Peter De Vries (1910–1993)

'The Blood of the Lamb' is the chronicle of a life the protagonist himself describes as his 'Book of the Dead'. It is both humorous and tragic; the omnipresent reader a witness to Don Wanderhope's struggle to fathom belief, love, meaning, medicine, faith and suffering.

De Vries writes with a dazzling mastery of language and sentiment - it is a wonder and disappointment that he and his works aren't more esteemed. Semi-autobiographical, his character's journey bleeds perspicacity and authenticity, none more so than at its climax:

'How I hate this world. I would like to tear it apart with my own two hands if I could. I would like to dismantle the universe star by star, like a treeful of rotten fruit. Nor do I believe in progress. A vermin:..eaten saint scratching his filth in the hope of heaven is better off than you damned in clean linen. Progress doubles our tenure in a vale of tears. Man is a mistake, to be corrected only by his abolition, which he gives promise of seeing to himself. Oh, let him pass, and leave the earth to the flowers that carpet the earth wherever he explodes his triumphs. Man is inconsolable, thanks to that eternal "Why?" when there is no Why, that question mark twisted like a fishhook in the human heart.'

The Blood of the Lamb poignantly embodies the fragility of existence and the struggles within it to which we all succumb.… (mehr)

This is the second De Vries book I have read (The Blood of the Lamb being the first) and it has done nothing to quell my passionate heralding of the greatness of a man so unexplainably excluded from the copious lists of excellent literature. His command of language is perfectly astute (perhaps ever more impressive due to his Dutch nationality) his handling of character perspicacious and his telling of a tale masterful.

A Mackerel Plaza is a farce, eruditely suffused with divine and mythological reflection. It is the story of a widowed pastor, who unwittingly falls for another woman a few months after the accidental death of his wife. Particularly scrupulous as to how his parish may perceive a new love interest, Andrew Mackerel makes great pains to nurture the budding romance with Molly Calico whilst keeping up appearances of widowhood and grievance before the church’s parishioners.

Throw into this his live-in housekeeper who is the sister of his deceased wife, adamant on infinitely observing a vigil of respect to her sibling that borders on martyrdom and a brooding bureaucracy chomping at the bit to use any excuse (say, a sprawling memorial plaza in dedication to the town’s recently lost heroine) to capitalise on the burgeoning business flirting with their potential suburban cash cow and you have a holy headache.

It is all a little much for our innocent protagonist, already wrestling tenets of his belief and religion (and unwanted ‘Jesus Saves’ signs which disturb his creative flow whilst attempting to write his sermons) never mind anything else.

Read De Vries.
… (mehr)

This unconventional coming of age story is occasionally amusing rather than really funny, but it holds your interest as its protagonist, who starts in 8th grade by getting his teacher pregnant, proceeds through the next few years of his life. The other characters tend to be a bit one-dimensional, but in interesting ways. The pleasure of the book comes from the protagonist's use of odd words and from the various quotes, allusions, and philosophy obviously but skillfully entwined in the narrative. Overall, a pleasurable world to spend a few hours in.… (mehr)