In Praise of Navigation

This collection of short stories showcases 20th-century Dutch authors—including Hugo Claus, Harry Mulisch, and Gerard Reve—who are inadequately represented in translation. The range of styles, subject matter, and political argument among these writers makes for a startling reminder that Holland has been both a crossroads in Europe and an imperial power with entanglements from South Africa to the East and the West Indies to Shanghai. Claustrophobia, paranoia, power, and desire are the themes of many of these stories, and whether set at home or in exotic locales, they turn an eye to global events.