by Willem Elsschot

The gilt-lettered advertisement outside Madame Brulot's pension in the shabby rue d'Armaille promises a 'first-class family boardinghouse.' But only one thing is certain about this so-called reputable Parisian pension: few guests emerge from their stay unscathed. First published in 1913, this comic novella helped establish Willem Elsschot - the pseudonym of Alfons de Ridder - as one of the great Dutch writers of the 20th century.