Specialiteiten

Multatuli, 1820-1887Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 329K words
Chapters: 33

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Specialiteiten by MultatuliAuthor: Multatuli, 1820-1887,Language: Dutch, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Jan 1, 2004

Editor's review

Specialiteiten is a collection of essays and short pieces by the Dutch writer Multatuli, released free of charge by Project Gutenberg as a Dutch-language eBook. Multatuli is best known for Max Havelaar; his style is sharp, rich in irony and reflection, and often uses everyday subjects to critique social customs and the moral hypocrisy of the colonial era. The pieces are short, making the book a good introduction to nineteenth-century Dutch literature and its critical tradition, and easy to read in fragments while savoring the author's distinctive ironic tone and humanistic concern. The eBook is easy to obtain and suits language learners and close readers who wish to compare it with a print copy or bilingual materials. Note that the book is in the original Dutch and, as a public-domain eBook, has no modern introduction or notes, so background reading is advisable.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate and advanced Dutch learners who want to engage with literature in the original language
Readers interested in nineteenth-century Dutch literature and Multatuli
Readers who enjoy short essays, satires, and social criticism
Researchers who need free public-domain electronic texts for textual analysis

Not a good fit for

Readers who cannot read Dutch and rely solely on Chinese translations
Readers expecting full-length narratives or modern annotated introductions
General readers who prefer contemporary subjects and fast-paced narratives

Reading tips

First look up Multatuli's biography and the background of Max Havelaar, then turn to the text.
Read piece by piece; after each, summarize in a few sentences its target of satire and its stance.
Mark unfamiliar words first, look them up after finishing the whole piece, and keep your reading rhythm.
Read alongside a Chinese or English translation to better grasp the irony and the context of the era.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Dutch or English?

According to Project Gutenberg, the book's language is Dutch; it is a public-domain Dutch-literature e-book, not an English translation. Readers need some Dutch reading ability, or a dictionary and a parallel translation to assist them.

Who was Multatuli?

Multatuli (1820–1887) was the pen name of the Dutch writer Eduard Douwes Dekker, best known for the novel Max Havelaar; his works often criticize colonial rule and social hypocrisy. This book collects his essayistic writings, in a style marked by irony and reflection.

Is this book suitable for learning Dutch?

It can serve as extensive reading for intermediate and advanced learners: the pieces are short and can be completed in segments, offering exposure to nineteenth-century written Dutch and ironic expression. But the text is old and lacks notes, so beginners should start with modern graded readers before moving on to this book.

Does the e-book have notes or an introduction?

According to the available information, this is a public-domain electronic text released by Project Gutenberg, with no modern notes or introduction mentioned. Before reading, it is advisable to look up the author's background and information on nineteenth-century Dutch society in order to understand the targets of the satire.

Comments

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About the author

Multatuli, 1820-1887 Author

Multatuli (1820–1887) is the pen name of the Dutch writer Eduard Douwes Dekker, though the library records do not contain his real name and public information about him is limited. He is best known for the novel Max Havelaar, and also wrote De Geschiedenis van Woutertje Pieterse (The Story of Woutertje Pieterse) and other works. The library holds seven of his works, including two versions of Max Havelaar, parts one and two of De Geschiedenis van Woutertje Pieterse, Minnebrieven, Walter Pieterse: A Story of Holland, and Specialiteiten. These works deal with colonial rule in the Dutch East Indies and Dutch social life, combining satire and lyricism, and often expose injustice through sharp argument and irony. They have had a lasting influence on Dutch literature and the tradition of colonial critique.