Vestdijk, Simon

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Simon Vestdijk (sē´mûn vĕst´dāyk), 1898–1971, Dutch writer. His nearly 100 books include 38 novels, over 20 volumes of poetry, and works on astrology, religion, and music. One of his best-known works, The Garden Where the Brass Band Played (1950, tr. 1965) is an eight-volume treatment of the life of Anton Wachter. Vestdijk was known for his psychoanalytical approach and his depiction of empty provincial lifestyles and tragic love affairs.