Criminally successful
Good news for Pieter van Aspe, Flanders’ very own Stieg Larsson, the (deceased) Swedish writer of the world-famous Millennium trilogy of misdaadromans, crime novels. After having been published all over Europe and translated into many, many languages, Aspe will be the very first Flemish misdaadauteur (you got it) whose books will be published in the US.
“Ik was heel verrast,” – he was very surprised – he told VRT radio last week when the news broke in the Flemish daily paper Het Nieuwsblad. It had been a while since Aspe had signed the contract, he said, “en dan vergeet je het een beetje.” And then you kind of forget.
“Ik heb het ook gelezen in de krant vanochtend,” he told the radio presenter. I also (had to) read it in the newspaper this morning. One of Aspe’s very first books, Het vierkant van de wraak, will be published in June with the literally translated title The Square of Revenge.
It is notoriously hard for a Dutch-language writer to make it in the US. But the recent hype around Larsson and other Scandinavian crime writers may have opened up a window of opportunity.
“Ze gaan denken als ze de foto zien dat ik een of andere Zweed of Deen ben,” Aspe joked. They are going to think when they see the photo that I am some kind of Swede or Dane – understandable, with his bushy head of white hair.
Aspe is Flanders’ best-selling author, averaging about two books a year, since he took up his pen about 17 years ago. He has sold more than two million copies of his books. They are mostly set in Bruges and circle around police inspector Pieter Van In and the lovely prosecutor Hannelore Martens (who of course becomes his lover).
There is, naturally, often een moord, a murder, and more than one character who could have done it, de dader, the culprit. (Giveaway alert: It is always – always – the one you least expect.)
And then there’s often the traditional mooie vrouw, beautiful woman, who may or may not be playing a villainous game. And there have to be different wapens, too, weapons. Perhaps een revolver, een dolk, een loden pijp en een kandelaar? A revolver, a dagger, a lead pipe and a candlestick?
OK, confession: I haven’t read any Pieter Aspe. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t either. On the contrary, I think reading mystery crime novels are an excellent way of learning a language. The excitement and the cliffhangers make it less of a pain to look up a word. I learned English as a kid reading John Grisham.
So pick up a copy and tell me about it. And we’ll see each other in two weeks. Or will we?
