Louis Couperus

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Louis Couperus
Louis Couperus in 1917
Born
Louis Marie-Anne Couperus

(1863-06-10)10 June 1863
The Hague, Netherlands
Died16 July 1923(1923-07-16) (aged 60)
De Steeg, Netherlands
OccupationNovelist
Years active1878–1923

Louis Marie-Anne Couperus (10 June 1863 – 16 July 1923) was a Dutch novelist and poet. His oeuvre contains a wide variety of genres:

Tollensprijs
(Tollens Prize).

Couperus and his wife travelled extensively in Europe and Asia, and he later wrote several related travelogues which were published weekly.

Youth

Couperus as a child

Louis Marie-Anne Couperus was born on 10 June 1863 at Mauritskade 11 in

Eurasian lineage that goes back even earlier to the mid-eighteenth century.[1]

Four of the ten siblings had died before Louis was born. Couperus was baptized on 19 July 1863 in the Eglise wallonne in The Hague.[3]: p.31–59  When Louis reached the age of five, his youngest sister, Trudy, was twelve years old and his youngest brother, Frans, eleven.[3]: p.55  In The Hague he followed lessons at the boarding school of Mr. Wyers, where he first met his later friend Henri van Booven.[3]: p.61  On 6 November 1872 the Couperus family left home, travelled by train to Den Helder and embarked on the steamboat Prins Hendrik, which would bring them back to the Dutch East Indies.[3]: p.65  They arrived on 31 December 1872 in Batavia, where they spent the night at the then famous Hotel des Indes.[3]: p.68  The family settled in a house in Batavia, located on the Koningsplein and the mother of Couperus and his brother Frans (who was suffering from peritonitis) returned to the Netherlands in December 1873; his mother returned to the Dutch East Indies in April 1874.[3]: p.68–69  So Couperus spent part of his youth (1873–1878) in the Dutch East Indies,[4] going to school in Batavia.

Here he met his cousin, Elisabeth Couperus-Baud, for the first time. In his novel De zwaluwen neergestreken (The swallows flew down), he wrote about his youth:

"We are cousins and have played together. We danced together at children's balls. We still have our baby pictures. She was dressed in a marquise dress and I was dressed as a page. My garment was made of black velvet and I was very proud of my first travesti."[5]

In the Dutch East Indies, Couperus also met his future brother-in-law for the first time, Gerard de la Valette (a writer and official at the Dutch Indian Government who would marry his sister Trudy), who wrote in 1913 about his relationship with Couperus:

We met first at Batavia, when he was a boy of ten years and I was a young man. We saw each other at rather large intervals. Yet I saw him often enough, as a boy and a young man, that we developed a good and familiar relationship.[3]: p.71 

After he finished primary school, Couperus attended the

H.B.S. school; during this period of his life, he spent a lot of time at the Vlielander-Hein family (his sister was married to Benjamin Marius Vlielander Hein); later their son, François Emile Vlielander Hein (1882–1919), was his favourite nephew, who helped him with his literary work.[3]: p.84  At the HBS Couperus met his later friend Frans Netscher; during this period of his life, he read the novels written by Émile Zola and Ouida (the latter he would meet in Florence, years later).[3]: p.86–87  When Couperus' school results did not improve, his father send him to a school where he was trained to be a teacher in the Dutch language. In 1883 he attended the opera written by Charles Gounod Le tribut de Zamora; he later used elements of this opera in his novel Eline Vere.[3]
: p.94 

Start of Couperus' career as a writer

In 1885 plans were made to compose an operetta for children. Virginie la Chapelle wrote the music, and Couperus provided the lyrics for De schoone slaapster in het bosch ("Sleeping beauty in the forest"). The opera was staged by a hundred children at the Koninklijke Schouwburg (Royal Theatre) in The Hague.[3]: p.94  In January 1885 Couperus had already written one of his early poems, called Kleopatra.[3]: p.95  Other writings from this period include the sonnet Een portret ("A Portrait") and Uw glimlach of uw bloemen ("Your smile or your flowers").[3]: p.96  In 1882, Couperus started reading Petrarch and had the intention to write a novel about him, which was never realized, although he did publish the novella In het huis bij den dom ("In the house near the church"), loosely inspired by Plutarch.[3]: p.98  When Couperus just had finished his novella Een middag bij Vespaziano ("An Afternoon at Vespaziano"), he visited Johannes Bosboom and his wife Anna Louisa Geertruida Bosboom-Toussaint, whose works Couperus greatly admired. Couperus let Mrs. Bosboom-Toussaint read his novella, which she found very good.[3]: p.99  In 1883 Couperus started writing Laura; this novella was published in parts in De Gids (a Dutch literary magazine) in 1883 and 1884. In 1885 Couperus' debut in book form, Een lent van vaerzen ("A ribbon of poems") was published (by publisher J.L. Beijers with a book cover designed by painter Ludwig Willem Reymert Wenckebach).[3]: p.100  In these days a person Couperus greatly admired for his sense of beauty and intelligence was writer Carel Vosmaer, whom he frequently met while walking in the center of The Hague.[3]: p.101 

