Harry Mulisch

Harry Mulisch (born July 29, 1927) is a Dutch author. Along with W.F. Hermans and Gerard Reve, he is considered one of the "Great Three" of Dutch postwar literature. He has written novels, plays, essays, poems, and philosophical reflections.

Themes in his work

A frequent theme in his work is the Second World War. His father had worked for the Germans during the war, and goes to prison for three years afterwards. As the war encompassed most of Mulisch' puberty, it had a defining influence on his life and work. In 1963, he writes a non-fiction work about the Eichmann case: The case 40/61. Major works set against the backdrop of the Second World War are De Aanslag, Het stenen bruidsbed, and Siegfried.

Related Topics:
Second World War - Eichmann

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Additionally, Mulisch often incorporates ancient legends or myths in his writings, drawing in Greek mythology (e.g. in De Elementen), Jewish mysticism (in De ontdekking van de Hemel and De Procedure), politics (Mulisch is a socialist), and well-known urban legends. He is widely read, and (according to his critics) often appears to flaunt his knowledge.

Related Topics:
Greek mythology - Jewish mysticism - De ontdekking van de Hemel

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Mulisch gained international recognition with the film De Aanslag, (1986) which was based on his eponymous book. It received an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best foreign movie and has been translated in more than twenty languages.

Related Topics:
Oscar - Golden Globe

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His novel De ontdekking van de Hemel (1992) was filmed in 2001 as The Discovery of Heaven by Jeroen Krabbé, starring Stephen Fry.

Related Topics:
The Discovery of Heaven - Jeroen Krabbé - Stephen Fry

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Amongst many awards he has received for individual works and his total body of work, the most important is the Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren (Award for Dutch Literature, an official once-in-a-lifetime award) in 1995.

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