Are you planning a trip to the capital of the Netherlands or have you just returned from vacation and are already missing this wonderful city? Here you are 13 books set in Amsterdam to read and re-read to get to know it better and imagine yourself there!
Don’t forget to browse the section of the blog dedicated to this city, where you will find many tips for visiting Amsterdam at its best!
What you will find in this article
The Daily by Anne Frank It doesn’t need much introduction.
The great classic it became a true symbol of the ShoahActually, practically everyone knows him.
The book is a collection of writings by Anna, a thirteen-year-old girl who, together with her family, was forced to take refuge in a secret accommodation in 1942 to escape Nazi persecution.
On these pages, you can perceive not only the hardships of those days, but also the hopes, dreams and feelings of a little girl who lived her adolescence in the darkest days of history.
Unfortunately, in 1944 the Nazis discovered the secret annex and arrested all its inhabitants and deported them to various concentration camps.
The only survivor was Otto Frank, Anna’s father, who was instrumental in publishing his daughter’s diary.
Amsterdam Bookseller by Amineh Pakravan tells the story of three generations of printers in 16th century Europe.
The volume tells from Amsterdam via Lyon and Paris the life of three men devoted to the profession of books and typography that they encounter religious storm which just at that time began to excite European souls.
It is about well written historical novel which deals with a topic that is still worth thinking about today.
Coffee merchant by David Liss is another novel set in the past, in the seventeenth century to be precise… when coffee was not yet widespread!
The hero of the book is Miguel Lienzo, a Portuguese Jewish businessman who, after falling into ruin, is looking for a way to get back on his feet.
An opportunity seems to come with a mysterious and fascinating woman who introduces him to a new drink that the man decides to bet on despite all the risks and difficulties!
In short, it’s about a gripping thriller set several centuries ago.
If you are looking for a specific book, give it slightly dark and disturbing atmosphere, Miniaturist by Jessie Burton it’s right for you.
The plot is definitely hard to tell unless you want to give spoilers, so I decided to tell you little or nothing.
Just know that the book tells the story of Petronella, who, betrothed to Johannes Brandt, a famous and rich merchant, comes to Amsterdam to live her new life as a wife.
In fact, the man hardly speaks to or touches her, but he does give her a dollhouse and a note from a miniaturist urging her to decorate it.
After days of despondency, the girl begins to care for her husband’s gift, and the miniaturist’s packages begin to arrive…more and more accurate, more and more prophetic.
You are ready to discover mysteries from Brandt’s house?
Another great book about Amsterdam that I recommend reading if you’re interested in historical novels Tulip fever. Temptation of tulips by Deborah Moggach.
In this case, too, we are in seventeenth-century Amsterdam, and the story being told is that of Sophie, the wife of Cornelis Sandvoort.
Her husband loves her deeply and decides to commission the up-and-coming artist Jan van Loos to paint a picture that can celebrate her beauty forever.
While a woman poses between a gaze and an accelerated heartbeat, An overwhelming and unstoppable passion is born between her and the painter that seems to defy any danger..
The idea of freedom. Biography of Amsterdam by Geert Mak in my opinion it is one of the best books about Amsterdam ever.
This is not a novel, nor a guide, but it is real a show of affection and respect for the capital of the Netherlands.
Amsterdam is described here and told through its history as it would be done with Amsterdam curriculum vitae persons.
The author narrates events that marked it over the centuries but also architectural, urban and technological changes who modified his appearance and designed his new physiognomy.
However, Geert Mak did not stop there and decided to tell small, seemingly insignificant stories, which nevertheless manage to describe the tendencies and customs of the city, which is a real world in itself.
Here if you are looking for a book that can tell a story a completely different Amsterdam than we usually think and that he has the ability to restore an authentic and “hidden” citydon’t miss the opportunity to read The idea of freedom. Biography of Amsterdam.
Fall by Albert Camus it’s a deep book that, despite its ironic and irreverent tones, hits straight to the heart.
The book is a long monologue by the main character, Mr. Clamence, who talks about his life like a raging river.
The man is a former Parisian lawyer who decided to move to Amsterdam after realizing the dishonesty of his life.
Here, in a seedy Mexico – City bar, he begins talking to occasional patrons, managing to get them to admit all sorts of guilt by first telling them his own mistakes.
In short, Clamence does not actually redeem himself, but becomes a penitent judge: by accusing himself, he makes all mankind guilty, and turns himself from a penitent into a judge.
Camus is a very interesting book, read and re-read to finally find the true nature of each of us.
The Book of All Things by Kuijer Guus it is a moving, intimate and at times raw volume which tells the story of Thomas, a lonely and unhappy child who lives in a violent and difficult family situation.
However, Thomas is also a brave child, a child who does not give up and who he manages to find hope despite everything.
This is a book you should read in school!
Amsterdam is a butterfly by Marino Magliani it is real bike ride through amsterdam canals which will help you learn about its history, hidden places and mysteries…
It is not a tourist guide or a novel: Magliani’s book takes you on an exploration of a city far from any stereotype and into an almost dreamlike dimension made up of thoughts and feelings that you can experience firsthand.
Despite the title, very little is said about the capital of the Netherlands in the book, but the story is compelling enough to make it worth sitting down and reading.
Amsterdam by Ian McEwan AND the story of Clive and Vernon’s friendship that comes into play when Molly diesthe woman they both loved.
Hatred, revenge and selfishness they are the real protagonists of a book that can be read in one sitting and that perfectly describes the moral baseness in which we are now completely immersed.
The internet is killing by Charles Den Tex It is an engrossing thriller, if at times a little corny which tells the adventures of Michael Bellicher, accused of murder but completely innocent, who has to escape from the police and at the same time from the real “villains”.
In the background, Amsterdam and an organization that wants to control the world through the Internet.
If you like crime novels, a must read without too much prejudice.
Stories of Amsterdam is a collection of short stories by the writer Nescia, pseudonym of Jan Hendrick Frederick Grönloh.
The short stories were written after the war, but even today they can perfectly describe the feeling of precarious balance in which the author felt.
Between bizarre and sometimes even surreal ideas, between ideas that went against the grain then (but also today), Stories of Amsterdam talk about life in balance az a city that will become his symbol.
Finally, the last of the books set in Amsterdam that I recommend Postcard from no man’s land by Aidan Chambers.
The novel tells the adventures of Jacob, a seventeen-year-old English boy who goes to Amsterdam in place of his grandmother to attend the commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem, which his grandfather fought 50 years ago.
War and the Shoah are common threads of history but which he leaves there is also plenty of room for love and deep reflection on growing up.
Highly recommended!
I hope these suggestions for some of the best books set in Amsterdam can serve as inspiration for your next reading!
A tip for reading these books set in Amsterdam
Some of the books I recommended in this article are also present Kindle format on Amazon.
So my suggestion is to try Amazon Kindle Unlimiteda service offered by Amazon that gives you access to a catalog of more than 1 million e-books for €9.99 per month.
You can have access to the service for free for 30 days at the end of which you can cancel your subscription free of charge.
In my opinion, this is a great opportunity!
There are Amazon affiliate links in this post: if you decide to make a purchase, the site will give me a percentage. There will be absolutely no additional cost to you, but your purchase will support this blog and my work. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!