In 1883 Couperus saw

Dutch literature.[3]: p.108  In June 1885 he was appointed member of the very prestigious Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde (Society of Dutch Literature), two years after he published Orchideeën. Een bundel poëzie en proza ("Orchids. A Bundle of Poetry and Prose"), which had received mixed reviews. Journalist Willem Gerard van Nouhuys wrote that Orchideeën lacked quality, Jacob Nicolaas van Hall was positive, and Willem Kloos called it "literary crap".[3]: p.110  Couperus passed his exam on 6 December 1886 and received his certificate, which allowed him to teach at secondary schools. However, he did not aspire to a teaching career and decided to continue writing literature instead.[3]: p.114  At the end of 1887 he started to write what was to become his most-famous novel, Eline Vere.[3]
: p.114 

Eline Vere, the beginning of success

Louis Couperus after a drawing made by Bas Veth in 1892

Shortly before Couperus wrote Eline Vere, he had read

Algemeen Handelsblad wrote: "The writer has talent".[6]
Meanwhile, Couperus wrote a novella called Een ster ("A Star"), which was published in "Nederland" and made a journey to Sweden.[3]: p.124  In this period of his life, Couperus was an active member of the drama club of writer Marcel Emants ("Utile et Laetum" meaning 'useful and happy'), and here he met a new friend, Johan Hendrik Ram, a captain of the grenadiers, who would later commit suicide (December 1913).[3]: p.126  In April 1890 the Nieuwe Gids (New Guide) published a review of Eline Vere, written by Lodewijk van Deyssel, in which he wrote "the novel of Mr. Couperus is a good and a literary work". Couperus also met a new friend, writer Maurits Wagenvoort, who invited Couperus and painter George Hendrik Breitner to his home.[3]: p.126–127 

A second edition of Eline Vere was published within a year. Couperus finished his next novel, Noodlot ("Fate") in May 1890; this novel was then published in De Gids. It is possible that the leading character of Noodlot, Frank, was inspired by the character of Couperus' friend, Johan Hendrik Ram, a strong and healthy military person.[3]: p.132  Couperus now started reading Paul Bourget's novel Un coeur de femme, which inspired him during the writing of his novella Extaze ("Ecstasy").[3]: p.135  In July 1890 he completed Eene illuzie ("An Illusion") and on 12 August 1890 received the prestigious D.A. Thiemeprijs (D.A. Thieme prize, named after the noted publisher).[3]: p.137 [7] In October that same year, he travelled to Paris, where he received a letter from his publisher-to-be, L.J. Veen, asking permission to publish Noodlot, which offer Couperus rejected because this book was supposed to be published by Elsevier.[3]: p.141  When his uncle Guillaume Louis Baud died, Couperus went back to The Hague to attend the funeral. Here Couperus decided to marry his cousin Elisabeth Couperus-Baud. The marriage took place on 9 September 1891 in The Hague.

More successes as a writer

On 21 September 1891, Couperus and his wife settled in a small villa at the Roeltjesweg (now Couperusweg) in

Nicholas II of Russia.[3]: p.159  Gerrit Jäger, a play writer, wrote a theatre performance of Noodlot; it was performed in 1892 by the Rotterdam theatre company, and the then-famous Dutch actor Willem Royaards [nl], who was an acquaintance of Couperus, played one of the leading characters.[3]: p.160  On 1 February 1893 Couperus and his wife left for Florence, but they had to return because of the death of Couperus' mother. He wrote about how she rested on her deathbed in his novel Metamorfoze ("Metamorphosis").[3]: p.161  During this time Elisabeth Couperus-Baud was translating George Moore's novel Vain Fortune, while Majesteit was published in The Gids.[3]
: p.164 

In 1894 Couperus joined the editorial board of De Gids; other members were Geertrudus Cornelis Willem Byvanck (a writer), Jacob Nicolaas van Hall (writer and politician), Anton Gerard van Hamel (professor in the French language),

La Tentation de Saint Antoine.[3]
: p.170–172 

Consolidation phase

Louis Couperus in 1897, portrait by H. J. Haverman.

