Peter Lang Gmbh, Internationaler Verlag Der Wissenschaften Neel Doff (1858-1942): A Biography: 8 (Belgian Francophone Library)

Born in the slums of a small Dutch town, Neel Doff moved to Belgium at the age of 16 and eventually rose to the upper echelons of Brussels' society. At the age of 51, she began writing in French. Her works are mostly autobiographical, describing her ordeals as a starving child and prostitute out of necessity, before freeing herself through her own courage and determination. Evelyne Wilwerth has written her biography based on scholarly research, yet it reads like a novel. Review -Thanks to an expert translator, the 'love story' of a Belgian creative writer for another - one century apart - becomes available in English. Wilwerth's biography creates, perhaps resurrects, Neel Doff. Her book is a genuine feat, combining the most rigorous archival research with a dazzling talent for (re)creating life through dialog and authentic co-passion. Here is the life of a beautiful 'miserable' and authentic co-passion. Here is the life of a beautiful 'miserable' and a trickster, who took some thirty years to discover and possess her own definitive true self through writing.- (Christiane Makward, Pennsylvania State University) -'Neel Doff' is the first biography I ever read that is truly 'communicative.' Through the ongoing dialogue, the polyphonic voices, the dialectics of Otherness, readers can truly feel involved in the narrative process..- (Jean A. Gitenet, University of Stockholm) -From a life of prostitution in the streets of Antwerp and Brussels to involvement in the highest political and artistic circles in Belgium and a career as a successful novelist, Neel Doff is the first woman to be nominated for the 'Prix Goncourt'. This riveting biography explores all stratum of turn-of-the century society while unfolding a tale of inspiring courage and determination.- (Donald Flanell Friedman, Winthrop University, South Carolina) " About the Author The Author: Evelyne Wilwerth was born in Belgium in 1947. She is a graduate of the University of Leuven and writing is her full-time profession. She is the author of various books of poetry, short stories, essays and dramas. The Translator: Renee Linkhorn is a professor of French and the author of many articles on literary criticism; she is also a translator of poetry and prose (Andree Chedid and Pierre Reverdy among others)."