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Could the novel fulfil a role in the neurologist's daily clinical practice? A good book or story can indeed make the neurology patient's experiences clearer, both for the patient and for the doctor. The novel is no longer just an end-product or form of art, but a method for better understanding disease and experiences. Several neurological examples are given, such as migraine, Parkinson's disease and ALS. The narrative opens a perspective on disease 'from the inside'. Neurology lends itself to a narrative approach, because it is primarily a field to which the patient's story is central.

Pierre Vinken (1927) began his professional career as a consultant neurosurgeon and ended it as chairman of the Reed Elsevier publishing company. Only a few insiders have ever known, however, that, in his younger days, he was an anonymous contributor to Vrij Nederland, at the time one of the two most widely read weekly newspapers in the Netherlands. During the period 1959-1963, the paper published a total of 175 of his articles. Though dealing with the wide range of subjects, ranging from linguistics to iconology, the majority of them were devoted to aspects of medical science. In retrospect, he was remarkably modern in the focus he brought to bear: spread the net wide in the choice of subject; rely strictly on tested research; seek always to keep an open mind; think logically and attack prejudice and superstition. Vinken's name does not feature in any work on Dutch journalism. However, bearing in mind the fact that he made his debut in the field as long as 14 May 1959, he must rightly be considered to be one of the pioneers of scientific journalism in the Netherlands.