In 1894 an English translation was made by

Hendrik Petrus Berlage, and in April 1896 Couperus started writing Metamorfoze ("Metamorphosis"). In September Couperus visited Johan Hendrik Ram in Zeist, where Ram stayed with his father. Couperus spoke with Ram about Metamorfoze. That same year Couperus spend some time in Paris.[3]
: p.191  In 1897 Couperus finished writing Metamorfoze, which was to be published in De Gids. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Couperus-Baud translated Olive Schreiner's Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland.[3]: p.196  That same year Couperus and his wife left for Dresden but also spend some time in Heidelberg. In August 1897 Couperus started with his new book Psyche and was appointed officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau.[3]: p.199  In January 1898, De Gids started publishing chapters of Psyche.

In February 1898 Couperus travelled to Berlin, where he visited

Inevitable). When Gerard Valette and his wife had to move to Pasuruan because of Valette's work, Couperus and his wife spend some time in Gabroe (Blitar), where Couperus observed a spirit; this experience he would later use in his novel The Hidden Force (1900).[3]
: p.224 

After the Hidden Force

Many of the details about the life and works of a resident in the Dutch East Indies Couperus derived from his brother-in-law De la Valette. He characterized The Hidden Force as: The Hidden Force gives back especially the enmity of the mysterious Javanese soul and atmosphere, fighting against the Dutch conqueror.

Boer Wars as military diplomats. In March 1900 Couperus and his wife travelled back to the Netherlands, where in De Gids the text of Inevitable was published.[3]: p.228  In October 1900 Couperus and his wife moved to Nice, where Couperus read Henryk Sienkiewicz' With Fire and Sword, The Deluge and Quo Vadis, while his own The Hidden Force was published in the Netherlands.[3]: p.251  Meanwhile, Couperus started to work on his new novels Babel and De boeken der kleine zielen ("The Book of Small Souls"). In 1902 he was asked to become a member of the editorial board of a new magazine called "Groot Nederland", together with W.G. van Nouhuys and Cyriel Buysse.[3]: p.276  In October 1902 Couperus' father died at the age of 86. His house at Surinamestraat 20, The Hague was eventually sold to Conrad Theodor van Deventer. Couperus and his wife kept living in Nice, but Couperus went in January 1903 to Rome, where he met Pier Pander again and also received a letter from his publisher L.J. Veen, in which he complained that Couperus' books did not sell.[3]: p.292  In May 1903 Couperus published Dionyzos-studiën ("Studies of Dionysus") in Groot Nederland, in which Couperus paid tribute to classical antiquity (a doctrine without original sin) and especially to the god Dionysus.[3]
: p.296 

Couperus left that year (1903) again for Italy (Venice) and went to Nice in September. During the winter of 1903–1904, he read Jean Lombard's work about Roman emperor Elagabalus; in 1903 Georges Duviquet published his Héliogabale, which was just what Couperus needed for his idea to write a novel about a crazy emperor (De berg van licht, "The Mountain of Light"). Meanwhile, to pay his bills, he wrote Van oude menschen, de dingen, die voorbij gaan ("Of old people, the things that pass").[3]: p.302  In 1905 he published De berg van licht, which was rather controversial as it dealt with the subject of homosexuality. In 1906 Couperus and his wife left for Bagni di Lucca (Italy), where they stayed at Hotel Continental and were introduced to Eleonora Duse. In May 1907 Aan den weg der vreugde, a novella Couperus wrote while staying at Bagni di Lucca, was published in Groot Nederland; he received another letter from L.J. Veen, saying that Couperus' books did not sell well, and so Couperus wrote a farewell letter to Veen in which he told Veen this was the end of their business relationship.[3]: p.341  During the summer of 1907 Couperus wrote in Siena the story Uit de jeugd van San Francesco van Assisi'("From the youth of St. Francis of Assisi") to be published in Groot Nederland. From this period on Couperus claimed that the days of novels were counted and that short stories (called short novels by Couperus) were the novels of the future. Couperus would write a series of short stories, which he published the then coming years in magazines such as "De Locomotief", "De Telegraaf" and the "Kroniek".[3]: p.347 

