Louis Marie-Anne Couperus (10 June 1863 – 16 July 1923) was a Dutch novelist and poet. His oeuvre contains a wide variety of genres:
lyric poetry,
psychological
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between t ...
and
historical novels, novellas,
short stories,
fairy tales
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...
,
feuilletons and
sketches. Couperus is considered to be one of the foremost figures in
Dutch literature. In 1923, he was awarded the ''
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
Louis Marie-Anne Couperus was born on 10 June 1863 at Mauritskade 11 in
The Hague, Netherlands, into a long-established, ''
Indo'' family of the colonial landed gentry of the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
.
He was the eleventh and youngest child of
John Ricus Couperus
John Ricus Couperus (1816 – 1902) was a Dutch lawyer, member of the Council of Justice in Padang, member of the High Military Court of the Dutch East Indies and the ''landheer'' of Tjikopo. He was also the father of the Dutch writer Louis Coupe ...
(1816–1902), a prominent colonial administrator, lawyer and ''
landheer'' or lord of the private domain (''
particuliere land'') of Tjikopo in
Java,
and Catharina Geertruida Reynst (1829–1893). Through his father, he was a great-grandson of
Abraham Couperus
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the Covenant (biblical), special ...
(1752-1813), Governor of
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
, and
Willem Jacob Cranssen
Willem () is a Dutch and West FrisianRienk de Haan, ''Fryske Foarnammen'', Leeuwarden, 2002 (Friese Pers Boekerij), , p. 158. masculine given name. The name is Germanic, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English, Gui ...
(1762-1821), Governor of
Ambon
Ambon may refer to:
Places
* Ambon Island, an island in Indonesia
** Ambon, Maluku, a city on Ambon Island, the capital of Maluku province
** Governorate of Ambon, a colony of the Dutch East India Company from 1605 to 1796
* Ambon, Morbihan, a co ...
with a female-line,
Eurasian lineage that goes back even earlier to the mid-eighteenth century.
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.
When Louis reached the age of five, his youngest sister, Trudy, was twelve years old and his youngest brother, Frans, eleven.
In The Hague he followed lessons at the boarding school of Mr. Wyers, where he first met his later friend
Henri van Booven
Hendrik Cornelis Alexander (Henri) van Booven (17 July 1877 in Haarlem – 31 January 1964 in The Hague) was a Dutch writer and journalist. His most successful work was the novel ''Tropenwee'' (''Tropical agony'', 1904), a thinly veiled auto ...
.
On 6 November 1872 the Couperus family left home, travelled by train to
Den Helder
Den Helder () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Den Helder occupies the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula. It is home to the country's main naval base.
From here the Royal TESO fe ...
and embarked on the
steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
''Prins Hendrik'', which would bring them back to the Dutch East Indies.
They arrived on 31 December 1872 in
Batavia, where they spent the night at the then famous
Hotel des Indes
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
.
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.
So Couperus spent part of his youth (1873–1878) in the Dutch East Indies,
[ J.A. Dautzenberg, ''Nederlandse Literatuur'', 1989.] going to school in Batavia.
Here he met his cousin,
Elisabeth Couperus-Baud
Elisabeth Wilhelmina Johanna (Betty) Couperus-Baud ( Batavia, 30 October 1867 – The Hague, 18 March 1960), was a Dutch translator. She was the wife of the Dutch writer Louis Couperus (1863–1923).
Biography
Couperus-Baud was the daughte ...
, 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."
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.''
After he finished primary school, Couperus attended the
Gymnasium Willem III in Batavia.
In the summer of 1878 Couperus and his family returned to the Netherlands, where they went to live in a house at the Nassaukade (plein) 4.
In The Hague Couperus was sent to 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.
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).
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
''Eline Vere'' is an 1889 novel by the Dutch writer Louis Couperus. It was adapted into the 1991 film '' Eline Vere'', directed by Harry Kümel. Couperus wrote ''Eline Vere'' in the house at Surinamestraat 20, The Hague.
Reception
The naturali ...
''.
Start of Couperus' career as a writer
In 1885 plans were made to compose an
operetta
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
for children. Virginie la Chapelle wrote the music, and Couperus provided the lyrics for ' ("Sleeping beauty in the forest"). The opera was staged by a hundred children at the Koninklijke Schouwburg (Royal Theatre) in The Hague.
