Remco Campert (1929–2022)

De zomer van de zwarte jurkjes by the Dutch author Remco Campert is another collection of short stories. Like the short stories in Vrienden, vriendinnen en de rest van de wereld these short storiesshould be considered as micro-fiction. The short stories have a length of between half a page up to about five-and-a-half pages. Most of these stories are humorous, and most are about people, particularly about their particularities. Campert has his own kind of humour, which is not always evident.

A well-written novella or short novel about a writer who seeks isolation to resolve a problem but is found or discovered by the press, and thus prematurely driven to go home.

The anglicized Dutch title of this short novel or novella suggests a melodrama which should perhaps not be taken entirely seriously. It is a bit of a satiric story about marital problems in which the narrator plays a double role, while Miepje comes out with a true-to-its time appearance. Quite humorous.

This Penta Pocket edition comes with several interviews and essay materials at the end which give more insight into the work, the author and his other work.