This is a book for brave readers. The feelings of melancholy that are so intricately described by Couperus will make your stomach ache. A true romantic, Couperus wrote this from his own experiences in life: the struggle with material excess, leisure and eventually boredom with the shallow and superficial existence of the wealthy and idle. ( )

Oef, valt dat even tegen. Wat een flauwe hap. ( )

If only because this novel hasn't yet been reviewed on LT in English, here's my take on it. Bertie, a young Dutchman in desperate straits, seeks out Frank, his compatriot and childhood friend, currently living in England. Frank not only takes Bertie in for the short term, he spoils him rotten for a while. When this easy new life of Bertie's is threatened by Frank's wish to marry, Bertie decides to do something about it.

I chose to read this book because I saw it mentioned as having been influenced by another novel from 1890, The Picture of Dorian Gray. I figured this ought to be a fun read. It wasn't a fun read. The plot and the characters were dull, except for a couple of brief outbreaks of melodrama. The awkwardness of the dialogue makes me suspect this isn't a great translation (I read Clara Bell's 1891 translation), but I don't think any translation could make me like this novel.