The reappearance of German translations of Herman's masterpieces "Damocles' darkroom" (De donkere kamer van Damocles) and "Sleeping never more" (Nooit meer slapen) has led to a resurgence of interest in Holland's greatest writer in both Germany and Switzerland. Thus, I am writing this review to prod the powers that be to publish updated translations in our country.

Originally published in 1958 the dark room has ever since been a staple of modern Dutch literature. It is a premier example of a psychological war mystery with such a strong philosophical backbone that the stage of the German occupation of Holland in the Second World War becomes a metaphor for human existence in general.

The author Willem Frederik Hermans lived from 1921 to 1995. He got a Ph. D. in physical geography and started his writing career in poetry before becoming Holland's foremost novelist. Initially writing while a university lecturer, he left Holland in 1975 for Paris and later Brussels.

A great proponent of Celine and believer of de Sade he was greatly influenced by Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose Tractatus he superbly translated in Dutch. In the darkroom the influences of both Kafka and the Dutch novelist Bordewijk (see "Character" available on this site) are obvious.

The darkroom's protagonist Osewoudt is leading an empty existence. He grew up at his uncle's since his mentally ill mother killed his father. He marries his cousin and decides against education to run his parent's former tobacco store. At the onset of the German attack of the Netherlands he encounters a Dutch army officer who resembles him like a twin brother except for hair color and beard. Osewoudt considers himself a failed copy of this Dorbeck. Based on the instructions he receives from this doppelganger, Osewoudt becomes a member of the resistance and assassinates a number of people collaborating with the German occupying force. In this process he often assumes the identity of a German agent. He is caught by the Germans and gets incarcerated. Upon liberation he is charged as a German agent and with many of the other players involved in his actions dead or untraceable, his repeated dependence on Dorbeck, who can't be traced or even identified, gets him deeper and deeper in a quicksand of unsubstantiated reality.

John le Carre was greatly impressed by this book, which was based on a true story, and has acknowledge it's influence on the spymaster's best book "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'. However, the scope of the darkroom is light years beyond any of le Carre works. In 1960 a French critic accused Hermans of plagiarism since he saw indelible proof that the Dutchman had stolen key elements from Gunter Grass' "Tin Drum". He went so far as to advise court proceedings. The French eunuch apparently had forgotten to check the dates of appearance of both books since the darkroom preceded Grass' magnum opus by a year.

Yet, I regard the tin drum and this book equally high. Both are deeply rooted in their respective cultures. While Oskar is a metaphor for the German nation and the backbone of a supreme tragic-comedy, Osewoudt whose seemingly stable existence requires so little to go off the deep end is the quintessential nowhere man.

Let's hope that the English translation of this great novel will soon be available again, so many more can enjoy the talents of this world class writer.

I had been living in Holland for only a few months when I read this book. If you want to understand the Dutch then this is a must read. As Cedric Regtop said it is fast moving, but what he didn't mention was how devastating it is, totaly pulling the rug from under you. The atmosphere of wartime Holland is heavy and disturbing, never knowing who you can trust, a feeling which has left its mark indelibly on the collective Dutch psyche. If you would like to catch a glimpse of what it must be like to live in an occupied country during wartime then read this book. It desperately deserves to be translated into English if this hasn't already been done. Who knows? I might even attempt it myself someday.

I guess you have to be a Dutchman to perfectly understand the atmosphere in Hermans' "Donkere Kamer van Damocles". It should be high placed in international literature. DKVD is a exciting fast written book by Hollands best writer. At the end the reader will be astonished by the injustice brougt upon the actor Osewoudt. And no one, no reader will know what really happened. DKVD is a great novel, action and depth, for me only equalled by Susskinds' Das Parfum, many years later.