Article published in:
Transnational Image Building: Linking up Translation Studies, Reception Studies and ImagologyEdited by Paola Gentile, Fruzsina Kovács and Marike van der Watt
[Translation Spaces 10:1] 2021
► pp. 70–93
“My language has an immense potential”
A review of Cees Nooteboom’s national and transnational circulation
Dolores Ross | University of Trieste University of Trieste
This article sets out to chart the success of the Dutch novelist, poet and travel writer Cees Nooteboom, who has achieved
literary fame in several countries of the world while recognition in his home country lagged behind. To analyse the reasons for the
conflicting images attributed to this cosmopolitan author, I will look behind the curtains of the transnational production and reception of
his writings, investigating his success in five central or semi-central languages (Heilbron
2010). The study of how this writer has succeeded in transcending the peripheral position of the Dutch language in the world literary
system will be carried out by combining the sociology of translation with reception studies and imagological considerations. Nooteboom
appears to be a peculiar case of image building: he is internationally represented as a Dutch and a European writer, but his lack of
Dutchness appears to have hindered his recognition in the Netherlands.
Article outline
- Introduction: Nooteboom in and around the world
- Nooteboom in the transnational literary field
- The English language area
- Germany
- France
- The Spanish Nooteboom
- Nooteboom in Italy
- Overview of Nooteboom’s cross-cultural transfer
- Nooteboom’s network of agents
- The Nooteboom paradox
- Imagological observations from a transnational reception
- Conclusion
- Notes
-
References
Published online: 01 June 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/ts.20025.ros
https://doi.org/10.1075/ts.20025.ros
References
Anbeek, T.
Bajani, A.
2015 “Cees Nooteboom, alla fine solo la poesia può salvare l’Europa.” [Cees Nooteboom, at the End only Poetry Can Save Europe]. La Repubblica. Accessed 12 May 2020, https://www.repubblica.it/cultura/2015/12/21/news/cees_nooteboom_alla_fine_solo_la_poesia_puo_salvare_l_europa_-129931001
Bekkering, H.
1997 “In mijn boeken is, behalve het verzinsel, niets verzonnen.” [Apart From the Inventions, Nothing has been Invented in My Books]. In Ik had wel duizend levens en ik nam er maar één! [I Had as Much as a Thousand Lives and Yet Took Only One], edited by H. Bekkering, D. Carstens, and A. Meindert, 13–84. Antwerpen and Amsterdam: Atlas.
Beller, M.
Beller, M., and J. Leerssen
Bentivoglio, L.
2014 “Nooteboom poeta zen.” [Nooteboom Zen Poet]. La Repubblica.it. Accessed 12 May 2020, https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2004/11/04/nooteboom-poeta-zen.html
Blom, O.
2000 “ ‘Een eigenaardige samenloop van omstandigheden’. Cees Nooteboom en zijn succes buiten de grens.” [A Strange Turn of Events. Cees Nooteboom and His Success outside the Borders]. In Klein land, grote schrijvers [Small Country, Great Writers], edited by Nederlands Literair Produktie- en Vertalingenfonds, 69–77.
Boekhandel Plukker
n.d.). “Interview met Cees Nooteboom.” [Interview with Cees Nooteboom]. Accessed 20 November 2020, https://boekhandelplukker.nl/interview-met-cees-nooteboom
Brems, E., T. Feldmann, O. Réthelyi, and T. van Kalmthout
Brouwers, T.
Calmann-Levy
n.d.). “L’Enlèvement d’Europe. Cees Nooteboom.” [The rape of Europa. Cees Nooteboom]. Accessed 29 December 2020, https://calmann-levy.fr/livre/lenlevement-deurope-9782702123812
Coenen, A .J .L.
Dijkgraaf, M.
2007 “Literary Perspectives: The Netherlands.” Eurozine. Accessed 12 September 2020, https://www.eurozine.com/literary-perspectives-the-netherlands-3/
2013 “Schrijven stelt het sterven uit.” [Writing Postpones Death]. nrc.nl. Accessed 12 May 2020, https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2013/07/26/schrijven-stelt-het-sterven-uit-1273639-a714420
Dingfelder Stone, M.
2018 “Literair succes zichtbaar maken. Een kleine publicatiegeschiedenis van het Engelstalige romanoeuvre van Cees Nooteboom.” [Making Literary Success Visible. A Brief History of the Publication of Cees Nooteboom’s English-Language Novels]. In Tussen twee stoelen, tussen twee vuren. Nederlandse literatuur op weg naar de buitenlandse lezer [Between Two Stools, Between Two Fires. Dutch Literature on its Way to Foreign Readers], edited by L. Missinne and J. Grave, 97–107. LLS 10. Gent: Academia Press.
Geli, C.
2020 “El nomadismo paneuropeo di Cees Nooteboom, premio Formentor.” [Cees Nooteboom’s Paneuropean Nomadism, Formentor Prize]. El País. Accessed 28 June 2020, https://elpais.com/cultura/2020-04-29/cees-nooteboom-premio-formentor-2020.html
Gentile, P.
2020a "De beelden van de Lage Landen in Italiaanse literaire vertalingen. Het verband tussen de selectie, receptie en beeldvorming van Nederlandstalige literatuur in Italiaanse vertalingen (2000-2018)." [The Images of the Low Countries in Italian Literary Translations. The Link between Selection, Reception and Image Building of Dutch Language Literature in Italian Translations (2000-2018)]. In Grensverleggende beelden. Literaire transfer uit de Lage Landen naar Zuid-Europa [Border-Crossing Images. Literary Transfer from the Low Countries to Southern Europe], edited by P. Gentile and D. Ross, 41-63. LLS 13. Gent: Academia Press.
