278:). With this title Boon emerged for the first time as an important innovator of the novel. Rather than containing one story, "My Little War" contains over thirty loosely interrelated chapters, each containing a story that can be read as an independent piece. Most stories describe the difficult circumstances of life during the Occupation, such as finding food and fuel to warm the house, some deal with the deteriorating sexual mores, and some treat more direct war experiences such as bombings. Yet the overarching structure, though well hidden, makes for a coherent whole as well. The stories are interspersed with numerous raw fragments about equally raw incidents during the Occupation as the short stories: rape, theft, treason, humiliation. Boon admitted that the work of
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187:, memories of a German soldier shooting a prisoner would end up in later autobiographical work. Boon left school at age 16 to work for his father as a car painter. He was expelled from school for possession of forbidden books. During evenings and weekends he studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts, but soon had to abandon his studies due to lack of funds. In 1936 he married Jeanneke De Wolf. Three years later, their son Jo was born.
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306:), which he began to write as early as 1943. Its dazzling construction combines several narrative threads, including an almost postmodern one where the writer and his friends discuss how the story should develop further. Another one is an extensive reworking of the most classic medieval work in the Dutch language, the twelfth-century story of
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In
September 1939, Boon was mobilised and stationed as a soldier in Gooik and Tessenderlo. Boon was moved to Veldwezelt at the outbreak of World War II in May 1940 in order to defend the Albert Canal. However, he was captured as a prisoner of war on the first day and eventually sent home, after a few
253:. In subsequent years, Boon continued to combine newspaper and literary work, and even added painting and sculpture to his activities. His literary output ranges from short prose, longer experimental novels, one man magazines, documentary and historical novels, poetry, erotic works and fairy tales.
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provided the inspiration for this literary device. In this book, the term 'enemy' by no means signifies
Germans exclusively, even though one story tells of the extermination of a Jewish girl and another of a camp prisoner's experiences. People are just as likely, if not more, to be robbed of food,
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in the late 1970s, and even received an invitation to appear at the
Swedish Embassy, probably to be told that the Prize had been awarded to him. The day before the appointment he died at his writing table of a heart attack. Very little of his writing has been translated into English, but
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Pieter Daens of hoe in de negentiende eeuw de arbeiders van Aalst vochten tegen armoede en onrecht (1971), historical novel. Awarded the
Multatuli-prize
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Boon's literary legacy is a versatile, ranging from journalistic pieces on
Belgian politics and society to erotic novelas. In historical novels such as
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135:) was a Belgian writer of novels, poetry, pornography, columns and art criticism. He was also a painter. He is best known for the novels
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weeks in a prisoner camp. His experiences during the War and mostly the
Occupation are the subject of Boon's fourth book,
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De kleine Eva uit de Kromme
Bijlstraat (1956), long-form, narrative poem. Awarded the Henriette Roland Holst-prize
374:, Boon projected an ideal society but at the same time shared his doubts as to whether human nature could achieve
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De zwarte hand, of het anarchisme van de negentiende eeuw in het industriestadje Aalst (1976), historical novel
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Boontje's reservaat (1954-1957), one-man magazine with documentary reports, stories, memories and essays
527:"Stad Aalst stelt inwoners gerust: "Geboortehuis schrijver Louis Paul Boon gaat niet tegen de vlakte""
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Blauwbaardje in
Wonderland en andere grimmige sprookjes voor verdorven kinderen (1962), fairy tales
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His experiences during World War II and the
Occupation are the subject of Boon's fourth book,
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in the 16th century. Nearly all of Boon's work was infused by his profound commitment to
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money, or even their spouse's fidelity by their neighbours as they are by the
Germans.
