Vonne Van der Meer
Vonne van der Meer (b. 1952) has written fourteen novels, several short story collections, novellas and plays. The novel 'Eilandgasten' (Island Guests, 1999) and the two sequels 'De avondboot' (The Evening Boat, 2001) and 'Laatste seizoen' (Last Season, 2002) introduced her to a large audience.
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She has received widespread acclaim for her lightness of tone and her vividly drawn characters. Personal Injury (2022), too, has been very well-received by the press.
More Vonne Van der Meer
Island Guests
In what is by now the extensive oeuvre of Vonne van der Meer, islands occupy a place of prominence. Her characters visit islands in search of peace and quiet, and are then compelled by the isolation to reflect on their lives. On an island, we learn from her new book, everything happens for the first time. 'Eilandgasten' takes place in a holiday house on an island off the coast of Holland called Vlieland. The scheme of the novel, which is brilliant in its simplicity, enables the author to incorporate six very different stories, or mini-dramas. Each chapter introduces a new tenant or tenants; the holiday house is the principal thread that runs through them.
Personal Injury
A young woman ends up in a wheelchair due to a manufacturing defect in her skis. Her lawyer pursues the highest possible compensation. It’s a straightforward conceit that Vonne van der Meer takes into an unexpected direction. In 'Personal Injury', the way we see ourself clashes with the view of outsiders. Who or what determines the value of an unlived life?