Grey and rainy days are no exception in the Netherlands, and there’s nothing better than curling up inside with a book to while them away. But you might as well use this time to learn stuff, too.
Whether you’re new to the country, planning on coming here soon, or want to know more about the tiny land of tall people, here are our eight favourite books to read about the Netherlands.
1. ‘The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old’ by Peter de Smet
Look, I admit this is a weird one. But it’s one of my favourite books about the Netherlands.
The book is written through the lens of Amsterdam pensioner Hendrik Groen as he tries to figure out the meaning of life and love.
He lives in an assisted living facility and considers himself by far the coolest of his fellow pensioners.
That is, until the love of his life, Eefje, moves into the nursing home and wins Hendrik’s heart with her sense of humour.
Hendrik and friends set up an Old-But-Not-Dead club to organise excursions. Other diversions in Hendrik’s life include choosing a mobility scooter and mulling over euthanasia.
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The book is hilarious and a nice way to learn about how the Netherlands deals with the elderly — if that’s something you know nothing about.
2. ‘The Penguin Book of Dutch Short Stories’ by Joost Zwagerman (Ed.)
If you want to know a country, you have to read its short stories. Short stories are the best literary format for really getting a sense of a place.
Why? Well, for one, you’ll get lots of different perspectives in manageable chunks, while one person cannot tell the story of a nation.
Secondly, short stories don’t need to have the same commercial merit individually as novels, which means they can be as weird and incomprehensible as they desire.
They need to tell a story right (real life doesn’t have a beginning, middle, or end, as you may have noticed).
Finally, short story anthologies are lovely because you can pick up the collection, read a single story in a sitting, and absorb it while going about your day.
3. ‘Why the Dutch are Different’ by Ben Coates
You can’t live in the Netherlands as an international without running into Ben Coates, at least digitally. Coates is originally from England but moved here accidentally and never left.
Why the Dutch are Different explores the history of the Netherlands and tries to piece together why the Dutch are the way they are.
From liberalism to directness, if you’ve been confused or even concerned by Dutchies, this is the book for you.
It’ll also answer other questions you might have as an outsider: why is everything orange? Why is there so much beer and cheese? And what lies beyond the confines of the Randstad?
It’s far more than a surface-level examination of the Netherlands as Coates dives deep into the psyche of this watery nation.
4. ‘India and the Netherlands: Past, Present & Future’ by Venu Rajamony
If you want to treat someone this Christmas, get them this incredibly illustrated coffee-table book about the historical relationship between India and the Netherlands, written by the former Indian ambassador to the Netherlands, Venu Rajamony.
This book does well by acknowledging the Netherlands’ not-so-great actions in its colonial territories while generally presenting a story that is enjoyable to read and even has a hopeful note. You’ll learn all about the VOC and slavery.
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Still, you’ll also read about King Willem and Queen Maxima’s tour of India and the author’s hopeful predictions for the future relationship between the countries.
5. ‘The Bookshop of the World: Making and Trading Books in the Dutch Golden Age’ by Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen
Obviously, in an article about books in the Netherlands, there should be a book about books in the Netherlands (I can say “books” plenty more, trust me, but I won’t).
Dutch art in the Golden Age is frequently discussed, but the Dutch also became masters of the book trade during the same period.
Previously dominated by the Italians and Germans, the Dutch started to increase their share in printing, binding, and selling books throughout Europe following the migration of Protestants from the Southern Netherlands to Holland during the Eighty Years’ War.
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It’s a previously undiscussed aspect of the Netherlands’ rise to prosperity, and honestly, it’s fascinating to learn about books in a different era.
Also — excuse the shallowness — the book is really pretty. So you can look aesthetically intellectual this holiday season. 🎄
6. ‘The Thousand Autumns of Jakob de Zoet’ by David Mitchell
Any good book list on the Netherlands should have plenty about the country’s colonial past, so I present to you ‘The Thousand Autumns of Jakob de Zoet’.
A fictional account of a Dutchman’s life on Dejima, the Dutch-Japanese trading post, this book will bring you back in time to the late 18th century.
The Dutch were one of the few Western countries to gain access to the Japanese market during this period, which gave them a significant trade advantage (hello, VOC).
READ MORE | What was the VOC? The Dutch East India Company explained
Mitchell’s way of writing is incredibly vivid: one of the most striking aspects of the book for me was the sense of atmosphere- gloomy, cold, a sense of alienation and homesickness.
Perhaps these are not the warmest of emotions, but if you want to visit a different world, this book is for you. There are plenty of reasons to read it even if you’re not interested in history.
7. ‘The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age’ by Simon Schama
Are you craving some hardcore history reading? Of course, you are!
Even if you’re somehow not, though, this book is a must-read if you want to understand the Netherlands’ history, particularly what happened during the Dutch Golden Age.
It’s a much-mentioned period of time in the Netherlands, but if you want to understand what it meant for the Dutchies, this is the book for you.
You’ll be wandering around the Rijksmuseum with fresh eyes in no time. It has a strong focus on art history, which is no surprise, given the fame of Dutch Golden Age paintings.
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Schama uses historical documents to help the reader understand what some of the best-known Dutch Golden Age paintings were saying about the world.
8. ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ by Tracy Chevalier
You might more easily associate this title with the painting held in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, but there is also a book based on the painting.
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It’s a fictional story narrated by Griet, the heroine of the novel, who starts working as a maid at Johannes Vermeer’s house.
She gradually becomes more intimate with Vermeer, becoming his assistant and then modelling for him in a painting that eventually becomes the “Girl with a Pearl Earring.”
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This book is wonderfully atmospheric. I particularly loved the market scenes, which make you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time. This book will be perfect if you want an easy read over the holidays with no compromises on story quality.
It’s so enjoyable to read some of the books that got me interested in Dutch history in the first place.
Have you read any of these? Are there any other books about the Netherlands that we HAVE to read? Let us know in the comments below.
Thank you for these recommendations.
Great recommendations…I also enjoyed The Girl with the Pearl Earing … the movie was also very enjoyable… a couple of other books people may enjoy are Tulip Fever, The Mininiaturist and Murder in Amsterdam
The book Arnhem, detailing the ill-fated Battle of Arnhem (part of Operation Market Garden) by Antony Beevor is a superb read.
I’m Dutch, but lived in India and London for some time. Because of living abroad, I became interested in what was that made the Dutch the Dutch. The best book I have read about this is called A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto. It explains why thing are as they are in the Netherlands from a historical perspective. It was very enlightened to read this as a duchtman my self.
You have to read Amsterdam, the world’s most liberal city by Russell Shorto. He tells the history of the Netherlands and how their thinking changed our world. Clearly an outstanding book. Brought to my knowledge many facts about the country and I highly recommend this book.
Yes! I just finished this book and bought a copy for my whole family for Christmas! 10/10 would recommend. It’s full of fun historical stories Dutch history (specifically Amsterdam history) but the writing has a non-fiction element about it that makes it eas to read and enjoy. This book totally belongs on this list.
The Dutch Winter is a historical novel that grips the soul as you watch the gallant women and men resist the Nazi occupation
‘Why the Dutch are Different’ is very good, and fun to read.
I would add to the list ‘The Undutchables’, recently out in a revised version.
Schama’s book is not for everyone. I couldn’t get through it.