In January 1885 Couperus had already written one of his early poems, called ''Kleopatra''.
Other writings from this period include the
sonnet
A sonnet is a poetic form that originated in the poetry composed at the Court of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the Sicilian city of Palermo. The 13th-century poet and notary Giacomo da Lentini is credited with the sonnet's invention, ...
''Een portret'' ("A Portrait") and ''Uw glimlach of uw bloemen'' ("Your smile or your flowers").
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 the house near the church"), loosely inspired by
Plutarch.
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
Anna Louisa Geertruida Bosboom-Toussaint (September 16, 1812April 14, 1886) was a Dutch novelist.
Life and career
Geertruida Toussaint was born in Alkmaar, Netherlands, on 16 September 1812. Her father, a pharmacist of Huguenot descent, gave h ...
, whose works Couperus greatly admired. Couperus let Mrs. Bosboom-Toussaint read his novella, which she found very good.
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, ' ("
A ribbon of poems") was published (by publisher J.L. Beijers with a book cover designed by painter Ludwig Willem Reymert Wenckebach).
In these days a person Couperus greatly admired for his sense of beauty and intelligence was writer
Carel Vosmaer
Carel Vosmaer (20 March 1826 – 12 June 1888) was a Dutch poet and art critic, born at The Hague. He wrote under the pseudonym Flanor.
Life
He studied law at the University of Leiden, obtaining a degree in 1851, and was for many years Deputy ...
, whom he frequently met while walking in the center of The Hague.
In 1883 Couperus saw
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 or 23 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including '' La Dame Aux Camel ...
performing in The Hague, but was more impressed by her dresses than her performance itself.
The next year, John Ricus Couperus, father of Louis Couperus, sold his family estate "Tjicoppo", located in the Dutch East Indies and gave order to build a house at the
Surinamestraat 20, The Hague. Here Couperus continued writing poetry and his study of
Dutch literature.
In June 1885 he was appointed member of the very prestigious
Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde
The Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde (English "Society of Dutch Literature", often abbreviated ''MNL'') is a prestigious and exclusive literary society. The MNL was established in Leiden in 1766 and is still located there. At the moment, ...
(Society of Dutch Literature), two years after he published ' ("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".
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.
At the end of 1887 he started to write what was to become his most-famous novel, ''Eline Vere''.
Eline Vere, the beginning of success
Shortly before Couperus wrote ', he had read ''
War and Peace'' and ''
Anna Karenina'', written by
Leo Tolstoy. The structure of Couperus' book ''Eline Vere'' was similar to that of ''Anna Karenina'' (division into short chapters).
He had also just read ''
Ghosts
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
'', a play written by
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...
; reference to the leading character of ''Ghosts'' is made when Eline Vere is delirious with fever and cries: "Oh god, the ghosts, approaching grinning" – also the suicide by the main characters in ''Eline Vere'' and in ''Ghosts'' by taking an overdose of
morphine is the same.
Between 17 June until 4 December 1888, the novel ''Eline Vere'' was published in the Dutch newspaper ''Het Vaderland''; a reviewer in the ''
Algemeen Handelsblad'' wrote: "The writer has talent".
Meanwhile, Couperus wrote a novella called ''Een ster'' ("A Star"), which was published in "Nederland" and made a journey to Sweden.
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
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of the
grenadier
A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...
s, who would later commit suicide (December 1913).
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.
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.
Couperus now started reading
Paul Bourget's novel ''Un coeur de femme'', which inspired him during the writing of his novella ''Extaze'' ("Ecstasy").
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).
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.
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
Hilversum
Hilversum () is a city and municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the heart of the Gooi, it is the largest urban centre in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller towns. Hilvers ...
; after Couperus finished his new book ''Extaze'' in October 1891 he wrote ''Uitzichten'' ("Views") and started with his new romantic and spiritual novella ''Epiloog'' ("Epilogue").
''Extaze'' was published in 1892 in ''The Gids'', and Couperus asked publisher L.J. Veen to publish it as a novel, but refused the offer Veen made him.
In 1891 an English translation of ''Noodlot'', ''Footsteps of Fate'' (translation made by
Clara Bell) and in 1892 an English translation of ''Eline Vere'' were released. Meanwhile, L.J. Veen made Couperus a better offer, which he accepted, and Couperus received from
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
his novel ''
The Picture of Dorian Gray''; Wilde had read the translation of Couperus' ''Footsteps of Fate''. and wrote to Couperus to compliment him with his book.
Elisabeth Couperus-Baud translated Wilde's novel into Dutch: ''Het portret van Dorian Gray''. Dutch critics wrote divergent reviews about ''Extaze'': writer and journalist
Henri Borel said that, ''the book was something like a young boy messing with an egg'', while Lodewijk van Deyssel found it great.
Frederik van Eeden
Frederik Willem van Eeden (3 April 1860, Haarlem – 16 June 1932, Bussum) was a late 19th-century and early 20th-century Dutch writer and psychiatrist. He was a leading member of the Tachtigers and the Significs Group, and had top billing a ...
wrote that he had a specific aversion against the book.
Couperus and his wife moved to The Hague, where Couperus wrote ''Majesteit'' ("Majesty"), after he had read an article in ''
The Illustrated London News'' about
Nicholas II of Russia.
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 , who was an acquaintance of Couperus, played one of the leading characters.
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").
During this time Elisabeth Couperus-Baud was translating
George Moore's novel '' Vain Fortune'', while ''Majesteit'' was published in ''The Gids''.
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),
Ambrosius Hubrecht
Ambrosius Arnold Willem Hubrecht (2 March 1853, in Rotterdam – 21 March 1915, in Utrecht) was a Dutch zoologist.
Hubrecht studied zoology at Utrecht University with Harting and Donders, for periods joining Selenka in Leiden and later ...
and
Pieter Cort van der Linden. In September 1893 Couperus and his wife left for Italy for the second time. In Florence they stayed in a pension close to the
Santa Maria Novella; here Couperus wrote in November 1893 a sketch, ''Annonciatie'', a literary description of the
painting of the same name by
Simone Martini and
Lippo Memmi in the
Uffizi gallery.
In December Couperus and his wife visited Rome, where Couperus wrote ''San Pietro'' (his impression of
St. Peter's Basilica), ''
Pincio'', Michelangelo's ''cupola'', ''
Via Appia'' and ''Brief uit Rome'' ("Letter from Rome"). In these works, Couperus gave references to the works he had read about Rome: ''Ariadne'' by Ouida, ''Rienzi'' by
Bulwer, ''
Transformation'' by
Hawthorne, ''Voyage en Italie'' by
Taine and ''Cosmopolotis'' by Bourget.
In February 1894 Couperus travelled to
Naples and
Athens, and then returned to Florence, where he visited Ouida. Couperus and his wife returned to the Netherlands, where Elisabeth Couperus-Baud made a translation of George Moore's ''Vain Fortune''; they went to live in the house at the Jacob van der Doesstraat 123. During this time Gerrit Jäger committed suicide by drowning. Couperus now started working on what was to become ''Wereldvrede'' ("World Peace") and wrote a translation of
Flaubert's ''
La Tentation de Saint Antoine
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
''.
Consolidation phase
In 1894 an English translation was made by
Alexander Teixeira de Mattos of ''Majesteit''; reviewers were not satisfied, and in the Netherlands Couperus new novel ''Wereldvrede'' was seen by critics as a flat novel, intended for women. Apart from that Lodewijk van Deyssel wrote a review in which he asked Couperus to get lost ("De heer Couperus kan van mij ophoepelen"), and Couperus himself ended his editorship at ''De Gids'' (April 1895).
In October 1895 Couperus and his wife travelled to Italy again, where they visited
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
; they stayed at a hotel near the
Piazza San Marco, and Couperus studied the works of
Tintoretto,
Titian and
Veronese
Veronese is the Italian word denoting someone or something from Verona, Italy and may refer to:
* Veronese Riddle, a popular riddle in the Middle Ages
* ''Veronese'' (moth), a moth genus in the family Crambidae
* Monte Veronese, an Italian chees ...
. The next city they visited was Rome, where Couperus would receive a number of bad reviews of his book ''Wereldvrede''.
In Rome he met Dutch sculptor
Pier Pander and Dutch painter
Pieter de Josselin de Jong. In March 1896 Couperus and his wife returned to the Netherlands.
In 1896 ''Hoge troeven'' ("High Trumps") was published with a book cover designed 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.
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''.
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.
In January 1898, ''De Gids'' started publishing chapters of ''Psyche''.
In February 1898 Couperus travelled to Berlin, where he visited
Else Otten
Else may refer to:
Places
* Else (Lenne), a river in Germany, tributary to the Lenne
* Else (Werre), a river in Germany, tributary to the Werre
People
* Else (given name)
* Else (surname)
Music
* "Else" (song), a 1999 rock song
* ''The Else'', ...
, the German translator of his books and who would also translate ''Psyche'' into German.
With Elisabeth Couperus-Baud he left the Netherlands in May 1898 for a short trip to London, where they met friends and visited
Ascot Racecourse; Alexander Teixeira de Mattos introduced Couperus and his wife during a
high tea to English journalists and literary people. Couperus also met
Edmund Gosse, who had written a foreword to ''Footsteps of Fate'' in 1891, and English painter
Lawrence Alma-Tadema, who was a brother-in-law of Gosse.
Via
Oxford, Couperus and his wife returned to the Netherlands, where he finished ''Fidessa'' in December 1898. Couperus and his wife then left for the Netherlands Dutch Indies and arrived at the end of March 1899 in
Tanjung Priok. In June they visited Couperus sister Trudy and her husband Gerard Valette, who was working as a
resident at
Tegal. Here Couperus started to write his new novel, ''Langs lijnen der geleidelijkheid'' (''
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).
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.''
Meanwhile, Couperus received a letter from his friend Johan Hendrik Ram, in which Ram wrote that he and lieutenant
Lodewijk Thomson were about to travel to South Africa to follow the course of the
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.
In October 1900 Couperus and his wife moved to
Nice, where Couperus read
Henryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz ( , ; 5 May 1846 – 15 November 1916), also known by the pseudonym Litwos (), was a Polish writer, novelist, journalist and Nobel Prize laureate. He is best remembered for his historical novels, especi ...
' ''
With Fire and Sword'', ''
The Deluge'' and ''
Quo Vadis
''Quō vādis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you marching?". It is also commonly translated as "Where are you going?" or, poetically, "Whither goest thou?"
The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Pet ...
'', while his own ''The Hidden Force'' was published in the Netherlands.
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.
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.
In May 1903 Couperus published ''Dionyzos-studiën'' ("Studies of
Dionysus
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
") in ''Groot Nederland'', in which Couperus paid tribute to
classical antiquity (a doctrine without
original sin
Original sin is the Christian doctrine that holds that humans, through the fact of birth, inherit a tainted nature in need of regeneration and a proclivity to sinful conduct. The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 (t ...
) and especially to the god Dionysus.
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
Jean Lombard (26 September 1854 – 17 July 1891) was a French novelist of the late nineteenth century.
Lombard was born in Toulon, Var. His work, with its themes of orientalism, androgyny and paganism, had deep affiliations with the Decadent mov ...
'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").
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
Eleonora Giulia Amalia Duse ( , ; 3 October 185821 April 1924), often known simply as Duse, was an Italian actress, rated by many as the greatest of her time. She performed in many countries, notably in the plays of Gabriele d'Annunzio and Hen ...
. 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.
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
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
") 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
''De Telegraaf'' (; en, The Telegraph) is the largest Dutch daily morning newspaper. Haro Kraak,Gaat Paul Jansen de crisis bij De Telegraaf oplossen?, '' de Volkskrant'', 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015. Paul Jansen has been the editor-in-chief s ...
" and the "Kroniek".
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
The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the ''New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''.
His ...
'' 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."
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
''Schimmen van schoonheid'' (English "''Shades of beauty''") is a collection of short stories, written by Louis Couperus and published by Van Holkema & Warendorf in 1912. It is not known how many copies were printed for the first edition, but th ...
'' ("Shadows of Beauty").
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
Museo Barracco di Scultura Antica,
San Saba, the
Villa Madama and the
Colosseum (among other things). He also paid a visit to the
Borgia Apartment and wrote a number of sketches about
Lucrezia and
Pinturicchio, who had painted her.
In 1911 he wrote in ''Groot Nederland'' a sketch about Siena and
Ostia Antica. He read
Gaston Boissier's ''Promenades archéologiques'' and made long walks through the ancient ruins of Rome. He also visited the exhibition in the
Belle Arti in Florence, where also Dutch painters exhibited their work. Here he met
Willem Steelink and
Arnold Marc Gorter
Arnold Marc Gorter (1866, Almelo – 1933, Amsterdam), was a 19th-century landscape painter from the Eastern Netherlands.
Biography
According to the RKD he was a pupil of August Allebé and Pierre Cuypers at the Rijksnormaalschool voor Teeke ...
, who gave him a warm welcome.
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?''
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
Front may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film
* '' The Front'', 1976 film
Music
*The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...
.
In December Couperus and his wife left for
Sicily but spent some time in
Orvieto
Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are compl ...
, where they stayed in the same hotel that
Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen (; 19 November 1770 – 24 March 1844) was a Danes, Danish and Icelanders, Icelandic Sculpture, sculptor medallist, medalist of international fame, who spent most of his life (1797–1838) in Italy. Thorvaldsen was born in ...
had once visited. Hereafter they travelled to Naples, where Couperus admired the
Farnese Hercules, which inspired him to start writing his next novel, ''Herakles''.
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
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
*Syracuse, Indiana
* Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
and
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
; he and his wife then returned to Florence. During this period he visited
Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
and then travelled to Venice, where he attended the inauguration of the then-restored
St Mark's Campanile
St Mark's Campanile ( it, Campanile di San Marco, ) is the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy. The current campanile is a reconstruction completed in 1912, the previous tower having collapsed in 1902. At in height, it is the tal ...
(tower), and wrote about it in his sketch ''Feest van San Marco'' ("The party of San Marco").
Meanwhile, publisher L.J. Veen gave a positive answer to Couperus' question if he would be willing to publish the bundled sketches.
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
''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...
'' 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.
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
Pieter Cornelis BoutensHis original family name was changed from Bouters to Boutens by a decision of the District Court of Middelburg, 14 March 1898, Act No. 79 (February 20, 1870 – March 14, 1943) was a Dutch poet, classicist, and mystic.
Bi ...
, Alexander Teixeira de Mattos and K.J.L. Alberdingk Thijm.
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
futuristic meeting of 12 December, which was also attended by
Giovanni Papini and
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, at whom potatoes were thrown. Couperus admired them for their courage to speak despite the fact the public made so much noise they could hardly be heard.
He also went to see the
Mona Lisa, which had been found after it was stolen, at the Uffizi. Couperus said about new things such as futurism: ''The only thing that always will triumph in the end, above everything, is beauty''.
In these years he started reading Giovanni Papini's ''Un uomo finito''; he compared the new literary movement to which Papini belonged, with those of 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.
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.
Public performances
When World War I began, Couperus was in Munich. On 27 August 1914 the son of
Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Luitpold, died of
polio and Couperus went to see his body in the
Theatrine Church. During this time he admired the German: ''I admire them because they are tragic and fight a tragic struggle, like a tragic hero fights.''
In September he returned to Florence and in February 1915 to the Netherlands, where he visited the premiere of Frederik van Eeden's ''De heks van Haarlem'' (The witch of Haarlem) and met Van Eeden. He made a translation of
Edmond Rostand
Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...
s ''
Cantecler'', although the play was never performed on stage. During this time Couperus started making performances as an
elocution
Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone as well as the idea and practice of effective speech and its forms. It stems from the idea that while communication is symbolic, sounds are final and compelli ...
ist. His first performance at the art room Kleykamp for an audience of students from
Delft
Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...
was a huge success. The decor consisted of a
Buddha and a painting made by
Antonio da Correggio
Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Italian Renaissance, who was responsible for some of the most vigorous and sens ...
that
Abraham Bredius had lent for this occasion. Couperus read ''De zonen der zon'' (Sons of the sun) aloud.
While Couperus made his performances, L.J. Veen published the first parts of ''Van en over alles en iedereen'' (By and about everything and everyone) and publisher Holkema & Warendorf ''De ongelukkige'' (The unfortunate) (1915). Couperus himself wrote that year ''De dood van den Dappere'' (The death of the brave one), which dealt with the end of
El Zagal
Abu Abdallah Muhammad az-Zaghal (the Valiant) () ( 1444 – 1494) was the 23rd Nasrid ruler of Granada in Spain. Christians called him Mahoma XIII el Zagal.
Life
Muhammad fought in the Granada War next to his brother Abu'l-Hasan Ali, also know ...
and started to write ''De Comedianten'' (The comedians), inspired by the
Menaechmi; this book was published with Nijgh & Van Ditmar in 1917.
Couperus read
Ludwig Friedländer
Ludwig Henrich Friedlaender (16 July 1824 – 16 December 1909) was a German philologist. He was one of the preeminent scholars of Ancient Rome of his time and is known for his research on Roman daily life and customs. He was a professor at Albe ...
s ''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
epigram
An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word is derived from the Greek "inscription" from "to write on, to inscribe", and the literary device has been employed for over two mille ...
s.
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
Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial ; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman poet from Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of ''Epigrams'', published in Rome between AD 86 and ...
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
Jacob van Maerlant (c. 1230–40 – c. 1288–1300) was a Flemish poet of the 13th century and one of the most important Middle Dutch authors during the Middle Ages.
Biography
Jacob van Maerlant was born near Bruges. He becam ...
's ''Merlijns boec'' and Lodewijk van Velthem's ''Boec van Coninc Artur'' ("Book of King Arthur").
In July 1918 publisher L.J. Veen sent Couperus a translation of
Vitruvius' ''
De architectura
(''On architecture'', published as ''Ten Books on Architecture'') is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect and military engineer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus, as a guide f ...
'' 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
Quintus Curtius Rufus () was a Roman historian, probably of the 1st century, author of his only known and only surviving work, ''Historiae Alexandri Magni'', "Histories of Alexander the Great", or more fully ''Historiarum Alexandri Magni Macedon ...
,
Arrian
Arrian of Nicomedia (; Greek: ''Arrianos''; la, Lucius Flavius Arrianus; )
was a Greek historian, public servant, military commander and philosopher of the Roman period.
''The Anabasis of Alexander'' by Arrian is considered the best ...
and
Plutarch to find inspiration for his next work ''Iskander''.
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
Alexander the Great) was published in ''Groot Nederland''; critics were not positive because of the many gay scenes. In October 1920 Couperus travelled for the ''Haagsche Post'' to Egypt; his travelogues were published weekly. In Africa he visited
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
, travelled to
Constantine,
Biskra,
Touggourt and
Timgad and then continued his journey to
Tunis and the ruins of
Carthage, where he met a pupil of Marie-Louis-Antoine-Gaston Boissier. After this Couperus went back to Algiers, because he wanted to see the boxing skills of
Georges Carpentier. Afterwards he wrote: ''I thought that in my life I have written too many books and boxed too little.''
On 3 May 1921 Couperus and his wife returned to
Marseille and travelled to Paris, in time to be present at the festivities held for the
canonization
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...
of
Joan of Arc. On 1 June, Couperus and his wife left for England, where they would meet Alexander Teixeira de Mattos and during which visit Couperus wrote ''With Louis Couperus in London-Season''; these stories were published in the ''Haagsche Post''. In England Couperus met
Stephen McKenna and Edmund Gosse. McKenna had written the forewords for ''Majesty'' and ''Old People and the Things that Pass''. He also met
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
Myra Hess played and also had meetings with George Moore and George Bernard Shaw.
Couperus also let his picture taken by
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.
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 and left the boat at
Belawan, because they would stay with their friend Louis Constant Westenenk at
Medan. In Batavia he dined with
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Dirk Fock and also held public performances, where he would read out his books. After a visit to the
Borobudur Couperus and his wife visited
Surabaya
Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
and
Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
. On 16 February they left for Hong Kong and Shanghai.
In Japan they visited
Kobe
Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...
and
Kyoto; in this last place Couperus became seriously ill, was diagnosed with
Typhoid fever and was sent to the International Hospital in Kobe. After seven weeks he was fit enough to travel to
Yokohama. He and his wife stayed for two weeks at the
Fujiya Hotel, where Couperus read
Kenjirō Tokutomi
(December 8, 1868 – September 18, 1927) was a Japanese writer and philosopher. He wrote novels under the pseudonym of , and his best-known work was his 1899 novel ''The Cuckoo''.
Biography
Tokutomi was born on December 8, 1868 in Minamat ...
's novel ''Nami-Ko''. He and his wife then travelled to Tokyo, where they stayed with the Dutch consul and visited
Nikkō. They returned to the Netherlands on 10 October 1922.
