Louis Couperus
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| + | "Einde. Zoo is het goed. Lang zal de stralende weg zijn, maar het Doel zal grooter zijn dan ik mijzelven nog voor kan stellen. Zie, mijn engelen weven hun wegen als een glinsterweb door het heelal! Zij zijn gehoorzaam en goed, al mijn kinderen! Nu stuwen zij hun zonnen voort, en zij berekenen de zuivere stelselen; in volkomen [[samenzweving]] en -wenteling regelen zij de beweging der sterren, die hunne handen zaaiden rondom. "--''[[God en goden]]'' (1903) by Louis Couperus | ||
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| + | '''Louis Marie-Anne Couperus''' ([[June 10]] [[1863]] – [[July 16]] [[1923]]) was a [[Netherlands|Dutch]] novelist and poet of the late 19th and early 20th Century. He is usually considered one of the foremost figures in [[Dutch literature]]. | ||
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| + | Born in [[The Hague]], the [[Netherlands]] in [[1863]], Couperus grew up in a wealthy patrician family, spending part of his youth in the [[Dutch East Indies]] and going to school in Batavia (now [[Jakarta]], [[Indonesia]]). Couperus was the grandson of a wealthy Governor General of the Dutch East Indies and many of his relatives were employed in the local government. After returning to [[The Hague]] in 1878, he published some early volumes of poetry and prose which garnered little success or critical attention. Couperus came to fame with the publication of his novel ''Eline Vere'' ([[1888]]), a [[naturalism (literature)|naturalist]] work influenced by French novelists like [[Emile Zola]] and [[Gustave Flaubert]]. Couperus' 1891 novel ''Noodlot'' (''Footsteps of Fate'') was much admired by [[Oscar Wilde]], and many have noted stylistic similarities between ''Noodlot'' and Wilde's 1890 novel ''[[The Picture of Dorian Gray]]''. | ||
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| + | Couperus' later works include ''De Stille Kracht'' (''The Hidden Force'', [[1900]]) and ''[[De Berg van Licht]]'' (''The Mountain of Light'', [[1906]]), a decadent and seamy novel set at the height of the [[Roman Empire]]. His psychological novels, such as "De Boeken der Kleine Zielen" (1901-1902; translated as "The Books of the Small Souls") en "Van Oude Menschen, de Dingen, die Voorbij gaan..." (1906: translated as "Of old people and the Things that Pass") enjoyed much success in the English speaking countries after the First World War. His historical novels were very popular in Germany. Couperus' books sold better abroad than in the narrow-minded calvinistic Netherlands of his days. | ||
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| + | As a child in a large family Couperus was not rich. He had to make ends meet by writing an astonishing volume of work. Fifty novels and volumes of collected stories have been published. | ||
| + | Couperus and his wife lived most of his life in boarding houses and rented villas in France and Italy. All their worldly goods and his large library were endlessly moved about in huge trunks and crates. | ||
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| + | Couperus married his niece in 1891 and it seems likely that they chose not to have children. Settling in [[Venice]] until 1910, they then began travelling more braodly throughout Italy. Couperus himself is believed to have been homosexual but the strong conventions of his time and his shy nature seem to have kept him from choosing a life that would have suited his nature. | ||
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| + | Contemporary gossip and his often homoerotic choice of subjects ([[Oscar Wilde]], Heliogabalus, wrestlers on the Riviera) suggest that Couperus was gay. His wife went to great pains to ensure that all the letters and other insights into Couperus' private life disappeared after his death. | ||
