Review: Kristien Hemmerechts’ ‘requiem’ offers anything but a rosy picture of love

In her latest book, Requiem voor een liefde, Flemish author Kristien Hemmerechts reflects on her three past marriages. Using the pseudonyms Primus, Secundus, and Tertius to identify her partners, she explores the complexities, betrayals, and recurring patterns of love. The narrative details the tragic loss of her children during her first marriage, the sudden death of her second husband, the poet Herman de Coninck, and the discovery of a long-term affair during her marriage to journalist Bart Castelein. Hemmerechts honestly examines her own role in these relationships, including her past experiences as an unfaithful partner.

The book is characterized by a repetitive and almost administrative style, listing various escapades and grievances that cumulatively present a somber view of romantic love. While Hemmerechts uses mythological imagery, such as the Fates, to analyze the betrayal by her third husband, the extensive detail occasionally makes the reading experience exhausting. Ultimately, the work serves as an intimate, if somewhat dense, requiem for her past relationships, concluding that love is rarely the idealistic experience many imagine.