Astrid Roemer (1947–2026)

This was my seventh novel from the International Booker longlist. It didn't make the shortlist, but was for me one of the most enjoyable books on the list.

We're in Suriname, in the 1970s. This novel was written in Suriname-Dutch, and originally published in 1982. It was first translated to English in 2023, and is the first novel by this author to become available in English.

It's promoted as a lesbian novel. But it's nuanced how it gets there. It's the story a black woman in Suriname trying show more to find some kind of happiness. She is the mixed race descendent of Jewish plantation owners and black slaves, and she leaves her black husband and her small town nine days into their marriage, and heads for the capital. Here she goes to school, teaches and falls in a wild relationship with Hindi boy with a bad reputation, Ramses, and his Jewish friend. In the cultural mélange of this capital I had never thought about before, there were Chinese, Hindi, Muslim, and Jewish communities, amongst the Dutch and those of native descent. This variety of cultural sensations is part of what I enjoyed about the novel.

But mostly what I loved was the language, and especially how it picks up on the lush natural surroundings, and then leaves gaps in the story. The text is full of unspoken aspects the reader is left to fill in. Some readers have complained they get lost. And it's not always clear what happened in those gaps. But they are strategic for affect, and they keep the reader thinking and I really appreciated that. If I can be a little snooty, she's playing with negative capability, and it worked wonderfully for me.

It is not a perfect novel. As it jumps along, some elements work better than others. I have a few plot point element complaints. I found the sort-of lesbian relationship flat, and yet it's central. But mostly I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, its early playfulness, surprising complexity, discreet intelligence and all its sensations. show less

A bit surprised I haven't encountered this author before; only 'a bit' because I recall how the college reading lists of my youth were organized. It's a rich and complex story, with enough plot to satisfy the surface level and layers of social and historical critique.

Noenka lives in the small country of Suriname, and leaves her husband after nine days of marriage. She moves to Nieuw Nickerie to teach and begins a tempestuous relationship with one man and an affair with another, drawing the attention of the small, conservative community. She then falls into another relationship, this time with her much older white landlady. Returning to Paramaribo, her husband tries to force her to return to him, and all the powers are behind him, from the church to the show more medical system.

On a Woman's Madness is told in a poetic, dreamy style, that moves back and forth in time and made knowing what was going on difficult, but letting the language wash over me as I read and not worrying so much about what was going on or when it was happening made reading this book easier. There is a lot happening, with Noenka pushing against the traditions and societal norms at every step, while also not be at all clear as to what she wants, leading her to acquiesce or fight at random. What was interesting about this book was seeing how the diverse culture of Suriname plays out in the life of one woman, and the glimpse at a country I know next to nothing about. show less

Qua stijl vond ik dit een lastig boek om te lezen. Veel onafgewerkte gedachtes, veel te raden, stukken cursief (gedachten?). De inhoud was heftig, over een Surinaamse man die naar Nederland vertrekt om een vrouw te vergeten. Langzamerhand zie je hem afglijden: drugs, drank, vrouwen. Hij wordt verliefd op een hoer (of wil hij haar redden?) en wil met haar trouwen. Zij wordt vermoord voordat ze kunnen trouwen. Het eind was echt heavy, vond ik.