Are you becoming a little blasé?

Mieke

Instead of commenting you should start reading Minke Douwesz. Lazy woman!

The disk looks like the horrible Steak Tartare (by Mister Bean - one of his best)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3odDRREfHX0

Sometimes one needs to take a break from reading, although Minke Douwesz looks interesting too.

If money is a tool, then what's a good enough reason?

Be carefull with raw meat in the summer.

C van der Meer

You tell me.

any excuse for a double dutch is a good excuse

Why publish in Dutch at all, if money is only a tool?

A. Grunberg.

From a personal kind of view i would say the experience of another person's all. Having a look in someone else's live. The knowing of secrets and litte habbits, things that can be used against them. Which gives you power. But you'll never know how long that power is going to last, you'll have to keep that in mind.

Marie

I'm afraid that your rhetorical question doesn't make sense.

Arnon Grunberg is the best writer at this moment all over the world.

Coen van Dam

Do you know the episode of Ren & Stimpy in which Ren's cousin comes to visit them and plays a boardgame with Stimpy?

Coen

That's something Arnon still have to proof.

have= has

next time

you can tell him Aliefka Bijlsma. Just bluff, i don't mind. Besides, everyone always does. he probably hasn't read Minke.
He probably hasn't read Jan Mersbergen, Bianca Boer and I can name a few more if you like. So he must be lazier than Mieke and indeed then- why is he your publisher?

Arnon

Why are you disappointed in your Dutch publisher?

Arnon

I'm afraid of a lot of things, but mostly, I'm afraid of the past.

Marie M

That's what they call regret

... remorse I mean

Arnon

Are there any flemish writers you appreciate?

"Never feel remorse for what you have thought about your wife; she's thought much worse things about you. " Jean Rostand

Jan

just thought I'd share this quote, I find it hilarious (it's not an answer to your comment)

@Mieke :
proof = prove (to prove something) / waterproof/fullproof/foolproof/ etc etc.

Still, anyone might think Arnon is the greatest writer at the moment, of the writers you know and read and admire at this moment in your life...
Someone else of his generation: Tommy Wieringa - Joe Speedboot.
But I agree, Arnon is way ahead of him with many more grreat books.

Juliane B.

No I don't know this episode or I must have forgotten it.
Who wrote it and why do you ask?

Mieke,

why?

J Allemagne

I am not.

Coen

The writers of the episode are John K. and Bob Camp.

The somewhat naïve sound of your statement (no offence!) that Mr. Grunberg is the best writer in the world at the moment reminded me of the scene in this episode (which is called "Svën Höek" by the way) when Stimpy and Ren's cousin Svën play the game "Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence!". Ren, feeling left out, asks them insidiously if it were a good game. They reply that to them it is "the bestest game in the whole world". So Ren pees on it, not aware of the fact that there is genuine current running through the fence. Thereupon the whole house explodes and all three of them go to hell.

Esther Gerritsen, Jan Mersbergen, Celine Linssen, Erwin Mortier, Peter Delpeut (he should be named first but technically speaking, he's not Arnon's age), same goes for Marieke van der Pol, Michel V is probably good judging from his comments, and of course there's Aliefka Bijlsma. Your publisher definitely needs to do some reading.

Strange - that first comment of mine hadn't come through (I lost the "please verify" email and so I didn't confirm), and so now you have the same message twice, in different wording. At least you could say I'm passionate about the fact there are some good writers out there, unfortunately, we are simply overlooked.

Juliane B.

It is not a statement. it is my personal taste.
It could have been the publishers personal taste to choose Arnon Grunberg beside the money.

Arnon

Then why ask him for a good reason to work with you? Apparently there's something missing now. Or does he read your blog?

Bert Hesper

Thanks for correcting me.

Coen

I do think Arnon is a brilliant writer and I admire him very much, but to call him the best writer in the world , is somehow premature. I'm convinced we haven't seen the best of Arnon yet.

