Cheese

by Willem Elsschot | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 1862075565 Global Overview for this book
Registered by davemurray101 of Christiansted, US Virgin Islands US Virgin Islands on 10/10/2010
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
This book is in a Controlled Release! This book is in a Controlled Release!
2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by davemurray101 from Christiansted, US Virgin Islands US Virgin Islands on Sunday, October 10, 2010
Originally published in 1933, this classic Dutch comedy tells the tale of a determined but misguided marine shipping clerk enmeshed in a cumbersome cheese-centered farce. In early 1930s Amsterdam, a friend of a friend offers 50-year-old Frans Laarmans a position as an Edam cheese distributor. Laarmans isn't fond of cheese upon visiting a cheese shop, he observes, "The Roqueforts and Gorgonzolas lewdly flaunted their mould, and a squadron of Camemberts let their pus ooze out freely" but he is willing to snatch at any opportunity to escape his drab job at the shipping yards and enhance his social standing. Despite help from his wife, who is a bit sharper than her husband in business matters, Laarmans finds his new occupation exhausting. Before selling his first Edam, he wastes days searching for a typewriter to write up receipts for unmade sales and hours searching shops for a desk. In the meantime, 10,000 wheels of Edam are delivered. When he is informed that his supervisor is en route to meet him and settle accounts, Laarmans frantically struggles to make a sale. Doomed from the start, his final weak efforts are to no avail, and even his one success is ill timed. The book's poker-faced humor falls a bit flat in translation, though Laarmans's ordeal makes for nail-biting reading, and Elsschot's class commentary is astute.

Journal Entry 2 by davemurray101 at Valentine, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, October 10, 2010
An excellent comedy of someone out of their depth. Painfully close to some of my experiences in a previous job.

Journal Entry 3 by davemurray101 at A booklover, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (10/27/2010 UTC) at A booklover, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

posted to Esme-Weatherwax of Limerick

Journal Entry 4 by Esme-Weatherwax at Limerick, Co. Limerick Ireland on Monday, November 8, 2010
Thanks dave this will do for a Dutch author for my authors from every country challenge

Journal Entry 5 by Esme-Weatherwax at Limerick, Co. Limerick Ireland on Monday, September 3, 2012
I did not really like this book. I found Laarmans to be a whiny fool. I did see the point Elsschot was making, that some people tend to focus on the wrong things **Spoiler Below**
For example Laarmans focused on getting his office perfect and setting up a company name instead of going out a selling cheese. ** End of Spoiler** The part of the book I liked the most was the translator's preface

Journal Entry 6 by Esme-Weatherwax at Johore Bahru, Sultanate of Johor (Johor Bahru) Malaysia on Monday, September 3, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (7/30/2012 UTC) at Johore Bahru, Sultanate of Johor (Johor Bahru) Malaysia

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This book is being released in memory of Oppem, a generous, friendly Bookcrosser who passed away June 23 2012. This is a book that she listed that she read between Nov. 2011 and Nov. 2012.

Please enjoy this book and pass it on in memory of her when you are done.

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.