Review of the Xenophobe's Guide to the Dutch
An Irreverent and Funny Book About How the Dutch Think & Behave
Who would have thought that such a short book could say so much? In just over 60 pages, the Xenophobe’s Guide to the Dutch, one of the titles in the growing Xenophobe’s series, takes the reader on an irreverent, hilarious and very accurate journey into the Dutch psyche.
On the back cover, the publisher defines xenophobia as “an irrational fear of foreigners, probably justified, always understandable.” It goes on to state that the aim of the guides is to look at the “beliefs and foibles of nations”, thereby reducing what to an outsider might seem strange and unpredictable to humorous explanations “almost guaranteed to cure xenophobia”.
Written by Rodney Bolt, The Xenophobe’s Guide to the Dutch is most useful for anyone considering or already living in the country, but has plenty to inform and entertain visitors as well. Divided into 18 sections, the book covers everything from nationalism and identity, behavior and sense of humor to hygiene, language, business and government.
Dutch Character Reflects the Landscape
In the Nationalism and Identity section, for example, the author explains that the Dutch character closely resembles the Dutch landscape: mild and uneventful. He continues that colors in Holland are made up of muted shades of green, grey and brown and points out that when the painter Vincent Van Gogh “forsook his native country for the brighter, bumpier regions of the south of France, he left off painting in the cosy, gravy browns of ‘The Potato Eaters’, took to gaudier hues and went mad.”
In the Character section, we learn that with 370 people squeezed into every square kilometer, Holland is Europe’s most densely populated country. This close proximity to one’s neighbors calls for a ‘live and let live’ attitude, which has given rise to the country’s famed tolerance.
Nonetheless, tolerance does not mean beating around the bush. Dutch directness can initially be alarming, especially for what Bolt terms “more reticent peoples”, such as the Japanese and English who are accustomed to hiding behind complicated sentence structures and social rules in order to avoid saying what they actually mean.
The Quest for Gezelligheid
In contrast to this abruptness, the book also explains the importance of family and birthdays to the Dutch and their never-ending quest for gezelligheid. Usually – and somewhat inaccurately – translated as ‘cozy’, gezelligheid is a very Dutch concept that can describe everything from siblings getting along to a nice atmosphere in a bar. This striving for gezelligheid informs even the non-hierarchical, team-oriented structure within companies and the coalition government.
Tourists on a short visit to Holland are unlikely to attend a Dutch birthday party or have to deal with the intricacies of Dutch bureaucracy (both these sections are essential for anyone considering living in the country, however); but there is still plenty of useful, and often side-splittingly funny information on queuing, eating habits and taboo topics of conversation.
The Xenophobe’s Guide to the Dutch should be compulsory reading for anyone visiting Holland, and all the humor aside, it is likely to enrich the experience of the country and its ‘peculiar’ people.
The Xenophobe’s Guide to the Dutch is published by Oval Books. Extracts from the book and further information can be found on the publisher’s website. There are currently 28 titles in the Xenophobe’s series, all of which are available to purchase online through Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
Insightful Book on Dutch Foibles
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