Three Belgian Authors Explore Identity and Exile in New Books
Three books by Belgian authors are published nearly simultaneously by Éditions du Seuil. Hugo Claus's "Le Dernier Lit" collects three stories that delve into the timeless struggle between Eros and Thanatos, featuring characters on the edge of society. Patrick Roegiers's "Le Mal du Pays" is a humorous and erudite dictionary-like autobiography of Belgium, triggered by his father's death on April 17, 2001, and exploring the author's love-hate relationship with his homeland. Marc Rombaut's "Ville sanguine" is set in Bordeaux, where a narrator returns to his childhood city to research Goya's exile, intertwining memories, love, and history against the backdrop of the Papon trial. The three works, while distinct, collectively examine themes of belonging, exile, and national identity.
Key facts
- Three books by Belgian authors published by Éditions du Seuil.
- Hugo Claus is a Flemish author of 'Le Dernier Lit'.
- Patrick Roegiers wrote 'Le Mal du Pays', a dictionary about Belgium.
- Roegiers's father died on April 17, 2001, inspiring the book.
- Marc Rombaut wrote 'Ville sanguine', set in Bordeaux.
- The narrator in Rombaut's novel researches Goya's exile in Bordeaux.
- The novel references the trial of Maurice Papon, former prefect of Gironde.
- Claus's work features characters like a couple choosing to die in a cheap hotel and a mystical nun.
Entities
Artists
- Hugo Claus
- Patrick Roegiers
- Marc Rombaut
- Goya
- Dostoïevski
- Faulkner
- Bataille
- Breughel
- Ensor
- Baudelaire
- Joyce
- Magritte
- Verhaeren
- Ghelderode
- Michaux
- Hergé
- Johnny Hallyday
- Verheggen
- Delvoye
- Jan Fabre
- Hölderlin
- Stendhal
- Sainte Lydwine de Schiedam
- Mertens
Institutions
- Éditions du Seuil
Locations
- Belgium
- Flanders
- Brussels
- Bordeaux
- France
- Gironde
- Anvers
- Africa
Sources
- artpress —