2021. De beelden van de Lage Landen in Italiaanse vertaling (2000–2020). Selectie, receptie en beeldvorming. [The Images of the Low Countries in Italian Translations (2000–2020). Selection, Reception and Image Building] Trieste: EUT.
Gentile, P., and L. van Doorslaer
Gentile, P., and D. Ross
Gibbs, J.
2017 “Dutch literature: lost to English translation.” The Guardian. Accessed on 14 May 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/jan/17/dutch-literature-lost-to-english-translation
Gonzáles Harbour, B.
2020 “Cees Nooteboom: Los hombres somos incurables.” [Men are Incurable]. El País. Accessed 28 June 2020, https://elpais.com/cultura/2020/04/22/babelia/1587552706_457309.html
Groeneboer, K.
Heilbron, J.
Heilbron, J., and G. Sapiro
Helgesson, S., and P. Vermeulen
Krol, E.
Kuitert, L.
Leerssen, J.
Le Naire, O.
2003 “Le Hollandais errant.” [The wandering Dutchman]. L’Express. Accessed 12 June 2020, https://www.lexpress.fr/informations/le-hollandais-errant_650989.html
Leuker, M.-T.
Ligtvoet, F.
Linn, S.
McMartin, J., and P. Gentile
Muñoz Molina, A.
2014 “Historia Visible.” [Visible History]. El País. Accessed 28 June 2020, https://elpais.com/cultura/2014/10/29/babelia/1414597986_202406.html
Naaijkens, E.
Noble, P.
2018 “Hoe komt een Nederlandstalig boek bij Franstalige lezers terecht?” [How does a Dutch-Language Book Reach French Readers?]. In Tussen twee stoelen, tussen twee vuren. Nederlandse literatuur op weg naar de buitenlandse lezer [Between Two Stools, Between Two Fires. Dutch Literature on its Way to Foreign Readers]. edited by L. Missinne and J. Grave, 157–173. LLS 10. Gent: Academia Press.
Noiville, F.
2019 “Cees Nooteboom, un humaniste de la renaissance au siècle de l’IA.” [Cees Nooteboom, a Renaissance Humanist in the Century of AI]. Le Monde. Accessed 15 May 2020, https://www.lemonde.fr/livres/article/2019/06/09/cees-nooteboom-un-humaniste-de-la-renaissance-au-siecle-de-l-ia_5473861_3260.html/
Peras, D.
2006 “Le hollandais volant.” [The Flying Dutchman]. Le Figaro. Accessed 10 June 2020, https://www.lefigaro.fr/livres/2006/09/14/03005-20060914ARTFIG90211-le_hollandais_volant.php/
2011 “La nuit viennent les renards de Cees Nooteboom”. [The Foxes Come at Night]. L’Express. Accessed 10 June 2020, https://www.lexpress.fr/culture/livre/la-nuit-viennent-les-renards-de-cees-nooteboom_968301.html/
El Universal
2020 “Nooteboom gana el Formentor 2020.” [Nooteboom Wins the Formentor Prize 2020]. El Universal. Accessed 20 November 2020, https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/letras/cees-nooteboom-premio-formentor-de-las-letras-2020
Ross, D.
2020 “Het culturele netwerk van Cees Nooteboom in Italië.” [Cees Nooteboom’s Cultural Network in Italy]. In Grensverleggende beelden. Literaire transfer uit de Lage Landen naar Zuid-Europa [Border-Crossing Images. Literary Transfer from the Low Countries to Southern Europe], edited by P. Gentile and D. Ross, 151–185. LLS 13. Gent: Academia Press.
Ross, D., and P. Gentile
2020 “Grensverleggende beelden: literaire transfer uit de Lage Landen naar Zuid-Europa. Inleiding.” [Border-Crossing Images. Literary Transfer from the Low Countries to Southern Europe. Introduction] In Grensverleggende beelden. Literaire transfer uit de Lage Landen naar Zuid-Europa [Border-Crossing Images. Literary Transfer from the Low Countries to Southern Europe], edited by P. Gentile and D. Ross, 1–21. LLS 13. Gent: Academia Press.
Sapiro, G.
Steenhuis, P. H.
2004 “Filosofisch veinzen.” [Philosophical Simulations]. Trouw.nl. Accessed 10 September 2020, https://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/filosofisch-veinzen~b3d2df42/
Truijens, A.
2006 “Het Nootebomiaanse van Nooteboom.” [Typical Nooteboom Features]. Volkskrant.nl. Accessed 23 May 2020, https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-media/het-nootebomiaanse-van-nooteboom~bc0d4c21/
Van Doorslaer, L.
Van Doorslaer, L., P. Flynn, and J. Leerssen
Van Es, N., and J. Heilbron
Van Uffelen, H.
Vullings, J.
2008 “Als God in Duitsland.” [Like God in Germany]. Vn.nl. Accessed 12 May 2020, https://www.vn.nl/dossier/economie/
Wijgh, H.
1993 “Nederlands Literair Produktie- en vertalingenfonds. De waterdragers van de letteren: ‘Het klimaat is gunstig’.” [The Dutch Foundation for Literary Production and Translation. The Water Carriers of the Arts”: ‘The Climate is Favourable’]. Trouw.nl. Accessed 12 June 2020, https://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederlands-literair-produktie-en-vertalingenfonds-de-waterdragers-van-de-letteren-het-klimaat-is-gunstig~b130559e/
Wilterdink, N.
Wroe, N.
2006 “Journeys of the Mind.” The Guardian. Accessed 10 May 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/mar/25/featuresreviews.guardianreview11
Zajas, P.