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| + | A renowned wit, raconteur and commentator, Couperus continued to publish critically and commercially successful work until his sudden death in [[1923]]. Couperus died of [[blood poisoning]]. | ||
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| + | ==Bibliography== | ||
| + | *Een lent van vaerzen (1884) | ||
| + | *Orchideeën (1886) | ||
| + | *Eline Vere (1889) | ||
| + | *Noodlot (1890) | ||
| + | *[[Extaze. Een boek van geluk]] (1892) | ||
| + | *Eene illuzie (1892) | ||
| + | *Majesteit (1893) | ||
| + | *Reis-impressies (1894) | ||
| + | *Wereldvrede (1895) | ||
| + | *Williswinde (1895) | ||
| + | *Hooge troeven (1896) | ||
| + | *[[De verzoeking van den H. Antonius]] (1896) | ||
| + | *Metamorfoze (1897) | ||
| + | *[[Psyche (Couperus)]] (1898) | ||
| + | *Fidessa (1899) | ||
| + | *Langs lijnen van geleidelijkheid (Translated to English as ''Inevitable'') (1900) | ||
| + | *De stille kracht (1900) | ||
| + | *Babel (1901) | ||
| + | *De boeken der kleine zielen. De kleine zielen (1901) | ||
| + | *De boeken der kleine zielen. Het late leven (1902) | ||
| + | *De boeken der kleine zielen. Zielenschemering (1902) | ||
| + | *De boeken der kleine zielen. Het heilige weten (1903) | ||
| + | *Over lichtende drempels (1902) | ||
| + | *[[God en goden]] (1903) | ||
| + | *Dionyzos (1904) | ||
| + | *De berg van licht (1905/6) | ||
| + | *Van oude menschen, de dingen, die voorbij gaan... (1906) | ||
| + | *Aan den weg der vreugde (1908) | ||
| + | *Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Eerste bundel (1910) | ||
| + | *Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Tweede bundel (1914) | ||
| + | *Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Derde bundel (1916) | ||
| + | *Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Vierde bundel (1917) | ||
| + | *Antieke verhalen, van goden en keizers, van dichters en hetaeren (1911) | ||
| + | *Korte arabesken (1911) | ||
| + | *Antiek toerisme. Roman uit Oud-Egypte (1911) | ||
| + | *De zwaluwen neêr gestreken... (1911) | ||
| + | *Schimmen van schoonheid (1912) | ||
| + | *Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht. Eerste bundel (1912) | ||
| + | *Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht. Tweede bundel (1913) | ||
| + | *Herakles (1913) | ||
| + | *Van en over alles en iedereen (1915) | ||
| + | *De ongelukkige (1915) | ||
| + | *De komedianten (1917) | ||
| + | *Jan en Florence (1917) | ||
| + | *Wreede portretten (1917) | ||
| + | *Der dingen ziel (1918) | ||
| + | *Brieven van den nutteloozen toeschouwer (1918) | ||
| + | *Legende, mythe en fantazie (1918) | ||
| + | *[[De verliefde ezel]] (1918) | ||
| + | *De ode (1919) | ||
| + | *Xerxes of de hoogmoed (1919) | ||
| + | *Iskander. De roman van Alexander den Groote (1920) | ||
| + | *Lucrezia (1920) | ||
| + | *Met Louis Couperus in Afrika (1921) | ||
| + | *Het zwevende schaakbord (1922) | ||
| + | *Oostwaarts (1923) | ||
| + | *Proza. Eerste bundel (1923) | ||
| + | *Proza. Tweede bundel (1924) | ||
| + | *Proza. Derde bundel (1925) | ||
| + | *Het snoer der ontferming (1924) | ||
| + | *Nippon (1925) | ||
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Current revision
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"Einde. Zoo is het goed. Lang zal de stralende weg zijn, maar het Doel zal grooter zijn dan ik mijzelven nog voor kan stellen. Zie, mijn engelen weven hun wegen als een glinsterweb door het heelal! Zij zijn gehoorzaam en goed, al mijn kinderen! Nu stuwen zij hun zonnen voort, en zij berekenen de zuivere stelselen; in volkomen samenzweving en -wenteling regelen zij de beweging der sterren, die hunne handen zaaiden rondom. "--God en goden (1903) by Louis Couperus |
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Louis Marie-Anne Couperus (June 10 1863 – July 16 1923) was a Dutch novelist and poet of the late 19th and early 20th Century. He is usually considered one of the foremost figures in Dutch literature.
