Summary of The Melting
“The Melting” tells the story of Eva, a young girl who grew up in a dysfunctional family in Bovenmeer, a fictional Flemish village inspired by the author’s hometown of Viersel, near Antwerp. Thirteen years after a sex game went out of control, Eva returns to her childhood village. She carries a block of ice in the trunk of her car, determined to exact revenge on the boys she grew up with.
Reasons to read The MeltingÂ
“The Melting” by Flemish author Lize Spit is a raw and unsettling page-turner about growing up amidst neglect, alcoholism, and violence. Readers should be aware that the book contains explicit scenes of sexual abuse. “The Melting” was a bestseller in Belgium and The Netherlands and won the 2016 Bronze Owl (“Bronzen Uil”) literary prize. In 2023, Veerle Baetens adapted the novel into a Dutch-language film (“Het smelt”).
Setting: Campine-Kempen (Belgium)
Book set in Belgium: the fictional village of Bovenmeer, inspired by Viersel (Campine-Kempen) near Antwerp.
Original title: Het smelt
Year of publication: 2015
Nr of pages: 418
