Louis Couperus
Louis Marie Anne Couperus was a pivotal figure in Dutch literature, recognized for his contributions to the European literary scene in the early 20th century. Influenced by Émile Zola's social realism, Couperus’s works often explore the interplay between personal lives and fate, addressing deep philosophical themes. His notable novels include *Eline Vere*, which depicts a woman's struggles with her heredity, and *Old People and the Things That Pass*, where the consequences of a forgotten crime loom over future generations. Despite facing criticism from Dutch critics who labeled his outlook as perverse, his works found considerable success both in the Netherlands and internationally. Couperus's early life in Java, where his father was a government official, significantly shaped his narrative style, with many themes reflecting his colonial background. Among his most ambitious projects are *The Books of the Small Souls*, a comprehensive family saga, and a series of historical novels examining the fates of figures like Heliogabalus and Alexander the Great. His writings often feature a subtle irony, enriching both his fiction and his autobiography, which offers insights into his perspective and experiences.
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Louis Couperus
Dutch novelist
- Born: June 10, 1863
- Birthplace: The Hague, the Netherlands
- Died: July 16, 1923
- Place of death: De Steeg, the Netherlands
Biography
Louis Marie Anne Couperus (kew-PAY-roos) brought the Dutch novel into the mainstream of twentieth century European literature by building on the tradition of Émile Zola’s social realism. From his first published work, Eline Vere—the story of a woman without character who feels damned by her heredity—to one of his best novels, Old People and the Things That Pass—in which a forgotten crime determines the lives of those who were unborn when it was committed—he developed his own method of situating personal life in a context of fate. Although Dutch critics accused him of having a perverse and morbid philosophical outlook, his novels were highly successful in his own country and abroad. When he returned to Holland in 1923, after living for many years in Italy, his sixtieth birthday was the occasion for a national celebration.
Couperus spent his early years until the age of fifteen in Java, where his father served as a government official, and he visited the Dutch East Indies again after 1921 as correspondent for the Haagsche Post. Much of his work reflects this colonial background.
Couperus’s most ambitious works are The Books of the Small Souls, a four-novel family saga, and his group of historical novels, De Berg Van Licht (the mountain of light), Arrogance, and Iskander, in which he analyzes the downfall of Heliogabalus, Xerxes, and Alexander the Great as caused by forces beyond their control. His writings were often relieved by a delicate play of irony, which also distinguishes his autobiography, Van en over Mijzelf en Anderen (of and concerning myself and others), which is interesting for its portrait sketches.
Bibliography
Bastet, Frédéric. Louis Couperus: Een biografie. Amsterdam: Querido, 1987.
Heijne, Bas. Het gezicht van Louis Couperus. Amsterdam: L. J. Veen, 1996.
Klein, Maarten. Noodlot en wederkeer: De betekenis van de filosofie in het werk van Louis Couperus. Maastricht, the Netherlands: Shaker, 2000.
Meijer, Reinder P. Literature of the Low Countries: A Short History of Dutch Literature in the Netherlands and Belgium. Rev. ed. Boston: Nijhoff, 1978.
Vliet, H. T. M. van. Eenheid in verscheidenheid: Over de werkwijze van Louis Couperus. Amsterdam: L. J. Veen, 1996.
Wolf, Manfred. “Couperus in San Francisco.” Translated by Ees Polack. Levende Talen, no. 233 (1966).