Born in The Hague, the Netherlands in 1863, Couperus grew up in a wealthy patrician family, spending part of his youth in the Dutch East Indies and going to school in Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia). Couperus was the grandson of a wealthy Governor General of the Dutch East Indies and many of his relatives were employed in the local government. After returning to The Hague in 1878, he published some early volumes of poetry and prose which garnered little success or critical attention. Couperus came to fame with the publication of his novel Eline Vere (1888), a naturalist work influenced by French novelists like Emile Zola and Gustave Flaubert. Couperus' 1891 novel Noodlot (Footsteps of Fate) was much admired by Oscar Wilde, and many have noted stylistic similarities between Noodlot and Wilde's 1890 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Couperus' later works include De Stille Kracht (The Hidden Force, 1900) and De Berg van Licht (The Mountain of Light, 1906), a decadent and seamy novel set at the height of the Roman Empire. His psychological novels, such as "De Boeken der Kleine Zielen" (1901-1902; translated as "The Books of the Small Souls") en "Van Oude Menschen, de Dingen, die Voorbij gaan..." (1906: translated as "Of old people and the Things that Pass") enjoyed much success in the English speaking countries after the First World War. His historical novels were very popular in Germany. Couperus' books sold better abroad than in the narrow-minded calvinistic Netherlands of his days.
As a child in a large family Couperus was not rich. He had to make ends meet by writing an astonishing volume of work. Fifty novels and volumes of collected stories have been published. Couperus and his wife lived most of his life in boarding houses and rented villas in France and Italy. All their worldly goods and his large library were endlessly moved about in huge trunks and crates.
Couperus married his niece in 1891 and it seems likely that they chose not to have children. Settling in Venice until 1910, they then began travelling more braodly throughout Italy. Couperus himself is believed to have been homosexual but the strong conventions of his time and his shy nature seem to have kept him from choosing a life that would have suited his nature.
Contemporary gossip and his often homoerotic choice of subjects (Oscar Wilde, Heliogabalus, wrestlers on the Riviera) suggest that Couperus was gay. His wife went to great pains to ensure that all the letters and other insights into Couperus' private life disappeared after his death.
A renowned wit, raconteur and commentator, Couperus continued to publish critically and commercially successful work until his sudden death in 1923. Couperus died of blood poisoning.
Bibliography
- Een lent van vaerzen (1884)
- Orchideeën (1886)
- Eline Vere (1889)
- Noodlot (1890)
- Extaze. Een boek van geluk (1892)
- Eene illuzie (1892)
- Majesteit (1893)
- Reis-impressies (1894)
- Wereldvrede (1895)
- Williswinde (1895)
- Hooge troeven (1896)
- De verzoeking van den H. Antonius (1896)
- Metamorfoze (1897)
- Psyche (Couperus) (1898)
- Fidessa (1899)
- Langs lijnen van geleidelijkheid (Translated to English as Inevitable) (1900)
- De stille kracht (1900)
- Babel (1901)
- De boeken der kleine zielen. De kleine zielen (1901)
- De boeken der kleine zielen. Het late leven (1902)
- De boeken der kleine zielen. Zielenschemering (1902)
- De boeken der kleine zielen. Het heilige weten (1903)
- Over lichtende drempels (1902)
- God en goden (1903)
- Dionyzos (1904)
- De berg van licht (1905/6)
- Van oude menschen, de dingen, die voorbij gaan... (1906)
- Aan den weg der vreugde (1908)
- Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Eerste bundel (1910)
- Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Tweede bundel (1914)
- Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Derde bundel (1916)
- Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Vierde bundel (1917)
- Antieke verhalen, van goden en keizers, van dichters en hetaeren (1911)
- Korte arabesken (1911)
- Antiek toerisme. Roman uit Oud-Egypte (1911)
- De zwaluwen neêr gestreken... (1911)
- Schimmen van schoonheid (1912)
- Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht. Eerste bundel (1912)
- Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht. Tweede bundel (1913)
- Herakles (1913)
- Van en over alles en iedereen (1915)
- De ongelukkige (1915)
- De komedianten (1917)
- Jan en Florence (1917)
- Wreede portretten (1917)
- Der dingen ziel (1918)
- Brieven van den nutteloozen toeschouwer (1918)
- Legende, mythe en fantazie (1918)
- De verliefde ezel (1918)
- De ode (1919)
- Xerxes of de hoogmoed (1919)
- Iskander. De roman van Alexander den Groote (1920)
- Lucrezia (1920)
- Met Louis Couperus in Afrika (1921)
- Het zwevende schaakbord (1922)
- Oostwaarts (1923)
- Proza. Eerste bundel (1923)
- Proza. Tweede bundel (1924)
- Proza. Derde bundel (1925)
- Het snoer der ontferming (1924)
- Nippon (1925)
