Summary of Cheese
The novella “Cheese” tells the story of Frans Laarmans, a humble office clerk in Antwerp, Belgium, who, under the influence of more successful friends, decides to make a career change and start his own business selling Edam cheeses. However, Laarmans has neither an affection for cheese nor talent for business, and his venture soon turns into disaster, leaving him with hundreds of unsold cheeses piled up in his office.
Reasons to read Cheese
“Cheese” is one of the best-known works of Flemish literature and features on the reading lists of many secondary schools in Belgium. It portrays a doomed business venture of a man in search of status and success, told with dry humour and not a word wasted. Willem Elsschot, a renowned Flemish novelist, was honoured with the Constantijn Huygens Prize for his body of work in 1951, and the State Prize for Flemish Literature in 1960.
Setting: Antwerp (Belgium)
Original title: Kaas
Year of publication: 1933
Nr of pages: 134
