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Christian Beck, a translator of technical manuals, has concluded that life consists of nothing but self-deception and illusions, and decides to devote his time to unmasking all illusions, false hopes, and high ideals. He denounces all deception in his friends and family and promises his own unmasking
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Dutch critics have responded in various ways, calling the novel shocking, depressing, and disconcerting, but also witty and touching. It is one of the most controversial books in recent Dutch literary history, and Erica van Boven has argued that the work compares to that of
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in 2004, and has been reprinted more than fourteen times. The jury rapport for the AKO Literatuurprijs praised the novel for being shocking, amusing, and touching all at once, and for its undoing of the bourgeois underpinnings of our society.
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as a finale; swearing off all personal desire, he now dedicates his life to the happiness of his girlfriend, "Bird", a former prostitute. The couple lived for a time in
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praises
Grunberg's new direction (earlier, he had gained recognition as an absurdist) and the precision with which he captures both the protagonist and the reader.
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so he can attain permanent residence. Beck protests initially but later agrees to the marriage. The asylum seeker also gratifies Bird sexually, and a strange
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401:Post, Hans-Maarten (2005-10-20).
403:"De kapitein mag niet panikeren"
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441:2003 novels
373:Asielzoeker
197:Franz Kafka
78:Netherlands
430:Categories
415:2009-07-18
411:(in Dutch)
387:2009-07-18
383:(in Dutch)
355:2009-07-18
351:(in Dutch)
323:2009-07-18
298:2009-07-18
269:2009-07-18
242:References
348:De Morgen
317:De Morgen
213:De Morgen
54:Publisher
120:67010687
44:Language
208:Belgium
172:Algeria
319:. 2009
199:, and
168:Israel
34:Author
226:Ghent
164:Eilat
134:Dutch
92:Pages
87:Print
48:Dutch
157:Plot
148:and
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101:ISBN
69:2003
206:In
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