Second book in my jury duty for the literary prize Gouden Boekenuil, in Flanders, Belgium
Physically uneased, disgusted, lump in my throat ... revoltingly repulsive. That's how you feel with the themes described in this book. Friars in an boarding school abusing mentally, humiliating, physical and sexual abuse on school children, young boys.
[[Jeroen Brouwers]] is a true master in depicting the time frame, the protagonist, the atmosphere and the relations of power and silence in this hard, nausea causing, novel.
The language used underpins the situations, the stuttering children, the twaddling superior friar, the commanding schoolmaster and super abuser ... it all fits. The reader is given a break with some normal people from the outside world coming into the light but then again you are rejected and recalled to the horrors inside of the school / monastery.
A duty read as jury member for the literary prize Gouden Boekenuil. If not, i would never have read this book. I don't want to close my eyes for this kind of situations, but the horrendous details, the repulsive pleasure by the friars so accurately described, it makes me feel only one thing: run away.
And get them all into jail, throwing away the key.
I know again why i do not want to have any link, none whatsoever, with religion. I can only hope for the current victims, who still are out there, that their misery will end soon and that justice will be done.
Albeit said that i would never have read this book if not on duty, it is a, literature wise seen, very good book: very rich in vocabulary, supporting style, a real pageturner as well, sentences and situations like small jewels, a masterpiece. Hence the 4 stars. But no pleasant read. It makes me think of [Purple Hibiscus] by [[Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie]], another jewel, but uncomfortable read. ( )

Bah, vervelend boek. Niet uit gekregen. Vooringenomen, ongeloofwaardig verhaal over seksueel misbruik in een kloostergemeenschap. Maar erg zwartwit. De auteur heeft zich niet verdiept in de echte verhalen over dat misbruik, lijkt mij. ( )