The Iron Egg

Walter Schrader, former student of The Rijnlands Lyceum has written a largely autobiographical novel, ‘The Iron Egg.’

There is a passage in this book in which the main character goes to the reunion of his old school. Without mentioning the Rijnlands by name, it is clear to us that this passage takes place in our auditorium.

That passage starts with the following quote:
“At the school, cars were parked carelessly. The classrooms on the first floor were lit and people were walking everywhere, seen through the fogged-up windows as shapeless shadows. The janitor selling programs and consumption vouchers saw Rob and recognized him immediately. Rob barely had time to see how the school had been adapted to modern times.
The reunion with colleagues and former students was pleasant. Spontaneously, groups formed. Loves, feuds, frustrations, careers and emigrations, failures, marriages, children, accidents, suicides, divorces, illnesses and admissions formed rewarding topics of conversation. Rob felt interest and genuine enthusiasm. No backstabbing.”

It is a beautifully written and moving book.
See also the websites of www.hetijzerenei.nl. On this site we found a review of Fay Lovsky, lyricist, composer, singer:
“I have read it in one breathless session. Laughed at the invention of swapping Bin Laden and Bush as babies and was greatly touched by the description of the degeneration of Western man, pity turned into self-created real suffering. That is hugely comforting.”