Arnon

So do you think he's telling the truth when he does find a good reason for you to work with him. I'm afraid my rethorical question does make sense.

Arnon

I'd be a hypocrit to point a finger, but in these dire times, as in all times, one can opt to remain a gentleman concerning matters of money.

Mieke,

Who is your favourite (best) writer?

Coen

For the moment?
J.M.Coetzee.
His 'Disgrace' and 'Waiting for the Barbarians' are real monuments in literature. Worldwide.

Mieke is right, Coetzee is the best author on the moment. I really look forward to 'Zomertijd'

Mieke

Don't forget 'Youth'

Mieke

Do you think Coetzee suffers from an anxiety neurosis too?

Jan Allemagne

Read carefully: Arnon had dinner with "a publisher", not "his publisher".

Sandy

Thanks!

Marie

You are speaking in tongues.
FYI I'm a gentleman.

Correction therefore; not "your" publisher but "that" publisher should do more reading. And closer reading for me.

Marie

Arnon doesn't come across as an anxious man, at least , not to me. A little daredevil, maybe.
Is this your impression of Arnon?

the publisher

Hm, I see, it's ''a publisher'', not ''my publisher''. However, then the question could still be asked.

mystery of the publisher

...but hey, I will drink a beer and enjoy my garden, that's satisfying as well.

Allemagne

What question?
Enjoy your garden.

Arnon

Thank you, I did enjoy!

(The question:
Then why ask him (this particular publisher) for a good reason to work with you? Apparently something's missing now - but I might be wrong.)

Jan Allemagne

Writers usually do not have exclusive relationships with publishers. Which is not to say that writers are necessarily promiscuous.

Oscar

Thanks, that's what this entry is probably about.

Jan A

You don't ask a lady: "What's your age?"
You don't ask a novelist: "How can I seduce you?"

Thanks for the response. I can learn some good manners here.

Mieke

No, I don’t have an impression of Arnon . When I see a thoughtful person, I want to learn, converse, perhaps exchange or simply pass some time with them. This is my very first time blogging, and because of Grunberg’s books, I offered him this virginity of mine by way of thank you. About Coetzee, I remain forever in awe of his craftsmanship, but he is not of my generation.

Arnon

What is wrong with my lingo? I’m only trying to say: bussiness is bussiness. There are enough people out there already trying to disguise business as if it were something more.

Marie

I'm not sure what you are trying to say, but perhaps you call your comments poetry.

Arnon

And invade this blog to grab my own literary boot camp? Perhaps I am guilty of including your blog in my recent attempt of trying to find out if words are a suitable medium for me. So far, teacher reports I’m speaking in tongues..
Perhaps boredom drove me (another frightful thing to be guilty of) and your posts are cups of coffee. Because I like mine with sugar and cream, I also very much enjoy the comments of your faithful followers.
I think Courbet and Rothko, had they been contemporaries, would have enjoyed a coffee together. ( I didn’t pick them randomly. Courbet, the 19th century realist with strong views on marriage; Rothko, the 20th century abstract expressionist, married, with children.
And did you know Potok was writing Asher Lev when he was around your age?

Voice of our generation

I enjoyed your books, now I finished them all, I came with the same question. “What (Dutch) authors of your my generation do I like?”. Because I can`t name a lot of writers of my generation. Just in general were is the voice of our generation (70 thees) in literature and politics? Maybe this credit crunch takes away our wealth a little and shakes us awake.

Arnon

Fair enough, I'll stick to your books. They don't make me feel like I'm a leper, nor do they make me cry. I'm sorry if I have offended you in any way. I meant to challenge, not to offend. I guess I flunked my first blog interaction. No big deal. Ireland is lovely.

Marie

As far as I know you are not a leper.

M Schouten

How old are? Do you need to be woken up?

Arnon

Hahaha. Yes that`s for sure, it was 3:30 CET.
I am from 1977, I liked your books a lot and searching for similar books.....with a few on current time....