Van Mersbergen’s work invariably focuses on characters who have a highly developed emotional life yet are barely able to articulate their feelings in concrete terms, let alone to change anything about their situation. They are therefore typical loners, who manage to inspire robust compassion in the reader, in novel after novel. With To the Other Side of the Night, Van Mersbergen demonstrates he has attained perfect command of his art.

Ivan, an exile from the former Yugosla­via, performs an escapology act in bars and at festivals in the Netherlands. At the age of 41, this modern-day Houdini discovers that he has a ten-year-old son and feels a powerful urge to build a relationship with the boy. It is a decision that will have far-reaching consequences for his freewheeling lifestyle.

Frank and Marlies live with their handicapped son in a typical village in the Dutch polder. One day they meet a Japanese gentleman who gives them the key to a fortune: there is a treasure in the local lake.