A Trip To Amsterdam on King’s Day

Amsterdam and the Netherlands may well already be on your literary map but what better day than King’s Day to celebrate the great literature that sets the scene quite literally of the wonderful sights, sounds and cultural insights of that wonderful country?

All places which come alive across these five novels. For the Maritshuis museum you’ll have to travel further afield to The Hague but the literary map is as wide as you make it!

This is our literary path –

The Anatomy Lesson – Nina Siegal

The rich detail in this novel coupled with the historical fact bring 17th century Amsterdam to life – re imagining the life of rembrandt’s first major painting and this makes for a thrilling journey back in time to a significant time in Dutch history!

The life and times of Adrien Adrianenzoon, the cadaver in the painting – Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp  can and should be seen in The Mauritshuis museum

Last Call – Harry Mulisch

The compelling story of classic Dutch actor Pierre de Vries and a richly detailed portrait of modern Amsterdam.

This book takes you not only around Amsterdam but around the theatres, then backstage so you can smell the greasepaint and feel the heat of the lights on your face. We picked out our favourite marionette theatre of them all in Amsterdam which is a definite must see your next time in the city.

Rembrandt’s Whore – Sylvie Matton

Visiting Rembrandt’s House is a memorable experience and his home is captured brilliantly in this novel. Get a glimpse of this famous painter by looking beyond his paintings.

Hendrickje Stoffels was Rembrandt’s mistress, with whom he spent the last twenty years of his life. This novel tells her story through her fictional but totally believable point of view!

And of course no trip to Amsterdam would be complete without two more great novels – The Miniaturist and The Dolls House

The Miniaturist – Jessie Burton

What an amazing premise for a book! A miniaturist!! If you have ever seen an antique dolls house in a museum like Petronella’s house in the Rijksmuseum and wondered about the story behind it then this is the book for you! The real dolls house actually exists -look and wonder of the story behind it. And if you ever receive a small parcel through the post ….

And if its the idea of a dolls house in the Rijksmuseum that you’re after, why not try an even darker take on the mysteries of Amsterdam guided by the able and knowledgeable guide of Mr David Hewson –

House of Dolls – David Hewson

If it’s location you’re looking for then this book has got it in bucket loads as this is a great read to bring the city of Amsterdam to life – not just the streets but the ambience, the dark corners, the bridges over the fog covered canals..and the scenes in the Rijksmuseum

So many more books set there so if you can’t get there yourself, just pop down to your library or bookshop, dressed in orange of course to celebrate the city’s colour code of celebration and have a literary party Netherlands style…