The Rose of Dekama

Lennep, J. van (Jacob), 1802-1868Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 1.2M words
Chapters: 121

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.De Roos van Dekama by J. van LennepAuthor: Lennep, J. van (Jacob), 1802-1868,Language: Dutch, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Sep 2, 2006

Editor's review

This historical novel is one of the representative works of the nineteenth-century Dutch writer J. van Lennep. Set in Friesland, it revolves around noble families and wartime conflict. Combining Romantic sensibility with historical antiquarianism, it offers detailed depictions of Dutch local customs, chivalric culture, and political strife. For readers studying Dutch literature or interested in the history of the Low Countries, the book provides a window into nineteenth-century Dutch popular historical narrative. The Project Gutenberg edition is a public-domain ebook, easy to search and cite, and suitable as supplementary reading for foreign-literature courses or as a text for comparative-literature research. Note that the original is in Dutch and the language barrier is considerable; a translation or annotated materials are recommended.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Dutch majors seeking to broaden their reading in nineteenth-century literature
Comparative literature researchers interested in the European historical novel tradition
Readers interested in the history and folklore of Friesland in the Netherlands
Self-learners accustomed to public-domain ebooks who can look up background material on their own

Not a good fit for

General readers with no Dutch reading ability and no translation at hand
Casual readers expecting fast-paced plotting or modern narrative technique
Learners who need systematic scholarly guidance but have no external reference materials

Reading tips

First learn about Friesland and nineteenth-century Dutch history, then begin the text
Read chapter by chapter with a Dutch dictionary or a bilingual translation, marking place names and personal names
After each chapter, sort out character relationships and conflict threads to avoid getting lost in subplots
Read alongside other European historical novels to observe Romantic narrative techniques

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

What language level is needed to read this book?

The original is in Dutch, in nineteenth-century literary language with long sentences and period vocabulary. Intermediate or higher Dutch reading ability is recommended, or use a bilingual translation or annotated edition. Beginners can start with the introduction and summary, then try close reading of excerpts.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

It is a public-domain ebook, freely available and convenient for full-text search, copying and citation, and reading across devices. The text has been proofread by volunteers, but it usually contains no modern scholarly notes or introduction, so readers must supply historical background themselves.

Is this book suitable as a textbook for Dutch literature courses?

It can serve as supplementary reading for nineteenth-century Dutch historical fiction, especially for discussing the relationship between Romanticism and national narrative. But teachers must provide background explanation and language support; it is not suitable as the sole textbook for students with no prior knowledge.

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About the author

Lennep, J. van (Jacob), 1802-1868 Author

Jacob van Lennep (1802–1868) was a Dutch author. Public information about him is limited, and the details of his life are difficult to verify, but the eight works held in the collection show that he wrote both historical fiction and local history, and also compiled a nautical reference work. Representative works such as De Pleegzoon, De Roos van Dekama and Ferdinand Huyck are set against Dutch history and balance plot development with character portrayal, carrying the flavor of nineteenth-century romantic historical fiction; Merkwaardige Kasteelen in Nederland examines Dutch castles, while Galerij van Beroemde Nederlanders focuses on notable figures from the era of Frederik Hendrik, showing a sustained interest in national history. He also compiled a maritime dictionary, Zeemans-Woordeboek, and left collections of anecdotes and stories from past and present. His writing combines historical substance with readability and holds a place in Dutch popular historical literature.