Endless travelling

During the winter of 1908 Couperus resided in Florence, where he translated John Argyropoulos' Aristodemus; he published his translation in Groot Nederland. In August 1908 Couperus and his wife started a pension lodge in Nice and placed an advert in the New York Herald to attract future guests. As of 27 November 1909 Couperus started publishing weekly serials in the Dutch newspaper Het Vaderland; he also published Korte arabesken ("Short Arabesques", 1911, with publisher Maatschappij voor goede en goedkoope lectuur) and a cheap edition of De zwaluwen neêr gestreken... ("The Swallows Flew Down", with publisher Van Holkema & Warendof). In December 1910 Couperus wrote in his sketch Melancholieën ("Melancholia") about the death of his father, mother, sister and brother:

"They are the ghosts of Death ... These are the shades of my grey father, my adored mother, they are the ghosts of my sister, brother and friend. And between their shadows are the pale ghosts of the Commemorations ... Because the room is full of ghosts and ghosts. My silent, staring eyes are full of tears and I feel old and tired and afraid."[3]: p.369 

In the second part of 1910, Couperus started to write a novel again, despite the fact he earlier had said he never would write one again. This novel was to be called Antiek toerisme, een roman uit Oud-Egypte ("Tourism in Antiquity, a Novel from Ancient Egypt") and was published in Groot Nederland. The book would be rewarded with the "Nieuwe Gids prize for prose" in 1914. At the end of 1910, Couperus and his wife gave up their pension in Nice and travelled to Rome. In Rome Couperus collected and rearranged some of his serials, which he intended to publish in a book,

Schimmen van schoonheid ("Shadows of Beauty").[3]
: p.379 

Since Couperus and publisher L.J. Veen were unable to agree on the payment of Couperus, Couperus then published Schimmen van schoonheid and Antiek Toerisme with publisher Van Holkema en Warendorf. In Rome Couperus visited

Willem Steelink and Arnold Marc Gorter, who gave him a warm welcome.[3]: p.388  Couperus wrote about the travelling he and his wife constantly did: your living or not living, what hast thou found, O thou poor seekers, O thou poor vagabonds, rich in suitcases? [3]: p.393  Couperus spend the winter of 1911–1912 in Florence; meanwhile the Greco-Turkish War broke out and influenced life in Florence as well. Couperus wrote a sketch called De jonge held ("The Young Hero") about the son of friends in Italy who returned wounded from the front.[3]: p.405  In December Couperus and his wife left for Sicily but spent some time in Orvieto, where they stayed in the same hotel that Bertel Thorvaldsen had once visited. Hereafter they travelled to Naples, where Couperus admired the Farnese Hercules, which inspired him to start writing his next novel, Herakles.[3]
: p.411 

Trading places

The first chapters of Herakles appeared during the first half of 1912 in Groot Nederland. Couperus then stayed in Sicily, where he visited Syracuse and Messina; he and his wife then returned to Florence. During this period he visited Pisa and then travelled to Venice, where he attended the inauguration of the then-restored St Mark's Campanile (tower), and wrote about it in his sketch Feest van San Marco ("The party of San Marco").[3]: p.416  Meanwhile, publisher L.J. Veen gave a positive answer to Couperus' question if he would be willing to publish the bundled sketches.[3]: p.420  As a result, in 1912 and 1913 Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht ("From white cities under blue sky") appeared in two parts. Couperus travelled from Venice to Igis and to Munich, where he visited a performance of Calderóns El mayor encanto, amor in the Künstler-Theater and a performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Residenz-Theater. When Couperus celebrated his 50th birthday, Het Vaderland paid tribute to him by letting his friends and admirers publish praising words. Those friends and admirers included but were not limited to Frans Bastiaanse, Emmanuel de Bom, Henri van Booven, Ina Boudier-Bakker, Marie Joseph Brusse (the father of Kees Brusse), Herman Heijermans and Willem Kloos.[3]: p.442  A committee was formed to collect the funds required for Couperus to make a journey to Egypt. Members of that committee were for example Pieter Cornelis Boutens, Alexander Teixeira de Mattos and K.J.L. Alberdingk Thijm.[3]: p.444  Couperus however could not make this journey to Egypt because of World War I.

