De Jordaan

De Jordaan is a four-part epic novel written by Dutch novelist Israël Querido and published in 1914. The novel is a naturalist work that minutely observes and reproduces the way of life and speech of the working classes. Querido, who worked as a diamond worker, chose to live in close proximity to these communities to accurately portray their experiences. The novel is noted for its socialist elements, particularly in its depiction of the human condition, as seen in other works by Querido like Menschenwee (1903; Toil of Men), which detailed the hardships of people in Beverwijk. The Jordaan district itself is a historic area in Amsterdam, known for its characteristic spiderweb pattern of canals, which was extended during the prosperous Dutch Golden Age.12