Joe Speedboat - Tommy Wieringa



It is sad that I had to read this book in English, while it was written in the language of the country I was born in. The "advantages" of Brexit.

I have to say that the translator, Sam Garrett, did an excellent job as far as I can tell.


The story is told from the point of view of Frank, who I think is the main person in this story. He is a very unlikely hero while being very disabled. The story is mainly how his life got influenced by Joe Speedboat and is also the story of four (more or less) friends.

The novel is totally not what you would expect of it when you think of the horrible things that happen in the book. It is a very positive book that you will read mostly with a big smile on your face.


The main location of the book is a Dutch town, a very "normal" Dutch town.

But the events are very much "un-Dutch", normal saying in Dutch is: "Act normal, that is weird enough for us." In this book everything is way over the top, but at the same time it all seems to be very acceptable in the line of the story.

It is about young teenagers who get through their years to become adults.

Poor Frank's life and growing older is quite different from the rest. There are all the normal things, self-doubt, envy, crushes, disappointments, even deceiving and people plus connected events that are influencing the unfolding story.

There is even a very unlikely happy end.


With this I stop, I don't want to spoil you reading this.

I do recommend it and I give it 5 stars. (The translator deserves the same amount for his excellent work.)

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