BOOK: The Book Of Everything - Guus Kuijer

Title: Het Boek Van Alle Dingen (The Book Of Everything)
Author: Guus Kuijer
Genre: Children's tragedy
Publisher: Querido 2004
Pages: Hardcover 102
Language: Dutch (available in English!)
Rating: 9/10

Summary: Thomas knows what he wants to be when he grows up: happy. But how do you do that? His neighbour, whom he's sure is a witch, knows: 'if you want to be happy you have to stop being afraid'. But Thomas has a lot to worry about: his religious father is very controlling and the rest of the family has to move around cautiously as not to do anything that will invoke his wrath.

Review
I don't want to give anything away and that is not easy with a book about everything. It's a children's book written in a very mature style. As usual Guus Kuijer addresses the readers with a sincerity that is not very common in children's literature. It's what I love about his books. The voice of main character Thomas is taken very seriously; his thoughts and actions are of the same importance as all the decisions made by the adults in his life.
Thomas is not allowed to read any other books than the Bible, but he manages to get his hands on some classic literature (like Nobody's Boy by Hector Malot) and he learns to think for himself and starts to question his father's opinion and power.
The story is not all doom and gloom; Thomas is not completely alone is his quest for happiness. His sister has a mind of her own and challenges their dad too, his neighbour not only introduces him to books, but also to music and Thomas talks to Jesus about his problems. And even though the latter doesn't offer much practical support, he does give Thomas perspective on his father's way of thinking.

This is a gripping story about coming of age and dealing with the constricting side of religion. I highly recommend it.