Gerrit Komrij (1944–2012)

Brieven uit Alvites is a posthumous publication of letters or prose fragments about Gerrit Komrij's life in Portugal from 1984 to 1988. According to the title, these are letters, but the texts are published without the formatting of letters, such as dates, place and addressee, etc.

Gerrit Komrij was a very productive writer, and having his residence in Portugal meant that he did not often appear in the media for interviews or other personal engagements. In 1990, he published the novel Over de bergen, which describes an unpleasant experience living in Portugal. The title of the book is the name of the mountains, near Komrij's residence.

In 2008, Komrij published Vila Pouca. Kroniek van een dorp. This is not a novel, but a somewhat bland autobiographical description of the village in Portugal where he lived at the time. Komrij lived there from 1988 till his death in 2012.

Brieven uit Alvites should be seen as a companion volume to Vila Pouca. Kroniek van een dorp, and it largely explains the background to the novel Over de bergen. In 1984, Komrij and his partner moved to Portugal taking up residence at a manor in Alvites. They expected to purchase the manor, and the sale was effective, but in the months prior to actually taking possession of the house, the local people turned against them. This is not explained in the book, but the book does mention that the villagers claim that Komrij's behavior had changed after the sale had been concluded. The situation and the whole experience were so upsetting that they decided to leave Alvites and relocate to another place in Portugal, namely Vila Pouca. The novel Over de bergen is the fictional treatment of this disappointment.

As a book, I found Brieven uit Alvites much more readable, and much more pleasant than Vila Pouca. Kroniek van een dorp. It is a very interesting publication because it sheds light on this important part of the life of the author. It would have been nicer to know more precisely whether these texts actually are letters or not. In this sense I find Dutch editors often too invasive or negligent. Otherwise, I would definitely recommend this book.… (mais)