Bert Wagendorp can actually write about anything. About the Netherlands or misery, writing or sport, illusion and dream - his wealth of subjects is enormous. But you always immediately recognize Wagendorp's gaze and pen. He is one of those rare writers who can be as ruthless as he is melancholy. That amazement can be seasoned with compassion, instead of annoyance. Not that he never gets annoyed. But humor offers the right medicine for that. The boy's paradise brings together the most beautiful stories, reflections and essays that he has written over the past five years. It has become a book in which he gives a portrait of ourselves, but which is also a self-portrait, as moving as it is impressive.