After reading this book, I'm really happy I'm not part of the Dutch nobility. Judging from Montijns overview, there is very little space for independent and assertive women (working women, feminists, artists), contrary opinions and alternative views in the noble communities of the Netherlands.
However, the book is well-researched. Montijn draws from written and oral sources, and can make even seven centuries of legal disputes, marriages and scandal interesting.
I wanted to learn more about the Bilding, values, and traditions of the Dutch nobility, but I didn't really find it in this book. Of course the scope of the book was very broad. The book focused mostly on the history and legal status of the nobility, and the text was interspersed with many anecdotes about specific people. ( )