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Kop in de wind
Wilfried de Jong versmelt in Kop in de wind twee van zijn grote liefdes: schrijven en fietsen.
Foto omslag Stephan Vanfleteren.
Foto omslag Stephan Vanfleteren.
- GenresShort StoriesCycling
172 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2012
49 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 13, 2019
I don't think I will ever get tired of Wilfried de Jong's short stories, where cycling is often just the catalyst for an interesting insight into intriguing characters. Once again this was a highly enjoyable short read between the first couple of stages in this year's Giro d'Italia.
September 28, 2018
Over fietsen en het leven... Heelijk om af en toe een kort verhaal te lezen.
June 20, 2019
Heerlijk simpele en vermakelijke verhalen
June 24, 2024
Leest makkelijk weg maar verder niet heel boeienD
January 20, 2016
“Kop in de wind” is a very pretty, very intense little book which is goes far beyond the façade of just a man on his bicycle. With a clear, honest style and a keen eye, Wilfried de Jong manages to bring intimate conversations to life and tackle big themes in small stories.
Over the course of ten individual chapters (they’re too well-developed to call them sketches anymore), the nameless narrator – possibly cycle-fanatic De Jong himself – travels around southern Europe and New York on his two-wheeler. Through chance and luck (or lack thereof), he bumps into a masseuse called Mona Lisa, an unlucky black bird, flirty twins and a market full of bullies.
I have very little interest in cycling – or sport in general – yet De Jong immediately drew me in, which shows just how absorbing his narrative is.
Because he talks about so much more than just cycling. His stories are about getting older, discovering your body is no longer capable of what it once used to do. About being surprising, touched and intimidated by people you’ve only just met. Small moments in a human’s life when things are changed forever in the blink of an eye.
Rarely have stories gripped me the way chapters like “Stickers” (About a meeting with a lost and confused man in Manhattan) and “Montalto” (Where the history of a young woman in an Italian cemetery is slowly revealed) did. Those are special moments for a reader, and De Jong succeeded to stun me several times over the course of just a few chapters.
Whether the man in each story is Wilfried himself, or if they’re (partly) fictitious, doesn’t matter at all. In the end, it’s the result and the reaction which count. And with “Kop in de wind”, the reader cycles along head down a mountain road, tyres whirring on the black asphalt, and stands to the side, silently, as the cyclist listens to another story about life, death, obsession and compassion.
Heavy themes, surely, but De Jong writes without any nonsense or pretense. His tone is warm and with just the right amount of human and dry wit, “Kop in de wind” is an equally touching and entertaining experience.
Over the course of ten individual chapters (they’re too well-developed to call them sketches anymore), the nameless narrator – possibly cycle-fanatic De Jong himself – travels around southern Europe and New York on his two-wheeler. Through chance and luck (or lack thereof), he bumps into a masseuse called Mona Lisa, an unlucky black bird, flirty twins and a market full of bullies.
I have very little interest in cycling – or sport in general – yet De Jong immediately drew me in, which shows just how absorbing his narrative is.
Because he talks about so much more than just cycling. His stories are about getting older, discovering your body is no longer capable of what it once used to do. About being surprising, touched and intimidated by people you’ve only just met. Small moments in a human’s life when things are changed forever in the blink of an eye.
Rarely have stories gripped me the way chapters like “Stickers” (About a meeting with a lost and confused man in Manhattan) and “Montalto” (Where the history of a young woman in an Italian cemetery is slowly revealed) did. Those are special moments for a reader, and De Jong succeeded to stun me several times over the course of just a few chapters.
Whether the man in each story is Wilfried himself, or if they’re (partly) fictitious, doesn’t matter at all. In the end, it’s the result and the reaction which count. And with “Kop in de wind”, the reader cycles along head down a mountain road, tyres whirring on the black asphalt, and stands to the side, silently, as the cyclist listens to another story about life, death, obsession and compassion.
Heavy themes, surely, but De Jong writes without any nonsense or pretense. His tone is warm and with just the right amount of human and dry wit, “Kop in de wind” is an equally touching and entertaining experience.
