1. “Scherven van smaragd” (Jill Stolk)

[allangtegek.livejournal.com]

Scherven van smaragd (“Shards of Emerald”) is an autobiographical novel/collection of short stories by an Indo (Dutch Indonesian/mixed Asian-European) writer. It addresses, in its seven “intermissions”, written in the ‘present’ of ’82 or ’83 and eight “STORIES”, spanning the years of her youth, a variety of issues.

We’re treated to short sketches of Jill’s childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, alternated by commentaries from ‘later on’ (except the closing intermission, which stands alone). Due to its nature, it’s difficult to give a more detailed summary than that.

I’m not sure how much I liked this book. While I definitely think it’s well-written, I don’t like it as much as her second novel (coming up when I reread it again), and I find it difficult to say much of anything about it, really.

I have a longer review (also more stream-of-consciousness-y) up in my journal, in Dutch.