narration. For those who have not had the opportunity to take a few art history classes, it is an enjoyable adventure into an artist who was responsible for bringing more life into the stern Dutch painting techniques. The rigidity of Dutch life as contrasted with an artist who sought to bring movement and light into his canvases allows viewers of Hal’s works to appreciate them more.
The translator is of less interest, though he has his own adventures. The reader must admire his devotion to the diaries, and his final joy at recognizing the man brought to life in the pages.
There were moments when I thought about not finishing - diaries/journals are my favorite genre — but I am glad I completed the book: 3.5 stars
June 7, 2018
A kid fooling around in an old garage finds an trunk filled with paintings and some old journals. Feckless grad student Peter Overloop is hired to translate the diaries, which may belong to Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals. This task gives Peter such focus that he clings to the books even as he bounces from couch to couch when he ends up homeless in NYC. Hals springs from the page and so does Peter, in a shambling way. I was left wanting to know how the diaries ended up in the trunk, but that would have been a plan for another book.
If you're in the mood for novels set in the Dutch Golden Age or art mysteries, "The Lost Diaries" is a charming read, well researched, full of life, and a peek into life in 1990s New York as well!
If you're in the mood for novels set in the Dutch Golden Age or art mysteries, "The Lost Diaries" is a charming read, well researched, full of life, and a peek into life in 1990s New York as well!
February 20, 2024
A marvelous treat, as Peter, a young student translates diaries reportedly found of the 17th century Haarlem painter. Frans Hals paintings are remarkable portraits of the citizens of this Dutch city, complete with all the bumps and whistles that enhance their character. They seem like flesh and blood people we could know--obviously in rather eccentric clothing, but so very personable. The author 'translates' these fictional sources as if they were indeed the actual diaries. The reader is led into this life, so 'tangibly' that, he--or at least I did--feels as if we know this all too human being, and artist. Do note that the diary entries are in miniscule print, so excellent lighting or a magnifying glass may be needed for aged readers, like me.
January 11, 2018
A very pleasant surprise to have come upon this wonderful book. Mr. Kernan evokes the essence of
Dutch culture in the 17th century much like Simon Schama's book does which"Peter 'one of the characters in the book used as an historical reference during his research.
Dutch culture in the 17th century much like Simon Schama's book does which"Peter 'one of the characters in the book used as an historical reference during his research.
September 10, 2022
A ne'er-do-well graduate student takes on translating a newly discovered set of journals of Dutch painter Frans Hals. Is it real? Is it fake? I didn't really care, frankly. I was too busy enjoying this well written novel of interesting like-able characters. The perfect thing for a long train ride. I enjoyed it a lot. Recommended.
January 16, 2016
This book contains two stories within its pages. One is about the artist Frans Hals which unfolds in a diary found in a hayloft of a barn. The other is about the life of the translator, Peter, as he undertakes the task of translating the diary and the events unfolding in his own life. Sometimes the two stories seem to parallel each other in certain aspects.
In the diary, the way Hals describes people shows his artistic character and temperament. However, some of the entries just don't seem to ring true as to what someone of that era might put down on paper - they may have been thinking those thoughts, but I couldn't imagine writing about them even in something as personal as a diary. The diary also contained quite a bit of dialogue, another element most diaries do not contain.
All in all, this fictional work was an interesting look at life in Holland in the 1600s and in how an artist might look at the world around himself.
In the diary, the way Hals describes people shows his artistic character and temperament. However, some of the entries just don't seem to ring true as to what someone of that era might put down on paper - they may have been thinking those thoughts, but I couldn't imagine writing about them even in something as personal as a diary. The diary also contained quite a bit of dialogue, another element most diaries do not contain.
All in all, this fictional work was an interesting look at life in Holland in the 1600s and in how an artist might look at the world around himself.
March 31, 2009
Interesting book, but very dated. Funny to read about hi-fis and such, and I always find it a bit unbelievable when authors create a character who will sleep with a guy and let him live with her after knowing him for an hour, but what do I know? Actually skimmed a good part of the book when relating the actual journals of Hals, but was able to get the gist, and it was entertaining. Not a bad light read, but I wouldn't go looking for it (and happy with the $2 I paid). It does say something for a book when it can get me through a 1/2 hr MUNI delay with little annoyance!
November 3, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. I am a sucker for the fictionalized accounts of artists, and am not at all certain how much invention there is in this novel, but the character of Hals and his time truly come alive. The narrator is much less compelling, and less convincing as well, but the artifice works well enough to carry it along.
April 27, 2009
A literary mystery switching between New York and Amsterdam: a student today and the Dutch artist Frans Hals. Enjoyable addition to the found-manuscript genre.
May 10, 2012
Did not like the writing
May 15, 2014
This book was just a random pick-up in a used book section at a thrift store. I had never heard of it. I completely enjoyed it.
April 8, 2016
Gave a great feeling for life during the Dutch Golden Age.
July 8, 2015
Decent enough book, but maybe you have to be a true Hals fan to want to read this story.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews