TNTL 119/4

Hidde R.J. van der Veen

'Ik schryf als de bliksem!' Multatuli en het ontstaan van Duizend-en-eenige-hoofdstukken over Specialiteiten

Abstract -- Multatuli, pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker (1820-1887), published his Duizend-en-eenige hoofdstukken over Specialiteiten in 1871 after half a decade of literary silence. His political aspirations had failed which made him decide to earn a living as a professional writer. Specialiteiten was written and published in a rather short period of time, which is exceptional for Multatuli’s practice at that time. Although this work is generally seen as a political brochure, the first part is a literary statement, a show-case of the literary endowments of Multatuli. Therefore Specialiteiten can be seen as Multatuli’s Ars Poetica.

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