Train on Thursday: Vrij Man, Nelleke Noordervliet

I travel with public transport on regular base. One of my favourite past times when in bus or train besides reading is checking out what other people read. I usually look these books up (especially when someone is so hooked they don't notice me checking them out) to see if they would be something for me. In this weekly I will introduce you to the books I spotted while travelling.
If you want to join in this weekly feel free to write your own post on the books you spot. That can be anywhere, in the park, on the street, in line at the book store / library. There is a linky in the bottom to link up your post or you can leave a comment!

Vrij Man Nelleke Noordervliet cover
The story takes place in the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands and the New World. The main character: doctor and jurist Menno Molenaar looking for his way in the world after the early dead of his father. At the Leidse Alma Mater the young Menno comes in contact with the perverse sheet exporter Dixon and the young intellectuals surrounding Spinoza.
With both his medical and law papers he is moved into a position to server the grand pensionary Johan de Wit to gather information for the English. Soon the worlds in which Menno moves collide and the pressure becomes unbearable. When Dixon pushes him to much he chooses to use a violent act and moves to the New World after.
In New York he tries to find peace and tries to build a community according to the rules of his old friends. But some of their ideas are just not working in real life and fate decides in the end where he stands.

In a way I am intrigued by the synopsis but I think I will not like this book. And I cannot really say why. I like the history of my country reading about the period when there was a lot of trade and we ruled the sea, but I do not get a real "yeah I need to read this" feeling with this book. I am curious if some of my Dutch visitors read this and what they thought of it?




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Melinda
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22 August, 2013 delete

That cover is a bit scary :)

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