For a Lost Soldier

Rating:
Summary: Where can I still get this book????????????
Review: I asked for many book shops and they all said this book is out of stock or out of print, so where else can I buy this book???

Rating:
Summary: A thoroughly disturbing account of child abuse !
Review: I read this book with a growing sense of dread.

I deal professionally as a psychologist with adults trying to come to terms with childhood sexual abuse and abandonment, and in this book we encounter both.

The first, abandonment, happens to many children, in this case evacuation because of war, in many cases because of being sent to boarding school. The author captures only to vividly the sense of isolation, distress and loneliness that such a situation can bring to a sensitive child.

The second is the sexual abuse. The casual, uncaring, almost dismissive, abuse by the soldier leaves the boy with guilt and shame, and obviously great confusion.

It was a book that was hard to rate: The translation into first-class idiomatic English was just that; First Class, and the translator deserves a special mention.

Clearly, that means that the original Dutch book was also written with heartbreaking sensitivity. The one thing that was missing from this story was love bewtween the sexual protagonists; instead we read of exploitation and gratification of the adult's desires. The only love that seems to exist comes from 'Mem', the mother of the home to which Jeroen is evacuated, and from the boy's own parents.

Having seen the film allegedly based on this book, I'm at a loss to divine whence the scriptwiter's story came from. Did he read a different book to me?

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant But Hard to Rate
Review: It's very hard for me to rate this book. Was it brilliantly written, insightful and honest? Yes, yes and yes. Was it entertaining, informative and thought provoking? Again yes, yes and yes. So what's the problem? The solider in this story raped the little boy. I'm not talking about statutory rape where you could argue that the boy was a willing participant and enjoyed the experance. The solider took the boy by force. I suppose that in war such things are not uncommon. I also suppose that in war there are greater acts of immorality. What troubles me is that after being ravaged the boy falls madly in love with the man who raped him! What sort of message dose this send? Have fun with whatever boy you fancy, even if he screams and cries you'll win his heart! However I'll have to admit that although we are influenced by the books we read at the end of the day each of us is responsible for his own actions. I give this book five stars because I admire the courage of the man who wrote it.

Rating:
Summary: Where can I still get this book????????????
Review: Like many others here, i first viewed the video and expected the book to be based on it,somewhat based on it but to my suprise, it wasn't exactly what i expected to be...The books takes a whole different view on the relationship between Jeroen and Walt and the what 'WE' see in the movie is in totally opposite from the book...

To start off, some of what we see from the movie is NOT even in or from the book, just added on by the writers/directors from the movie, i believe!!!I loved the movie very much but perfer the book since it's *REAL* compared to the movie...The movie gives you more of a fantasy to their story and love but still somewhat based on it, is the fact that Walt does love Jeroen but after reading the book, i really *QUESTION* if Jeroen does indeed LOVE walt as he claims he does in *REAL* life????

I keep questioning myself after reading it and i feel soo sad by the fact that *THESE* two human being haven't yet seen or meet each other after 1945..Sooo sad for them and also by the fact that Jeroen should of known or at least TRIED his very best and every effort to get clues as to whom and where Walt was from..The name from the photo should at least given him a clue and he should of kept the photo in a safe place but instead *FORGOTTEN* about it and Rudi Van Dantzig said in the book that he searched for his lost soldier for 2yrs but in Amsterdam but the soldier is obiviously from either the STATES or Canada and in the book he's referred too as a 'AMERICAN SOLDIER' so but near the ending it talks about a Canadian Biscuit which Jeroen refused to eat, which i really don't get why if he loved his soldier soo much..??

I have no doubt that that Walt does love him and by saying declaring his love it says it all but Jeroen NEVER ever said or reply or returned the love by saying it, and i'm a little disappointed by that...

I also wonder why he didn't search for his lost soldier later on in his life?? I know the soldier could do the same but why didn't Rudi Van Dantzig do so???This ? booogles my thoughts after reading the book..

