Synopsis

People are increasingly wary of anything that demands a bit of effort. Universities, too, have succumbed to the current entertainment culture. They must be agreeable, accessible, engaging, and above all, enjoyable. This is how critic and essayist Kees Fens recently spoke during an interview on the occasion of receiving an honorary doctorate in literature from the University of Amsterdam. "The word 'fun'," he said, "is one I can scarcely bear to hear anymore."