biography
| name: |
Hermans, Willem Frederik
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pronunciation:
[hermahns]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1921–95)
|
| biography:
| Novelist and polemicist, born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He studied physiography and became a professor and lecturer at the University of Groningen, but resigned in 1973 after a conflict with his employer. Together with Mulisch and Reve, he is regarded as one the three great figures of Dutch post-war literature. He became well known with his war novel De tranen der acacia's (1949, Tears of the Acacias), which expresses his pessimistic outlook on the human condition. Another war novel, De donkere kamer van Damocles (1958, The Dark Room of Damocles), established his literary reputation. In his work he describes the helplessness of human beings against fate and chaos. Locked up in a sadistic universe, people fall victim to destiny and misunderstanding, and are unable to get a hold on reality. His earlier work particularly can be typified as a radical continuation of pre-war Modernism with surrealistic influences. After his satirical novel Onder professoren (1975, Among Professors) about his academic experiences, his work becomes more realistic in nature. In addition to being a prolific writer, he was a feared polemicist agitating against colleagues like Reve and Brandt Corstius. His polemic essays were collected in Mandarijnen op zwavelzuur (1963, Mandarins on Sulphuric Acid). In 1977 he was awarded the Prize for Dutch Literature. |
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