The Golden Egg
First edition English-language cover.
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| Author | Tim Krabbé |
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| Original title | Het Gouden Ei |
| Translator | Claire Nicolas White (first English edition) |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Language | Dutch |
| Genre | Psychological, Thriller novel |
| Publisher | Uitgeverij Bert Bakker (first edition) Random House (first English edition) |
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Publication date
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1984 |
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Published in English
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1993 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 27108902 |
| 839.3/1364 20 | |
| LC Class | PT5881.21.R26 G6813 1993 |
The Golden Egg (Dutch: Het Gouden Ei), published as The Vanishing in English-speaking countries, is a psychological thriller novella written by Dutch author Tim Krabbé, first published in 1984. The plot centers on a man whose obsession over the fate of his missing lover from years ago drives him to confront her abductor and pay the ultimate sacrifice in order to know the truth. The book was adapted into a 1988 film which was later remade in an English-language version by the same director.
Two lovers, Rex Hofman and Saskia Ehlvest, have traveled to France for a bicycling vacation. One night they have a minor argument but quickly make up, and Rex pulls over at a convenience store to refuel. He and Saskia bury coins to mark the spot, then she goes into the station to buy drinks, and is never seen again.
Eight years later, he is still haunted by her disappearance. He is now in a relationship with another woman named Lieneke, who is both sympathetic to, and frustrated by, the hold that Saskia's disappearance has over him. Despite her misgivings, however, they become engaged.
It is at this point that the reader is introduced to Raymond Lemorne, the man responsible for whatever happened to Saskia. The novella reveals that Lemorne once saved a young girl from drowning; having proven to himself that he is capable of great goodness, Raymond then begins to wonder if he is capable of an act of pure evil. He then comes up with an idea to murder someone in the most horrible fashion he can imagine. The book follows his meticulous preparations, and his long months of trying to find a suitable victim. This section of the novella ends with him abducting Saskia, but we are still not told what happens to her, though the book does provide clues.
At this point, the narrative switches back to Rex. His obsession with discovering what happened to Saskia has grown to such an extreme that he has taken out a large loan to post advertisements in papers throughout France, hoping that someone might be able to provide him with information. His quest has also driven a wedge into his relationship with Lieneke. One night he is approached by Lemorne, who reveals that he is the one who abducted Saskia, and in a bizarre show of sympathy, he offers to satisfy Rex's determination to discover her ultimate fate, but only if Rex agrees to undergo the same ordeal that Saskia suffered.
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