On 29 September 1913, Johan Hendrik Ram killed himself, shooting a bullet into his head. Couperus returned to Florence later that year and attended the

Tachtigers in the Netherlands. He wrote an article about Papini's book, which he called magnificent, an almost perfect book, and he compared Papini with Lodewijk van Deyssel. Papini and Couperus met in Florence and Couperus found Papini rather shy.[3]: p.460  Meanwhile, Elisabeth Couperus-Baud translated Pío Baroja's La ciudad de la niebla. During this time Couperus' Wreede portretten (Cruel portraits) were published in Het Vaderland. De Wrede portretten were a series of profiles of pension guests whom Couperus had met during his travels in Rome and elsewhere. He also had a meeting with Dutch actress Theo Mann-Bouwmeester, who suggested to change Langs lijnen van geleidelijkheid into a play; although this plan did not come into reality for Couperus it opened possibilities for his books in future.[3]
: p.467 

Public performances

When World War I began, Couperus was in Munich. On 27 August 1914 the son of

El Zagal and started to write De Comedianten (The comedians), inspired by the Menaechmi; this book was published with Nijgh & Van Ditmar in 1917.[3]: p.513  Couperus read Ludwig Friedländers
Darstellungen aus der Sittengeschichte Roms in der Zeit von August bis zum Ausgang der Antonine to increase his knowledge of Ancient Rome which he needed for De Comedianten.

In these years Couperus met S.F. van Oss, who was the founder of De Haagsche Post, who asked if Couperus would be willing to write for his magazine. Couperus later published his travelogues (made during his travels to Africa, Dutch East Indies and Japan) as a result in De Haagsche Post, as well as many epigrams.[3]: p.523  For his friend Herman Roelvink he translated the play written by George Bernard Shaw, Caesar and Cleopatra (1916). As from December 1916 he restarted writing his weekly sketch in Het Vaderland, for example Romeinsche portretten (Roman portraits), during which he was inspired by Martial and Juvenal. He also continued giving performances for the public in the evening. In 1917 he wrote the novel Het zwevende schaakbord (The floating chessboard), about the adventures of Gawain; this novel was first published as a serial in the Haagsche Post. He read as research for this book Jacob van Maerlant's Merlijns boec and Lodewijk van Velthem's Boec van Coninc Artur ("Book of King Arthur").[3]: p.545  In July 1918 publisher L.J. Veen sent Couperus a translation of Vitruvius' De architectura and Couperus wrote about it in Het Vaderland. Meanwhile, het Hofstadtoneel (Residence Theater) was about to perform the stage version (made by Elisabeth Couperus-Baud) of Eline Vere; this play received bad product reviews. During this period of his life Couperus read the works written by Quintus Curtius Rufus, Arrian and Plutarch to find inspiration for his next work Iskander.[3]: p.568  The year 1919 was not a happy one for Couperus: his favourite nephew Frans Vlielander Hein died together with his wife when his ship was hit by a mine and L.J. Veen, his publisher and his brother-in-law Benjamin Marinus Vlielander Hein died that year as well.

Last years

In 1920 Iskander (a novel about

Frank Arthur Swinnerton during a lunch and went to a Russian ballet in the Prince's Theater, where the orchestra was conducted by Ernest Ansermet
.

He also met with his English publisher, Thornton Butterworth, visited a small concert, where

E.O. Hoppé after which he had a meeting with the Dutch consul in London, René de Marees van Swinderen and a diner at the house of H. H. Asquith. The next day Couperus went to the Titmarsh club, where he met William Leonard Courtney, and heard Lady Astor, whom he had previously met in Constantine, speak in the House of Commons
. Soon after this Couperus and his wife returned to the Netherlands.

