35 years ahead of the crowd

It rarely happens I am ahead of the hype! An early adopter I am generally not. But now it seems I have been decades ahead of what’s cool.

Netflix is advertising a series called ‘the letter for the king’. And that's based on the translation into English of the Dutch book 'Brief voor de koning' which I think came out in 2013. And I read that book in primary school! I loved it. I was about six or seven I think. So that's actually almost 40 years ago! And the book came out in 1962 so people could be 58 years ahead of the crowd, but clearly not me.

My memory of the book is patchy. I remember how it starts! And there's a scene fairly early on where he comes across a allegedly cursed stone, and some enemies, and survives but falls ill. And him finding a friend in the mountains. And then there's some stuff with him being attracted to two different girls. And the scene where he finally gets to the king from the title. The rest I pretty much forgot!

In spite of forgetting a lot, I do think the makers of the series have taken some liberties with the story. I checked the trailer! So much I didn't recognise. And a reminder can do miracles but I drew lots of blanks. Oh well! I suppose they have Tonke Dragt's permission. She's still alive! I hope lots of people will enjoy this latest incarnation of the story...