This book is about a Dutch couple who hide a Jewish refugee during WWII. The story is short and spare. The psychological insights of the redeemer and the redeemed are acute. But maybe a person who is a little more introspective than can appreciate the fine pen the author uses. ( )

Very well written and thought provoking story. ( )

The story of Wim and Marie, a Dutch couple who first hide a Jew they know as Nico before having to dispose of his body when he passes away from pneumonia, is told in this novella. It portrays a penetrating study of common people resisting the Nazi occupation and, true to its title, a dark comedy of wartime manners. This 1947 novella, which has been translated for the first time into English, exhibits Hans Keilson at his very best: profoundly sardonic, perceptive, compassionate, and brilliantly modern, an heir to Joseph Roth and Franz Kafka. Keilson's writing was praised for investigating "the destructive force at work in the twentieth century, down to its deepest psychological and spiritual repercussions" in the citation that came with his award of Germany's prestigious Welt Literature Prize in 2008. ( )

Een Nederlands echtpaar laat een jood tijdens WOII bij zich onderduiken. Als de man aan een ziekte sterft, leggen ze het lijk, gekleed in een pyjama van de echtgenoot, in een nabijgelegen park. Doordat ze vergeten zijn de wasserijnummers uit de pyjama te knippen, lopen ze zelf gevaar en moeten ze halsoverkop onderduiken. Ze ervaren nu aan den lijve wat dat betekent. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. Since I don't usually write reviews, this in itself should show how much I loved it. Wim and Marie live in occupied Holland, and the only way they can resist the new, harsh regime is to allow Nico, a Jew, to hide in their house. When Nico dies, they have to figure out how to get rid of his body. But this short novella is so much more than that. It moves along smoothly between present and past; a few times it takes a few lines to realize that a jump has been made, but the transitions are mostly smooth. Certain passages are absolutely beautiful, and I wanted to read them over and over again.
I easily read the book in two sittings. It's one of the best books I've read this year. It's short; it's simple; it's there. ( )