Louis Couperus and Elisabeth Couperus-Baud aboard Prins der Nederlanden in 1921

In the Netherlands Couperus prepared himself for his journey to the Dutch East Indies, China and Japan. He and his wife left for the Dutch East Indies on 1 October 1921 aboard the

Nikkō. They returned to the Netherlands on 10 October 1922.[3]
: p.644 

Death and tributes

Statue of Couperus by Kees Verkade in The Hague

Back in the Netherlands, it turned out that Couperus' kidneys and liver were affected. Despite his illness Couperus wrote a series of sketches for Het Vaderland and Groot Nederland. He also was able to visit the opera again and went to see

Albert Vogel, among many others, paid Couperus their respect.[12] On 11 July 1923, Couperus was brought to hospital (in Velp), because the infection in his nose had not healed, but came back home a day later. He now suffered from erysipelas as well as sepsis in the nose. He fell into a coma on 14 July, remained in that state for two days with high fever and died on 16 July 1923.[13] He was cremated at Westerveld
, where Gustaaf Paul Hecking Coolenbrander (a nephew), among others, spoke to remember Couperus.

Bibliography

Cover of Eline Vere designed by Ludwig Willem Reymert Wenckebach
Hendrik Petrus Berlage
Cover of Psyche designed by Jan Toorop
Cover of De boeken der kleine zielen. Zielenschemering designed by Theo Neuhuys [nl]

Books published during Couperus' life

Poetry

Novels

Translations by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos [1865-1921] unless noted otherwise.

  • Eline Vere (1889); Translated into English by J. T. Grein as Eline Vere (1892); revised translation published in 2009 by Holland Park Press and new translation published in 2010 by Archipelago Books, NY.
  • Noodlot (1890); Translated into English by Clara Bell as Footsteps of Fate (1891).
  • Extaze. Een boek van geluk (1892); Translated into English as
    Ecstasy: A Study of Happiness
     (1897).
  • Majesteit (1893); Translated into English as Majesty: A Novel (1895)
  • Wereldvrede (1895) ("World peace")
  • Metamorfoze (1897) ("Metamorphosis")
  • Langs lijnen der geleidelijkheid (1900); Translated into English as
    Inevitable
    , The Inevitable (1920) or The Law Inevitable (1921).
  • De stille kracht (1900); Translated into English as The Hidden Force: A Story of Modern Java (1921); revised edition with an introduction and notes by E.M. Beekman (1939-2008), Amherst : University of Massachusetts Press, 1985, 1992.
  • De boeken der kleine zielen. De kleine zielen (1901); Translated into English as The books of small souls. Small Souls (1914).
  • De boeken der kleine zielen. Het late leven (1902); Translated into English as The books of small souls. The Later Life (1915).
  • De boeken der kleine zielen. Zielenschemering (1902); Translated into English as The books of small souls. The Twilight of the Souls (1917).
  • De boeken der kleine zielen. Het heilige weten (1903); Translated into English as The books of small souls. Dr. Adriaan (1918).
  • Dionyzos (1904)
  • De berg van licht (1905/6) ("The mountain of light")
  • Van oude menschen, de dingen, die voorbij gaan... (1906); Translated into English as Old People and the Things that Pass (1918)
  • Antiek toerisme. Roman uit Oud-Egypte (1911); Translated into English as The Tour: A Story of Ancient Egypt (1920)
  • Herakles (1913)
  • De ongelukkige (1915) ("The unhappy one")
  • De komedianten (1917); Translated into English by Jacobine Menzies-Wilson as The Comedians: A Story of Ancient Rome (1926).
  • De verliefde ezel (1918) ("The donkey in love")
  • Xerxes of de hoogmoed (1919); Translated into English by Frederick H. Martens as Arrogance: The Conquests of Xerxes (1930).
  • Iskander. De roman van Alexander den Groote (1920)

Novellas, fairy tales, and short stories

  • Eene illuzie (1892) ("An illusion")
  • Hooge troeven (1896) ("High trumps")
  • Psyche (1898); Translated into English by B. S. Berrington as Psyche (1908).
  • Fidessa (1899)
  • Babel (1901)
  • God en goden (1903)
  • Aan den weg der vreugde (1908) ("On the road of happiness")
  • De ode (1919)
  • Lucrezia[nb 1] (1920)
  • Het zwevende schaakbord (1922) ("The floating chessboard")

Short stories and sketches

Louis Couperus wrote hundreds of short stories, sketches, travel impressions, and letters, which were first published as feuilletons. Those feuilletons were later bundled and published as books.

