The international media are paying their respects to Dutch author Harry Mulisch. The 83-year-old writer died in Amsterdam on Saturday. He was well-known internationally for his translated novels The Assault and The Discovery of Heaven.

Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws called Mulisch’s death a great loss for Dutch literature while De Standaard and De Gazet van Antwerpen expressed their deep respect for Mulisch.

Nobel prize
The British BBC points out that many believed the Dutch author should have received the Nobel Prize for literature. The site mentions that The Discovery of Heaven was voted ‘best Dutch book ever’ in 2007.

British newspaper The Independent concludes that the Netherlands has lost “one of its greatest literary sons”. The paper describes his vanity and productivity saying: “known for calling himself the best writer of all time, Mulisch wrote more than 70 short stories, essays, poems and plays. Most of them inspired by World War II.”

Influential
The New York Times praises “The Dutch novelist whose gift for writing with clarity about moral and philosophical themes made him an enormously influential figure in the Netherlands and earned him recognition abroad.” The newspaper quotes Mulisch talking about how he experienced the war as the son of a Jewish woman and a father who collaborated with the Germans.

World famous
The German press also marks the death of the Dutch writer. The Süddeutsche Zeitung remembers one of his comments: “I am world famous in the Netherlands”. The newspaper writes: Mulisch never wanted to become a writer, with The Discovery of Heaven, he produced one of the most influential novels of recent decades. Der Spiegel also mentions the international success of the book and calls Mulisch one of the greatest Dutch post-war writers.

Charming
Spanish paper El País writes: “Harry Mulisch is the last of the Great Three, the three national literary greats of the Netherlands, together with Willem Frederik Hermans and Gerard Reve. Mulisch distinguished himself by his attitude to life. He was sharp, well-read and charming."