Frida Vogels

Dagboek 1970-1971 is volume 8 in the series of the complete diaries of the Dutch author Frida Vogels. From the inception of the first diary, readers have seen how her writing style and skills have matured and developed. While the first two volumes were a struggle to read, the later volumes, while thicker, and much more enjoyable to read. However, even with the later volumes, the content remains rather uninteresting. In volume 8, Vogels is increasingly successful as a translator, but she does not write overmuch about her work as a translator. Rather, while better dosed and stylistically more refined, the bulk of the diary is about her relations with her family-in-law, her Italian husband, and her Italian friends. The distance causes considerable strain on readers to remain interested. After all, Frida Vogels herself is not a famous author for other than her novels.

The most interesting parts of the novel therefore continue to be the weeks she spends in the Netherlands. Her descriptions of Amsterdam and her contact with J.J. Voskuil and his wife, as well as the first mention in this volume of Bert Weijde as well as with their publisher, Geert van Oorschot are very interesting to read. Unfortunately, they are a rather small portion of the diaries, which mainly consist of hundreds of pages about het not so very exciting life in Italy.… (más)

In May 2005 the first volume of Frida Vogel's Dagboek (Diaries) was published. Altogether the series will comprise 16 volumes. So far, 10 volumes have been published, eight of which I have.

The diaries are considered of interest because three Dutch authors appear in their pages, describing their friendship and respective literary careers as they developed. They are Frida Vogels, J.J. Voskuil and Bert Weijde.

However, the reception of the diaries is disappointing. Volume 1, Dagboek 1954-1957 comprises four years is stylistically the weakest. The main criticism for most early volumes is the totally uninteresting content of the diaries.

Frida Vogels moved to Italy and married an Italian. In her diaries she describes her extended Italian family in detail. From Volume 2, Dagboek 1958-1959 each volume covers two years. While spending most of the year in Italy, Vogels regularly visits Strassburg in relation to work as a translator and regular visits to Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands for family visits. Over the years these visits to Amsterdam gain interest as the three authors, particularly the contact with J.J. Voskuil, expands and their literary career takes shape, discussing the literary scene in the Netherlands at that time, and the publication of Voskuil's work.

To me the large text portions about her life in Italy are of little interest, although it must be said that objectively her writing style improves, and they become more readable, and even of more interest, as her focus shifts from very personal, to more general observations. For me the most interesting parts are her visits to the Netherlands, and the descriptions of the city, people, literary events and the circle around Voskuil.

Particularly, Volume 4, the diary for 1962-1963 is of interest because it is in these two years that Voskuil finished writing and published his first great novel Bij nader inzien. Frida Vogels is one of the friends of Voskuil who all appear under different names in that novel of more than 1200 pages. Vogels records in her diary that she finished reading it in 6 days.

Although the diaries are rather boring, I am committed to finish reading at least the eight volumes that are in my possession, and I would probably finish the whole series when I can lay my hands on subsequent volumes.… (más)

In May 2005 the first volume of Frida Vogel's Dagboek (Diaries) was published. Altogether the series will comprise 16 volumes. So far, 10 volumes have been published, eight of which I have.

The diaries are considered of interest because three Dutch authors appear in their pages, describing their friendship and respective literary careers as they developed. They are Frida Vogels, J.J. Voskuil and Bert Weijde.

However, the reception of the diaries is disappointing. Volume 1, Dagboek 1954-1957 comprises four years is stylistically the weakest. The main criticism for most early volumes is the totally uninteresting content of the diaries.

Frida Vogels moved to Italy and married an Italian. In her diaries she describes her extended Italian family in detail. From Volume 2, Dagboek 1958-1959 each volume covers two years. While spending most of the year in Italy, Vogels regularly visits Strassburg in relation to work as a translator and regular visits to Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands for family visits. Over the years these visits to Amsterdam gain interest as the three authors, particularly the contact with J.J. Voskuil, expands and their literary career takes shape, discussing the literary scene in the Netherlands at that time, and the publication of Voskuil's work.

To me the large text portions about her life in Italy are of little interest, although it must be said that objectively her writing style improves, and they become more readable, and even of more interest, as her focus shifts from very personal, to more general observations. For me the most interesting parts are her visits to the Netherlands, and the descriptions of the city, people, literary events and the circle around Voskuil.

Although the diaries are rather boring, I am committed to finish reading at least the eight volumes that are in my possession, and I would probably finish the whole series when I can lay my hands on subsequent volumes.… (más)

In May 2005 the first volume of Frida Vogel's Dagboek (Diaries) was published. Altogether the series will comprise 16 volumes. So far, 10 volumes have been published, eight of which I have.

The diaries are considered of interest because three Dutch authors appear in their pages, describing their friendship and respective literary careers as they developed. They are Frida Vogels, J.J. Voskuil and Bert Weijde.

However, the reception of the diaries is disappointing. Volume 1, Dagboek 1954-1957 comprises four years is stylistically the weakest. The main criticism for most early volumes is the totally uninteresting content of the diaries.

Frida Vogels moved to Italy and married an Italian. In her diaries she describes her extended Italian family in detail. From Volume 2, Dagboek 1958-1959 each volume covers two years. While spending most of the year in Italy, Vogels regularly visits Strassburg in relation to work as a translator and regular visits to Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands for family visits. Over the years these visits to Amsterdam gain interest as the three authors, particularly the contact with J.J. Voskuil, expands and their literary career takes shape, discussing the literary scene in the Netherlands at that time, and the publication of Voskuil's work.

To me the large text portions about her life in Italy are of little interest, although it must be said that objectively her writing style improves, and they become more readable, and even of more interest, as her focus shifts from very personal, to more general observations. For me the most interesting parts are her visits to the Netherlands, and the descriptions of the city, people, literary events and the circle around Voskuil.

Although the diaries are rather boring, I am committed to finish reading at least the eight volumes that are in my possession, and I would probably finish the whole series when I can lay my hands on subsequent volumes.… (más)