  • Reis-impressies (1894) ("Travel impressions")
  • Over lichtende drempels (1902) ("Over Shining Doorsteps")
  • Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Eerste bundel (1910) ("About me and others. Volume I")
  • Antieke verhalen van goden en keizers, van dichters en hetaeren (1911) ("Antique Stories, about gods and emperors, of poets and hetaeras")
  • Korte arabesken (1911) ("Short Arabesques")
  • De zwaluwen neêr gestreken... (1911) ("The Swallows Landed")
  • Schimmen van schoonheid (1912) ("Shadows of beauty")
  • Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht. Eerste bundel (1912) ("From white cities under a blue sky. Volume I")
  • Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht. Tweede bundel (1913) ("From white cities under a blue sky. Volume II")
  • Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Tweede bundel (1914) ("About me and others. Volume II")
  • Van en over alles en iedereen (1915) ("About everything and everyone"):[nb 2]
    1. Rome ("Rome")
    2. Genève, Florence ("Geneva, Florence")
    3. Sicilië, Venetië, München ("Sicily, Venice, Munich")
    4. Van en over mijzelf en anderen ("About me and others")[nb 3]
    5. Spaansch toerisme ("Spanish tourism")
  • Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Derde bundel (1916) ("About me and others. Volume III")
  • Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Vierde bundel (1917) ("About me and others. Volume IV")
  • Jan en Florence (1917) ("Jan and Florence")[nb 4]
  • Wreede portretten (1917) ("Cruel portraits")[nb 5]
  • Legende, mythe en fantazie (1918) ("Legend, myth and fantasy")
  • Der dingen ziel (1918) ("The Soul of Things")[nb 6]
  • Brieven van den nutteloozen toeschouwer (1918) ("Letters of the useless spectator")[nb 7]
  • Elyata (1919)[nb 8]
  • De betoveraar (1919) ("The enchanter")[nb 9]
  • Met Louis Couperus in Afrika (1921) ("With Louis Couperus in Africa")
  • Oostwaarts (1923); Translated into English by Jacobine Menzies-Wilson as Eastward (1924).[nb 10]
  • Proza. Eerste bundel (1923) ("Prose. Volume I")[nb 10]
  • Het snoer der ontferming (1924) ("The String of Compassion")[nb 10]
  • Proza. Tweede bundel (1924) ("Prose. Volume II")[nb 10]
  • Nippon (1925); Translated into English by John De La Valette as Nippon (1926).[nb 10]
  • Proza. Derde bundel (1925) ("Prose. Volume III")[nb 10]

Miscellaneous

  • De verzoeking van den H. Antonius[nb 11] (1896)

Verzamelde werken (Collected Works)

  1. Jeugdwerk; Eline Vere; Novellen (1953)
  2. Noodlot; Extase; Majesteit; Wereldvrede; Hoge troeven (1953)
  3. Metamorfose; Psyche; Fidessa; Langs lijnen van geleidelijkheid (1953)
  4. De stille kracht; Babel; Novellen; De zonen der zon; Jahve; Dionysos (1953)
  5. De boeken der kleine zielen (1952)
  6. Van oude mensen de dingen die voorbijgaan; De berg van licht (1952)
  7. Aan de weg der vreugde; Antiek toerisme; Verhalen en arabesken (1954)
  8. Herakles; Verhalen en dagboekbladen; Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht (1956)
  9. Lucrezia; De ongelukkige; Legenden en portretten (1956)
  10. De komedianten; De verliefde ezel; Het zwevende schaakbord (1955)
  11. Xerxes; Iskander (1954)
  12. Verhalen (1957)

Volledige werken Louis Couperus (Complete Works)