September 24, 2013
This book is a compilation of ten stories that involve cycling. It won the ‘Nico Scheepmaker Beker’ for best Dutch sports book of 2012. Even though I did not read any other Dutch sports book of 2012, I imagine this trophy was well-earned. This book contains so many memorable moments and details, such rich, diverse surroundings and atmospheres. The style is excellent as well (though a little bumpy sometimes); it reminded me of Kees van Kooten with its humour, self-mockery and strange occurrences.
What is more, this book has a real heart. Apart from the stories that were mostly very funny (‘Zwarte veren’, ‘Dop’, ‘Lek’), there were also stories that had more of a tragic stroke (‘Stickers’, ‘Montalto’, ‘Hôtel Neuf’, ‘Wol’). And nearly all the stories dealt with the dual themes of passion (trying or merely desiring to go one step beyond what you can) and compassion (trying or desiring to understand and feel what others can and struggle to do). Doing that without becoming overly sentimental is a great feat.
My only real criticism has to do with the fact that every story contains some strange encounter. Combined with the general passivity of the narrator and his urge to romanticise cycling, this gives you the impression that you are in fact looking at some cabinet of curiosities, as if you are watching ‘Jambers’ or ‘Man bijt hond’. Fortunately, I do not get this impression very often, and, to be fair, most stories do not contain exceptionally strange people. Only slightly strange people. And we all know those.
What is more, this book has a real heart. Apart from the stories that were mostly very funny (‘Zwarte veren’, ‘Dop’, ‘Lek’), there were also stories that had more of a tragic stroke (‘Stickers’, ‘Montalto’, ‘Hôtel Neuf’, ‘Wol’). And nearly all the stories dealt with the dual themes of passion (trying or merely desiring to go one step beyond what you can) and compassion (trying or desiring to understand and feel what others can and struggle to do). Doing that without becoming overly sentimental is a great feat.
My only real criticism has to do with the fact that every story contains some strange encounter. Combined with the general passivity of the narrator and his urge to romanticise cycling, this gives you the impression that you are in fact looking at some cabinet of curiosities, as if you are watching ‘Jambers’ or ‘Man bijt hond’. Fortunately, I do not get this impression very often, and, to be fair, most stories do not contain exceptionally strange people. Only slightly strange people. And we all know those.
January 27, 2015
De Jong is een goede schrijver met oog voor zijn medemens. Deze verhalen gaan wel over fietsen, maar vooral over wat voor bijzondere ontmoetingen dat oplevert. Zoals het bijna magisch-realistische eerste verhaal met de Italiaanse verzorgster halverwege de top. Of over de Amerikaanse veteraan zonder benen met een handbike en het vreselijke hotel met de kabouterkamer. Of de Italiaanse motorrijder die De Jong op weg naar zijn vrouw in het ziekenhuis uit de braamstruiken knipt. Ontroerende en grappige verhalen. Zo nu en dan komt de door details geobsedeerde wielerfanaat en jazzliefhebber er wel wat veel doorheen. Als de door zoals ik niets mee hebt, is dat wel wat irritant. Net als mannen die oeverloos over auto's en voetbal lullen... Maar over het algemeen prima leesvoer voor het slapengaan, de lengte van de verhalen leent zich daar ook voor.
March 30, 2013
Authentiek geschreven, maar beslist geen literair hoogstandje.
June 10, 2013
Snoepgoed; het leven vanaf een wielrenfiets. Wint terecht de Nico Scheepmaker prijs 2013!!
September 13, 2014
Leuk boekje met mooie fietsverhalen. Alleen stoorde ik me aan het feit dat De Jong snelheid als kilometer omschrijft: "Ik keek op mijn fietscomputer: 32 kilometer". Het is kilometer per uur vriend!
August 21, 2014
Een verzameling korte verhalen over de schijnbaar willekeurige ontmoetingen en gebeurtenissen op de racefiets. Erg herkenbaar maar toch verrassend. Makkelijk te lezen.
January 29, 2015
Passie voor sport. De Jong schrijft erg sterk, romantisch en is een opperliefhebber van de sport. Heerlijk boekje.
April 27, 2016
Je ziet 'm fietsen terwijl je leest.
En hij kan kleine details waanzinnig mooi maken.
En hij kan kleine details waanzinnig mooi maken.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews