Ina Boudier-Bakker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ina Boudier-Bakker
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Ina Boudier-Bakker (1960)
|
|
| Born | 15 April 1875 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Died | 26 December 1966 (aged 91) Utrecht, Netherlands |
| Occupation | writer |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Genre | novels |
Klaziena "Ina" Boudier-Bakker (born April 15, 1875 – died December 26, 1966) was a famous Dutch writer. She wrote many novels. Her most well-known book is De klop op de deur (which means The knock on the door). She wrote this book in 1930.
Contents
Ina Boudier-Bakker's Life
Early Life and Family
Klaziena Bakker was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on April 15, 1875. She was the oldest child of Frederik Bakker and Aleida Emilia Holm. Ina had two younger brothers, both named Rudolf, but sadly, they both died when they were very young.
When Ina was 27 years old, she married Henry Boudier. He was a director at the PTT, which was a big company for mail and telephones. Because of his job, they moved around a lot. They lived in different Dutch cities like Utrecht, Vianen, Aerdenhout, and Groningen. In 1929, they moved back to Utrecht.
Writing Career
Ina Boudier-Bakker started her writing career in 1902. Her first book was a short novel called Machten (Powers). But she became truly famous with her novel Armoede (Poverty). She wrote this book in Utrecht between 1907 and 1909.
Her most famous book, De klop op de deur (The knock on the door), was also written in Utrecht in 1930. This popular book was later made into a television show in 1970. During World War II, Ina Boudier-Bakker wrote poems about the difficult events happening around her. She even recited these poems shortly after the war ended.
Later Years and Legacy
After World War II, Ina Boudier-Bakker faced challenges. Her husband became ill, and she also had health problems. Her husband passed away in 1952. Despite these difficulties, she continued to write several more books. One of her later successes was Finale, published in 1957.
In 1963, Ina Boudier-Bakker received the Tollensprijs. This was a special award for all the books she had written throughout her life. She died in Utrecht, Netherlands, on December 26, 1966, at the age of 91.
Ina Boudier-Bakker's Books
Style of Writing
Ina Boudier-Bakker's books are often called "salon realism" or "the female novel." These terms describe books that tell simple, realistic stories about families. They often include many detailed descriptions and explore the characters' thoughts and feelings.
Ina Boudier-Bakker was very good at this type of writing. Because of her skill, she was sometimes called the "Queen of the Dutch women's novel." Many people enjoyed reading her stories.
How Critics Saw Her Work
Even though many readers loved her books, not all literary critics agreed. For example, when her famous book De Klop op de Deur came out, a Dutch magazine called De Gids published a very short review. It jokingly said: "Do not open!"
A critic named Menno ter Braak was also not a fan of her writing style. He felt it was too focused on "cozy living room" stories. In 1935, he even suggested that she might have used ideas from other books in her novel Vrouw Jacob. Today, her work is not as widely studied as it once was. One historian described her writing as "just as abundant as uniform," meaning she wrote a lot, but her books were quite similar in style.
