Zwerm [Swarm] is the latest novel by Flemish writer Peter Verhelst (1962). Verhelst broke through in 1999 with his novel Tongkat [Translated in English as Tongue Cat], which won several awards in the Netherlands and Belgium. He has already been active as a novelist, poet and playwright several years before that time. Verhelst's prose shows many similarities with his poetry (and vice versa), as he uses an original spectrum of imagery and themes in both genres. Many elementes of verse can thus be found in his novels, both in terms of associative imagery and the presentation of whole pieces of poetry by others or himself.

This style is also found in Zwerm, only combined in this book with slightly different subject matter than in much of his earlier work. Books like Zwellend fruit [Swelling Fruit] (2000) and Memoires van een luipaard [Memoires of a Leopard] (2001), were sensual, and focused closely on the main characters. This is also true of Tongkat. Zwerm - with Geschiedenis van de Wereld [History of the World] as the subtitle - is a different case altogether. The distance between reader and characters has suddenly become greater, and you're left with the feeling of watching a movie whose plot makes little sense. But, that is probably the whole point of this ambitious subtitle. What is The History of the World, when you think about it? In the book, shards of (Western) 20th Centurt history are flying in all directions. It starts with an unsettling scene, which quickly begins to remind you of the 9/11 attacks. But if you think that it's all current issues, you're forced to think again. Through a list of intriguing characters, which we 'meet' only too briefly to really get to know them, we end up in the Vietnam war, WWII, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and so on. As a reader, you are quickly confronted with the fact that it is as difficult to truly get a clear image of history, as it is to follow the 'plot' of Zwerm.

An ominous thought, but it is only the tip of the iceberg. The book has roughly 673 pages - and not exactly 666, as claimed by some - counting back from 666 to 0, and on to -6. Besides being symbolic, this is also a lot of pages, and that of a story which offers little certainty to the reader. It seems a lot to take in, but there's enough going in the book to make the journey more interesting. As said, there are many references to history, but Verhelst also cites eagerly from poetry, modern art, literature and popular culture (Motorhead - The Ace of Spades!), and so forth. Zwerm is clearly a novel from the age of Internet and multimedia, and Verhelst isn't afraid to show it.

But under this seemingly endless chaos of references to (pseudo-) reality, one can clearly feel the writer's hand. To begin with, there is the typical imagery and associative way of writing. In this book, it's a tad more hidden, but still clearly present. But, in the end, between the tidal wave of information, a clearly theme, a sense of direction can be found. The "V" as letter, as symbol, as sound, is firmly present in this take on our World. "A single event can have infinitely many interpretations...", as Verhelst quotes text artist Jenny Holzer. The "V" represents the branching, the endless possibilities when it comes to passing on information. The "V" also stand for something more sinister. The Virus. In the literally black pages in the middle of the book, it is written:

de mens is dood
lang leve de mens

De nieuwe mens heet Homo Invictus Viralis

DE NIEUWE MENS ZAL VIRAAL ZIJN

OF ZAL NIET ZIJN

[mankind is dead
long live mankind

The new kind of Man is called Homo Invictus Viralis

THE NEW KIND OF MAN SHALL BE VIRAL

OR SHALL NOT BE]

This Virus can be a lot of things, but also is a lot of things with Verhelst. There are many interpretations. Is the virus capitalism, AIDS, or something else? In any case, the Virus is Change [Verandering], a concept which no one can ignore.

In this article, I've only been able to show a fraction of what can be made of this extraordinarily intriguing novel. It is therefore highly recommended to try and make something of it yourself, a reading method which Verhelst will definately not dismiss. The book is a worthy continuation of his work. It misses the intense world of feelings of Tongkat and his other novels, but it's interesting in a whole new way, and more relevant for current society.

Those interested in more information on this book and Verhelst's other works, can read more about it at Evening of Light in the future, as we will be working on a more general overview of his work, and an article on Tongkat, his most important book.

English readers need not feel left out, for Tongkat has been translated into English under the title of Tongue Cat, and should be available on the Internet and in better book stores. This book is definately recommended to all lovers of dark and imaginative literature! You can also search for online sellers of the book on this page, mostly relevant for readers from the US, or this one for UK and European readers. Below is a selection of other (mostly Dutch) links:

Uitgeverij Prometheus - Peter Verhelst
Review of Zwerm - Socialistische ArbeidersPartij
Peter Verhelst database
De Dagen van de Chaos - short story by Peter Verhelst
www.peterverhelst.com