Wij²

Two Flemish authors publish books with the same title

What are the odds that two contemporary Flemish authors publish a book with the same title just weeks apart? That's exactly what happened during this year's Literaire Lente (Literary Spring), an annual festival that highlights new Flemish books. Both Elvis Peeters and Jeroen Olyslaegersreleased a book titled Wij (We). But the resemblance ends there.

Georges is the protagonist in Olyslaegers' Wij, a disgruntled cartoonist who is vacationing on the Costa Brava with family and friends. He feels suffocated by a lingering “we” sensation. Shared memories and a constant feeling of togetherness seem to have a stranglehold on him. This battlebetween the individual and being part of society is painted on a vivid 1970s canvas filled cynicism, drugs and modern subtexts.

Peeters' Wij on the other hand, deals with the exact opposite: a young group of friends who only act as a collective. Spending every waking minute with each other, they explore the boundaries of their bodies and values by conducting numerous experiments. Raw and often shocking, Peeters explores the dormant immorality in all of us and the idea that one can only survive in society by accepting it.

The good news is, if you get the two mixed up, you still can’t go wrong. Wij is the first book in 10 years from novelist and playwright Olyslaegers, and it was worth the wait. Peeters’ effort, meanwhile, is ensconced in realism and extraordinarily effective.

Flanders Today May 6 2009