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After writing an unpublished novel, Boon's official debut came in 1942 with
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Summer in Termuren (1956), translated by Paul Vincent, Dalkey Archive Press
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In 1953 he published the work that now stands as his greatest masterpiece,
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Chapel Road (1953), translated by Adrienne Dixon, Dalkey Archive Press
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My Little War (1946), translated by Paul Vincent, Dalkey Archive Press
213:). It was awarded the Leo J. Krynprijs award at the recommendation of
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Boon started working as a journalist for the communist dailies
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The birth-house of Boon, 2022, missing its commemorative plaque
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Louis Paal Boon at the Digital Library for Dutch Literature
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De bende van Jan de Lichte (1957), modern picaresque novel
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Mieke Maaike's obscene jeugd (1972), pornographic novella
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322:), which picks up where the earlier novel left off.
672:, Tr. A. Giridhar Rao, Research and Practice Blog,
217:. His next novel was loosely based on the life of
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394:Boon was thought to have been shortlisted for a
484:Geniaal, maar met korte beentjes (1967), essays
407:are both available in English translation from
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245:(1948). Later he contributed to the newspaper
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659:A Boon overview by Eric Dickens (English)
310:the fox. There are several references to
274:(1947, translation 2010 by Paul Vincent,
125:Lodewijk Paul Aalbrecht (Louis Paul) Boon
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496:Het geuzenboek (1979), historical novel
249:with which he established himself as a
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225:(1944, not available in translation).
654:Discovering Louis Paul Boon (English)
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452:Other selected works, not translated
419:, and Paul Vincent's translation of
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427:) was published by Dalkey in 2009.
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735:20th-century Belgian male writers
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457:De voorstad groeit (1942), novel
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730:20th-century Belgian novelists
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463:Vergeten straat (1946), novel
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173:Lodewijk Paul Aalbrecht Boon
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45:Lodewijk Paul Aalbrecht Boon
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700:People from Aalst, Belgium
332:De Bende van Jan de Lichte
260:in 1979 at the age of 67.
16:Belgian writer (1912–1979)
396:Nobel Prize in Literature
385:Statue of Louis Paul Boon
336:De zoon van Jan de Lichte
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256:Boon died in his home in
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715:Belgian erotica writers
525:NWS, VRT (2021-03-08).
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469:Menuet (1955), novella
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35:Louis Paul Boon (1967)
436:Translated in English
431:Selected bibliography
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92:author, poet, painter
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606:Dalkey Archive Press
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409:Dalkey Archive Press
276:Dalkey Archive Press
139:(1947), the diptych
627:"Summer in Termure"
127:(15 March 1912, in
670:"The First of May"
552:"Boon, Louis Paul"
507:Flemish literature
421:Mijn kleine oorlog
417:Summer in Termuren
405:Zomer in Ter-Muren
401:De Kapellekensbaan
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320:Summer in Termuren
316:Zomer te Ter-muren
300:De Kapellekensbaan
229:After World War II
207:De voorstad groeit
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145:Summer in Termuren
131:– 10 May 1979, in
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75:(1979-05-10)
695:1979 deaths
690:1912 births
413:Chapel Road
390:Nobel Prize
368:modernistic
312:Chapel Road
295:Chapel Road
288:Chapel Road
258:Erembodegem
151:(1955) and
141:Chapel Road
133:Erembodegem
106:Chapel Road
81:Erembodegem
73:10 May 1979
684:Categories
666:(in Dutch)
537:2022-05-22
533:(in Dutch)
513:References
352:Geuzenboek
251:freelancer
51:1912-03-15
636:April 12,
611:April 12,
586:April 12,
561:April 12,
531:vrtnws.be
360:socialism
159:Biography
143:(1953) /
83:, Belgium
501:See also
348:Flanders
202:(1947).
155:(1971).
147:(1956),
308:Reynard
247:Vooruit
181:Belgium
108:(1953)
103:(1947)
63:Belgium
376:utopia
342:, and
326:Legacy
149:Menuet
118:(1971)
113:(1955)
111:Menuet
362:; in
344:Daens
239:Front
177:Aalst
129:Aalst
59:Aalst
638:2019
613:2019
588:2019
563:2019
423:(as
415:and
403:and
70:Died
41:Born
411:as
175:in
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