Netherland

Netherland is a novel by Irish author Joseph O'Neill. First published by Harper Perennial in 2008, it is the story of Hans van den Broek, a Dutch financial analyst in New York City, who undergoes a period of intense personal change as his adopted homeland grapples with the large-scale changes wrought by the September 11th terrorist attacks. Netherland won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award, in 2009.

The novel opens as Hans recalls his initial move from London to New York City. What started out as a year or two in the Big Apple eventually turned into several. Now, Hans no longer lives in New York; distance has given him some perspective on his experiences there. He tells his story through a series of flashbacks, from his childhood in The Hague to his relationship with his mother, from his marriage to Rachel to the birth of their son, Jake. Then there is Chuck Ramkissoon, a mysterious figure who is found murdered after Hans leaves New York.

Hans's affection for cricket begins in his youth, after his father's death in a car accident. His mother, Miriam, with whom he shares a close bond, comes to every one of his cricket matches, and she takes him ice-skating every winter.



As he becomes a man, Hans slowly grows apart from Miriam. After completing his education, he accepts a job at a bank in London. There, he meets Rachel Bolton, and they soon marry. In the late 1990s, they move to New York City, where Rachel, an attorney, accepts a job practicing law. They have Jake shortly thereafter.

Then: September 11, 2001. The collapse of the World Trade Center forces Hans and his family from their downtown apartment. They move to the Chelsea Hotel as rebuilding commences, but there is no rebuilding their shattered psyches. Rachel, especially, has trouble coping, both with the trauma of 9/11 and with her disintegrating marriage. She leaves Hans, taking Jake and fleeing New York.

In between flying to the UK to see Jake every few weeks, Hans again finds solace in playing cricket. During a cricket match, he meets an umpire, whose name is Chuck Ramkissoon. He later meets Chuck's lady companion, Eliza. A few weeks later, Hans randomly runs into Chuck at a bar. Chuck tells Hans a little about himself: He is an immigrant from Trinidad and an entrepreneur. He also has his own business selling kosher sushi. He and Hans exchange business cards.



After failing to provide the proper documents to obtain a US driver's license, Hans realizes he is near Chuck's office. He goes in and sees Eliza, whom he learns is Chuck's mistress; Chuck's wife is named Anne. Thrilled to see his new friend, Chuck takes Hans for a drive to an empty lot in Brooklyn, which Chuck has purchased with the hopes of turning it into a cricket field. He plans to make cricket popular with Americans.

As Hans and Rachel's marriage grows past the point of salvage, Hans seeks escape in risky pursuits. He sleeps with a woman he meets in a bar. He then goes with Chuck to an event for New York cricket players, and he and Chuck stay out all night, drinking and partying.

Around this time, Hans also meets Mike Abelsky, Chuck's shady business partner. In light of Mike's strange behavior, Hans looks at Chuck differently, suspecting that Chuck, too, is behind some shady business practices. Chuck admits he runs an illegal gambling ring, but Hans continues to spend time with him anyway, enjoying the fun they have together and their mutual interest in cricket.



Meanwhile, Rachel gets a boyfriend, celebrity chef Martin Casey. Hans meets him during one of his UK trips but doesn't approve of him. Though Rachel and Jake subsequently move in with Martin, they move out a few months later after Martin breaks up with her.

In New York, Hans and Chuck continue to spend time together, though Hans questions if Chuck's grand vision of cricket in America is truly rooted in reality. Then, Hans sees Chuck and Mike beat up a businessman, and he decides Chuck is just too questionable to associate with.

Hans soon returns to the UK, where he and Rachel heal their marriage. He purchases a new home for them in London, and he, his wife, and son start over together.



Several years go by, and Hans receives a call informing him that the police pulled Chuck's dead body from the Gowanus Canal. The police investigate, Hans checks around, but, ultimately, the case goes cold. He can't even attend the funeral because he can't track down Eliza or Anne. So, Hans settles back into life, remembering Chuck fondly and gradually accepting the idea that he may never know what happened to his cricket-loving friend.