In the past few months the Dutch writer of this collection of stories made headlines with an other book. Not a collection of stories or a novel, but a book on hamburgers (yes, you can eat it) and Paradise. In her working life she works she lectures at a university, she has aposition at an important banking institution. Writing is part of her work. Next to that she has a long and varied experience in working abroad.

In this collection, titled Bambusa, seven stories have been put together. The first story is about “Djitar, the builder”. It is the story of the rise and the decline of an architect in an African country. He received an important job from the top of the political elite. He is surprised that they want to work with him. Unfortunately he discovers in the course of building a complex building in a remote area that the elite wants to abandon the project. The result is an unfinished building on its way to oblivion.

The next story is about man who works in a laboratory. His great love is: bamboo! Around him everything crumbles, the quality of work, the technical state of the buildings, the numbers of workers. One it was a great institution. But this man plods on, driven by his great love.

And so the stories go on, seven in all, a beautifull collection. 

Louise O. Fresco – Bambusa – Amsterdam 1990 – 142 pages