Their age gap is very little becuz by what Jeroen says, walt and the other soldiers should be around their early 20 or even 18 and 19..

Walt is definitely not a child molester and not an abuser also.The first time maybe and afterwards,it's Jeroen that can't seem to keep away from the soldier and goes to him..While reading, i keeep telling myself, why is Jeroen always questioning himself when in regards to Walt and obiviously he wants walt and wants his attentions and wants his love and affection but the consistent questioning and doubting and somtimes ridiculous remarks when referring to walt is somwhat annoying..

I sooo hope that these two can meet after 50-60yrs of not knowing what happened to the other..I love this book and it's going to stay with me until i die..That's how much i love it..

When i get it!!!

I got a copy of the book from the library becuz i couldn't wait any longer and wanted to read it NOW!!!!

Another question comes to mind, how truthful is this book, it has been like 41yrs since the events happened and how can he remember everything sooo clearly and i say to myself that Rudi Van Dantzig doesn't need to lie to sell books, i hope that everything i read is true and not false and some ppl do have good memories and too bad that he didn't understand english when he was 12yrs old becuz we're not able to know what Walt said to him and how Walt felt..

While reading the book, Walt does the talking, somewhat and Jeroen didn't say a thing, that's a little disappointing also..I mean, he could at least said his name out loud more than once and tried to talk to him like in the movie but it's not the movie...It's real life!!!

Also a little disappointed that the dance scene and the teaching him to drive and the plane thing were all false and never actually happened..

The only true thing from the movie was bits and parts added into the movie and even then, it didn't match up with the book..

I wonder if the name given from the book is really the soldiers real name and if Jeroen whatever is really his name but later on changed to Rudi Van Dantzig??If anybody knows thy answer,please let me know...Thanks!!

LOVEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDD the BOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKK!!!It's coming with me to the GRAVVVVVVVVEEEEEEE when i die..

Too bad, the two never got a chance to meet again.....Sad.......

Rating:
Summary: Touching and electrifying
Review: Like many people I came across this book after having seen the movie, after the movie was not recommended to me by my local video store!

The movie left me wanting so much more so I decided that I must run out and buy the book which I did the next day. I was in two minds about the story, it concerned me at first that the relationship between Walt and Jereon was one of abuse and power , although as I read more into the book and I followed stories on the web I realised it was so much more.

I am still a little hesitant aboout the age difference between Jereon and Walt, but came to realise as the book progressed that Jereon was a willing participant in all that ttranspired. However I feel as though this type of relationship between an adult and a young child while legal and acceptable in some parts of the world is unsettling for me in the western world.

However after reading interviews with RUDI (the author) where he talks of the experiences he had as a child I began to understand the complex feelings and the despair he felt at not just the Loss of Walt but perhaps the loss of his identity through the war.

I definitely enjoyed the book but I continued to imagine Jereon as much older than his tender years and that made it a far more pleasurable read for me!

Rating:
Summary: Touching and electrifying
Review: Like many people I came across this book after having seen the movie, after the movie was not recommended to me by my local video store!

The movie left me wanting so much more so I decided that I must run out and buy the book which I did the next day. I was in two minds about the story, it concerned me at first that the relationship between Walt and Jereon was one of abuse and power , although as I read more into the book and I followed stories on the web I realised it was so much more.

I am still a little hesitant aboout the age difference between Jereon and Walt, but came to realise as the book progressed that Jereon was a willing participant in all that ttranspired. However I feel as though this type of relationship between an adult and a young child while legal and acceptable in some parts of the world is unsettling for me in the western world.

However after reading interviews with RUDI (the author) where he talks of the experiences he had as a child I began to understand the complex feelings and the despair he felt at not just the Loss of Walt but perhaps the loss of his identity through the war.

I definitely enjoyed the book but I continued to imagine Jereon as much older than his tender years and that made it a far more pleasurable read for me!

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant work for the non-PC set
Review: This sounds like a story that is happining all over. How many men could tell the same type of story. I needs a continuation story