  1. Een lent van vaerzen (1988)
  2. Orchideeën. Een bundel poëzie en proza (1989)
  3. Eline Vere. Een Haagsche roman (1987)
  4. Noodlot (1990)
  5. Extaze. Een boek van geluk (1990)
  6. Eene illuzie (1988)
  7. Majesteit (1991)
  8. Reis-impressies (1988)
  9. Wereldvrede (1991)
  10. Williswinde (1990)
  11. Hooge troeven (1991)
  12. De verzoeking van den H. Antonius (1992)
  13. Metamorfoze (1988)
  14. Psyche (1992)
  15. Fidessa (1992)
  16. Langs lijnen van geleidelijkheid (1989)
  17. De stille kracht (1989)
  18. Babel (1993)
  19. De boeken der kleine zielen. I en II (1991)
  20. De boeken der kleine zielen. III en IV (1991)
  21. Over lichtende drempels (1993)
  22. God en goden (1989)
  23. Dionyzos (1988)
  24. De berg van licht (1993)
  25. Van oude menschen, de dingen, die voorbij gaan... (1988)
  26. Aan den weg der vreugde (1989)
  27. Van en over mijzelf en anderen (1989)
  28. Antieke verhalen. Van goden en keizers, van dichters en hetaeren (1993)
  29. Korte arabesken (1990)
  30. Antiek toerisme. Roman uit Oud-Egypte (1987)
  31. De zwaluwen neêr gestreken... (1993)
  32. Schimmen van schoonheid (1991)
  33. Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht (1994)
  34. Herakles (1994)
  35. Van en over alles en iedereen (1990)
  36. De ongelukkige (1994)
  37. De komedianten (1992)
  38. Legende, mythe en fantazie (1994)
  39. De verliefde ezel (1994)
  40. De ode (1990)
  41. Xerxes, of De hoogmoed (1993)
  42. Iskander. De roman van Alexander den Groote (1995)
  43. Met Louis Couperus in Afrika (1995)
  44. Het zwevende schaakbord (1994)
  45. Oostwaarts (1992)
  46. Proza. Eerste bundel (1995)
  47. Het snoer der ontferming. Japansche legenden (1995)
  48. Nippon (1992)
  49. Ongebundeld werk (1996)
  50. Ongepubliceerd werk (1996)

Published letters

  • Couperus, Louis; Bastet, Frédéric (1977). Brieven van Louis Couperus aan zijn uitgever (in Dutch). 's-Gravenhage.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) In two volumes: 1. Waarde heer Veen : (1890–1902) and 2. Amice : (1902–1919)
  • Couperus, Louis; Veen, L. J.; Vliet, H. T. M. van (1987). Louis Couperus en L. J. Veen : bloemlezing uit hun correspondentie (in Dutch). Utrecht: Veen.
    ISBN 9020426869
    .
  • Couperus, Louis; Baud, Elisabeth Wilhelmina Johanna; Wintermans, Casper (2003). Dear sir : brieven van het echtpaar Couperus aan Oscar Wilde (in Dutch and English). Woubrugge: Avalon Pers.
    ISBN 9080731420
    .

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ Published earlier as part of Schimmen van schoonheid (1912)
  2. ^ A series of five books, all published simultaneously in June 1915
  3. ^ Reprint of Van en over mijzelf en anderen II.
  4. ^ Reprint of Van en over mijzelf en anderen III, first half.
  5. ^ Reprint of Van en over mijzelf en anderen III, second half.
  6. ^ Reprint of Van en over mijzelf en anderen IV, first half.
  7. ^ Reprint of Van en over mijzelf en anderen IV, second half.
  8. ^ Reprint of Legende, mythe en fantazie, first half.
  9. ^ Reprint of Legende, mythe en fantazie, second half.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Published posthumously.
  11. La Tentation de Saint Antoine
    .

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-9971-69-373-2
    . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  2. ^ Faes, J. (1902). Over de erfpachtsrechten uitgeoefend door Chineezen en de occupatie-rechten der inlandsche bevolking, op de gronden der particuliere landerijen, ten westen der Tjimanoek (in Dutch). Buitenzorgsche drukkerij. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  3. ^
    ISBN 9021451360
    . Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  4. ^ (in Dutch) J.A. Dautzenberg, Nederlandse Literatuur, 1989.
  5. ^ (in Dutch) 'Een vreemde ervaring die Couperus verwerkte in de Stille Kracht', in De Telegraaf, 22 August 1987 – Retrieved on 24 March 2013
  6. ^ (in Dutch) 'Kunst en letteren', in Algemeen Handelsblad, 14 March 1889. Retrieved on 24 March 2013.
  7. ^ (in Dutch) 'Stadsnieuws', De Tijd, 15 August 1890. Retrieved on 24 March 2013.
  8. ^ (in Dutch) Couperusweg in Hilversum – Retrieved on 24 March 2013
  9. Algemeen Handelsblad
    . 30 June 1891. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  10. ^ (in Dutch) 'De Tollensprijs voor Couperus', in Het Vaderland. 18 April 1923. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  11. ^ (in Dutch) 'Couperus gedecoreerd', in Bataviasch Nieuwsblad. 11 June 1923. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  12. Limburgs Dagblad
    . 6 July 1968. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  13. ^ (in Dutch) 'Louis Couperus', in Limburgsch Dagblad. 17 July 1923. Retrieved 24 March 2013.

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