Super Short Summary

War and Turpentine by Stefan Hertmans, published in 2013, novelizes the life of the author's grandfather, Urbain Martien, based on his diaries. It recounts Urbain’s experiences from his childhood in a poor but artistic family, through the traumas and hardships of World War I, and his post-war life, focusing on how his passion for painting helped him endure and express his suffering and love. The book addresses war violence and the Spanish flu pandemic.