Table Of Contents
- Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl
- Jessie Burton, The Miniaturist
- David Liss, The Coffee Trader
- Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
- John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
- John Irving, A Widow For One Year
- Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch
- Deborah Moggach, Tulip Fever
- Cees Nooteboom, Rituals
- Dubravka Ugresic, The Ministry of Pain
Amsterdam means something different to everyone. The city has played many different roles throughout history: from the moment it was first recognized in 1275 and known as Amstelledamme, through the Golden Age to the present day—writers have always had something to say about Amsterdam. Amsterdam has a strong literary tradition, and the city’s popularity as a setting for world-famous books is not going away anytime soon.
Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl
The Diary of a Young Girl will forever play an important role in Amsterdam’s literary culture. It has been translated into 67 languages, and more than 30 million copies have been sold since its publication in 1947. This courageous and impressive diary was kept by Anne Frank, whose family went into hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. This diary has touched the hearts of so many people because of the shocking contrast between the innocence of childhood and the cruelty of the Nazis.
Jessie Burton, The Miniaturist
This international bestseller is inspired by Petronella Oortman’s dollhouse, which is on display at the Rijksmuseum. It is 1686 in Amsterdam, and the main character, Nella Oortman, has just turned 18. Her father has left her penniless, and she is forced to marry someone much older than herself to secure her financial future. Her husband is unresponsive to her affection, and she finds solace in one of his gifts: a dollhouse. However, things are far more complicated than they seem at first glance. Definitely one of the best books set in our city.
David Liss, The Coffee Trader
It seems the world can’t get enough of 17th-century Amsterdam, for David Liss also sets his novel in the second half of that century— 1659. Mercantilism was at its peak, and the Dutch held a monopoly on trade in Europe. We call this period the Golden Age, but it was just as sordid as any other era, and that is precisely how David Liss frames his novel. It is the story of a man struggling to find his way in the world of Golden Age merchants.
Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
Two friends meet in London to mourn their mutual ex-lover, Molly. The conversation about Molly’s health before her death inspires the two men to make a suicide pact, and if you’re wondering how Amsterdam fits into this story—I can’t tell you, because that would ruin the book! But seriously, this book is worth reading if you want to feel like your brain has been turned upside down.
John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
Two teenagers escape the loneliness of cancer and find comfort in each other’s company. They read each other’s favorite books, and one of them becomes frustrated by the lack of a resolution in one of those books. So they set off for Amsterdam to meet the author and hopefully find the catharsis they’re seeking in each other. Warning: it’s heartbreaking.
John Irving, A Widow For One Year
The novel begins in 1958 with 4-year-old Ruth Cole, who is constantly reminded of her brothers’ death in a car accident by the many photos of them hanging all over the house. Her parents are unhappy and unfaithful to each other. Her mother is still mourning her sons and is driven into the arms of a teenager who resembles her son, who was murdered by her husband (I know, right). Soon, Ruth’s mother disappears. Ruth grows up and moves to Amsterdam, where she witnesses the murder of a sex worker, and from there, everything goes completely off the rails. It’s madness, but it’s brilliant.
Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch
Theodore Decker is only 13 years old, and at this tender age, he has witnessed a terrorist bombing in which his mother was killed. He manages to survive the attack and picks out of the rubble a small painting of a goldfinch from the Dutch Golden Age. He goes to live with a wealthy family, and in this strange environment, his attention increasingly turns to the art world. The goldfinch painting is taken from him, and he heads to Amsterdam to find it. This novel begins with a very dark scene, and it doesn’t get any lighter, so prepare to cry your eyes out. But it is one of the best books I have ever read: among other accolades, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014.
Deborah Moggach, Tulip Fever
The Dutch Golden Age once again serves as the backdrop for Tulip Fever, and the title is no metaphor. The people of Amsterdam are crazy about tulips —they can’t get enough of that sweet tulip scent. Men are truly in love with this flower, just like all Amsterdammers , apparently. One man, however, is in love with his wife, and they are struggling to have children. Then his wife falls in love with a painter, and from that moment on, it’s all romance, betrayal, and longing.
Cees Nooteboom, Rituals
The characters in Nooteboom’s novel couldn’t be more different from one another. Inni Wintrop has no time for rules. He wants life to take him on a journey and let the wind blow through his hair. But when he meets two men who are committed to rules and order, everything changes.
Dubravka Ugresic, The Ministry of Pain
Tanja Lucic flees Yugoslavia as the country falls apart and ends up teaching literature at a university in Amsterdam. Many of her students have also fled Yugoslavia, and she encourages them to write about their culture, history, and unique experiences. Not all of her students, however, are open to this idea, and things get out of hand.