Death and tributes
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 ''
Aida''. In 1923 the couple moved to De Steeg, where Couperus received the rather prestigious
Tollens prize
The Tollens-Fonds ("Tollens foundation)" is a Dutch organization named for poet Hendrik Tollens (1780–1856). The organization awards a notable literary prize, the Tollens Prize and till 2008 also the Jacobson Prize.
Tollens Prize
The Tollens Pri ...
. Meanwhile, a committee was formed to celebrate Couperus' 60th birthday and gather funds as a birthday gift. Couperus' health deteriorated rapidly and apart from lung and liver problems Couperus suffered from an infection in his nose. During Couperus birthday party a sum of 12,000
guilders was handed over to him and speeches were held by
Lodewijk van Deyssel and minister Johannes Theodoor de Visser; Couperus was also appointed knight in the
Order of the Netherlands Lion. During the following reception minister
Herman Adriaan van Karnebeek and
Albert Vogel, among many others, paid Couperus their respect. 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.
['Louis Couperus']
in ''Limburgsch Dagblad''. 17 July 1923. Retrieved 24 March 2013. He was cremated at
Westerveld, where Gustaaf Paul Hecking Coolenbrander (a nephew), among others, spoke to remember Couperus.
Bibliography
Books published during Couperus' life
Poetry
* ''Een lent van vaerzen'' (1884) ("
A ribbon of poems")
* ''Orchideeën. Een bundel poëzie en proza'' (1886) ("
Orchids, a collection of prose and poetry
''Orchids, a collection of prose and poetry'' (Dutch: ') is a collection of prose and poetry written by Dutch writer Louis Couperus, which was published in 1886. Couperus published his debut, ''A ribbon of poems'' (Dutch: ') in 1886 with publish ...
")
* ''Williswinde'' (1895) ("
Williswinde")
Novels
Translations by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos 865-1921unless noted otherwise.
* ''Eline Vere'' (1889); Translated into English by J. T. Grein as ''
Eline Vere
''Eline Vere'' is an 1889 novel by the Dutch writer Louis Couperus. It was adapted into the 1991 film '' Eline Vere'', directed by Harry Kümel. Couperus wrote ''Eline Vere'' in the house at Surinamestraat 20, The Hague.
Reception
The naturali ...
'' (1892); revised translation published in 2009 by
Holland Park Press
Holland Park Press is an independent, privately owned, London-based publishing house. It was founded in 2009 by Bernadette Jansen op de Haar.
Holland Park Press has an Anglo-Dutch flavour as its speciality is to publish contemporary Dutch writer ...
and new translation published in 2010 by Archipelago Books, NY.
* ''Noodlot'' (1890); Translated into English by Clara Bell as ''
Footsteps of Fate
''Footsteps of Fate'' (Dutch: ''Noodlot'') is a novel written by Louis Couperus and published in 1891. ''Footsteps of Fate'' was first published in the Dutch magazine "De Gids" (October 1890). In 1891 the novel was translated into English by C ...
'' (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'' (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
''Schimmen van schoonheid'' (English "''Shades of beauty''") is a collection of short stories, written by Louis Couperus and published by Van Holkema & Warendorf in 1912. It is not known how many copies were printed for the first edition, but th ...
")
* ''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"):
*# ''Rome'' ("Rome")
*# ''Genève, Florence'' ("Geneva, Florence")
*# ''Sicilië, Venetië, München'' ("Sicily, Venice, Munich")
*# ''Van en over mijzelf en anderen'' ("About me and others")
*# ''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")
* ''Wreede portretten'' (1917) ("Cruel portraits")
* ''Legende, mythe en fantazie'' (1918) ("Legend, myth and fantasy")
* ''Der dingen ziel'' (1918) ("The Soul of Things")
* ''Brieven van den nutteloozen toeschouwer'' (1918) ("Letters of the useless spectator")
* ''Elyata'' (1919)
* ''De betoveraar'' (1919) ("The enchanter")
* ''Met Louis Couperus in Afrika'' (1921) ("With Louis Couperus in Africa")
* ''Oostwaarts'' (1923); Translated into English by Jacobine Menzies-Wilson as ''Eastward'' (1924).
