emvdw's Reviews (341)

This book was recommended to me by my aunt. I thought neither the title, nor the cover, were very appealing so I put off reading it for a while. But in the end, I am very glad I read it, it was such a beautiful and unusual read.

The central figure in Het lied van ooievaar en dromedaris is Eliza (and to a lesser extent her sister Millicent) May Drayden, a pair of novelists inspired by the Brönte sisters. Its narrative structure, or so I've read, is borrowed from Wuthering Heights and jumps from viewpoint character to viewpoint character, giving you a glimpse of the mystery of Eliza, and the mythology that arises around her, through the years. The Brönte sisters do exist in the novel (they are mentioned off-handedly a few times) and this annoyed me a little bit, I think mostly because the poetry scattered throughout the novel are Daanje's translations of Emily Brönte's poems and that felt like in-universe intellectual theft somehow.

I have no knowledge of the Brönte sisters, and of their work I've only read Jayne Eyre, so while knowledge of their life and work may enhance your experience, I definitely enjoyed this novel without it.

I really liked the way the (possible) answers to the many mysteries of Eliza mostly get revealed through the different other viewpoints. I liked all of the chapters in their own way, but the final one was probably my favourite. I think It's not a novel of easy answers and closure - so if you like that in your stories this one is probably not for you. I think for me personally the balance was right - though there's a few details I wish were more clear and I don't quite know yet if I feel the author succeeded with bringing everything together in the final chapter (I finished yesterday night). I think this needs to sink in a bit, and I am sure it will stay with me for a long time.

I started Het Lied right after I finished one Hundred Years of Solitude, and it is a funny coincidence, because I thought the books had a lot of similarities! They share some themes (circularity of time, history repeating itself, a touch of the uncanny and even the

incest! Just kidding - Het Lied has only a bit of incest-adjacent behaviour

[very mild spoiler]). I liked Het Lied quite a bit more than Solitude, and I have a hard time putting my finger exactly on why that is. I think the plot (or perhaps the narrative direction??) is just a bit more defined, and I guess I was just more invested in the mystery of Eliza, Millicent, Phoebe, Emery & co than in the exploits of 17 Aureliano's and José's. But if you read Dutch and liked Solitude (or even the idea of it) I think you should probably give Het Lied van Ooievaar en Dromedaris a go.

This was not for me

I though this was going to be a lighthearted romp. It turned out to be a lighthearted romp with some existential questions about morality. I had great fun, but if you're even a little bit squeamish - watch out for that final chapter.

This was fine and forgettable. The author creates a vibrant and atmospheric world. I loved the first third or so, but as soon as the journeys into the other realms begin, the world-building becomes a tad confusing. The things set up in the first third (like the Vasethe's 100 previous professions) hardly get any pay-off. The ending did not make a lick of sense to me, and the "twist reveal" came out of nowhere and wasn't foreshadowed at all (I thought). Another review I read said the book felt like only half a novel - it's short (for fantasy at least) and involves a lot of set-up - and I have to agree. I'm not invested enough to continue the series, really.