Grass
Publisher: Alfabet
A subtle and poignant family portrait
For the three generations of gardeners named Valks, the grass entrusted to their care has an existential meaning. The grass must be fed, aerated, rolled, scarified, watered, and, above all, expertly mowed, so that a lawn emerges from which the country house rises like a triumph over nature. Even as the noble families gradually lose their grip on their traditions and bank accounts, it is beneath the dignity of father, son, and grandson Valks to let the grass grow wild. Time passes, the scythe makes way for the mower, the father makes way for the son. Wars come and go, the landed gentry becomes impoverished, the country houses fall into disrepair. What remains is the grass.
Praise:
‘Mathijs Deen is a superior stylist.’ – Het Parool
‘Mathijs Deen has a brilliant style: memorable sentences, metaphors, and images. I take my hat off to him.’ – Douwe Draaisma
‘Mathijs Deen simply knows how to tell a story in such a way that the characters, their language, and their actions come across as grounded and lively, without compromising the pace and tension of the plot.’ – Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
