Chirp Chirp

Every year in the Nederlands we have a bookweek. This year was the 74th time and the motto was: Chirp Chirp - The literary zoo.

Every year there is a bookweekgift. This time it was "Een tafel vol Vlinders" (A table full of butterflies) from Tim Krabbé. It only has 90 pages. I've read it this weekend and I have to say it's a nice book. But just as last year I have the strong feeling that the bookweekgift doesn't fit in the motto. The only point that's coming near to it is the comparison of the table full of butterflies. Personaly I find that not sufficient enough.

Back cover text: And Bram was a son. Just because he was not - you are obligated to love your own sone, through witch you always doubt if your realy do so; he loved Bram just because it was Bram.


The book only has two chapters. In the first chapter you get the story of Fred. It's his text that was printed on the back cover. He's the one who sees Bram as his son.. even if Bram isn't his son.
The second chapter tels the story of Bram in the form of a diary. It brings some contrast to both stories. Both stories are good. But there isn't much variety in it. If the motto was Love, than this book would perfectly fit in it.

Personally I found the writing style not that great. The text wasn't alway that fluently. That and absence of variety made the book for me nice and not great.

Besides the bookweek gift I also had my eyes on the bookweek essay. Under the titel: "Piep - Een kleine biologie der letteren (Peep - A little biology of the literature)" Midas Dekkers tells about the use of anumals in literature.


The book is 60 pages long or more like to short. Midas dekkers writes with his own sense of humor his, sometimes absurd, look on thinks. Like all good essays he uses a lot of external sources.

And these are also very nice and sometimes funny. So if you can read Dutch, try to get a copy of it and read it. :)