* ''Proza. Eerste bundel'' (1923) ("Prose. Volume I")
* ''Het snoer der ontferming'' (1924) ("The String of Compassion")
* ''Proza. Tweede bundel'' (1924) ("Prose. Volume II")
* ''Nippon'' (1925); Translated into English by John De La Valette as ''Nippon'' (1926).
* ''Proza. Derde bundel'' (1925) ("Prose. Volume III")
Miscellaneous
* ''De verzoeking van den H. Antonius'' (1896)
''Verzamelde werken'' (Collected Works)
# Jeugdwerk; ''Eline Vere''; Novellen (1953)
# ''Noodlot''; ''Extase''; ''Majesteit''; ''Wereldvrede''; ''Hoge troeven'' (1953)
# ''Metamorfose''; ''Psyche''; ''Fidessa''; ''Langs lijnen van geleidelijkheid'' (1953)
# ''De stille kracht''; ''Babel''; Novellen; ''De zonen der zon''; ''Jahve''; ''Dionysos'' (1953)
# ''De boeken der kleine zielen'' (1952)
# ''Van oude mensen de dingen die voorbijgaan''; ''De berg van licht'' (1952)
# ''Aan de weg der vreugde''; ''Antiek toerisme''; Verhalen en arabesken (1954)
# ''Herakles''; Verhalen en dagboekbladen; ''Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht'' (1956)
# ''Lucrezia''; ''De ongelukkige''; Legenden en portretten (1956)
# ''De komedianten''; ''De verliefde ezel''; ''Het zwevende schaakbord'' (1955)
# ''Xerxes''; ''Iskander'' (1954)
# ''Verhalen'' (1957)
''Volledige werken Louis Couperus'' (Complete Works)
# ''Een lent van vaerzen'' (1988)
# ''Orchideeën. Een bundel poëzie en proza'' (1989)
# ''Eline Vere. Een Haagsche roman'' (1987)
# ''Noodlot'' (1990)
# ''Extaze. Een boek van geluk'' (1990)
# ''Eene illuzie'' (1988)
# ''Majesteit'' (1991)
# ''Reis-impressies'' (1988)
# ''Wereldvrede'' (1991)
# ''Williswinde'' (1990)
# ''Hooge troeven'' (1991)
# ''De verzoeking van den H. Antonius'' (1992)
# ''Metamorfoze'' (1988)
# ''Psyche'' (1992)
# ''Fidessa'' (1992)
# ''Langs lijnen van geleidelijkheid'' (1989)
# ''De stille kracht'' (1989)
# ''Babel'' (1993)
# ''De boeken der kleine zielen. I en II'' (1991)
# ''De boeken der kleine zielen. III en IV'' (1991)
# ''Over lichtende drempels'' (1993)
# ''God en goden'' (1989)
# ''Dionyzos'' (1988)
# ''De berg van licht'' (1993)
# ''Van oude menschen, de dingen, die voorbij gaan...'' (1988)
# ''Aan den weg der vreugde'' (1989)
# ''Van en over mijzelf en anderen'' (1989)
# ''Antieke verhalen. Van goden en keizers, van dichters en hetaeren'' (1993)
# ''Korte arabesken'' (1990)
# ''Antiek toerisme. Roman uit Oud-Egypte'' (1987)
# ''De zwaluwen neêr gestreken...'' (1993)
# ''Schimmen van schoonheid'' (1991)
# ''Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht'' (1994)
# ''Herakles'' (1994)
# ''Van en over alles en iedereen'' (1990)
# ''De ongelukkige'' (1994)
# ''De komedianten'' (1992)
# ''Legende, mythe en fantazie'' (1994)
# ''De verliefde ezel'' (1994)
# ''De ode'' (1990)
# ''Xerxes, of De hoogmoed'' (1993)
# ''Iskander. De roman van Alexander den Groote'' (1995)
# ''Met Louis Couperus in Afrika'' (1995)
# ''Het zwevende schaakbord'' (1994)
# ''Oostwaarts'' (1992)
# ''Proza. Eerste bundel'' (1995)
# ''Het snoer der ontferming. Japansche legenden'' (1995)
# ''Nippon'' (1992)
# ''Ongebundeld werk'' (1996)
# ''Ongepubliceerd werk'' (1996)
Published letters
* In two volumes: 1. ''Waarde heer Veen : (1890–1902)'' and 2. ''Amice : (1902–1919)''
*
*