Let's hear it for bleak Dutch nihilism! This is almost relentlessly depressing, describing in great detail two years in the hardscrabble existence of a rural farm family who run a dairy operation, beginning with the drowning death of the oldest son Matthies, moving on through the slaughter of the family's entire stock due to hoof-and-mouth disease, and ending with another unexpected, heartbreaking demise.

Our precocious narrator, Jas, aging from 10 to 12 in the book, is the third child, having another older brother Obbe and younger sister Hanna. She is quite a singular creation, even if at times her thoughts and speech seem more sophisticated than someone of her age and social class could reasonably portray. Much of the book is also preoccupied with what one can only hope are not typical sexual aberrations of the Dutch citizenry, and there is much too much animal torture and misery for my tastes.

But still, the book has an uncanny power, and though you might often want to look away, the author has a firm grip on the story he wants to tell, and I can see why this won the International Booker Prize. {NB - the author was AFAB, but at the time of the publication of this English translation considered themself as non-binary and used they/them pronouns. He has since dropped the 'Marieke' from his name and now goes by he/him pronouns}.

Just a wonderful a read. The world building and story telling was expertly done. I felt immersed in the story.

I couldn't get through this title. It ended up not being for me, but I hope it finds a hope with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.