A band of medieval mercenaries take revenge on a noble Lord who stiffs them by kidnapping the betrothed of the noble's son. As the plague and warfare cut a swathe of destruction throughout the land, the mercenaries hole up in a castle and await their fate.

Morbid Catholic writer Gerard Reve–bisexual, alcoholic, and experiencing frequent visions of death–is invited to give a lecture at the Vlissingen literature club. While in the Amsterdam railway station, he's attracted to a handsome man who embarks on another train. Gerard meets club treasurer and beautician Christine Halsslag, and engage in a one-night-stand. The next morning, Gerard sees a picture of Christine's boyfriend Herman and recognises him as the man at the train station. He urges her to bring Herman to her house to spend a couple of days together, but with ulterior intentions of seduction. During a night on his own, Gerard finds and watches film reels, discovering that Christine had married each; all of whom died in tragic accidents. Believing Christine is a Black Widow, Gerard begins to question whether Herman or he will be her doomed fourth man.

A gang of six wealthy, well-dressed and well-spoken hoodlums break into a married couple's house and rape the wife while forcing the husband to watch. Thus begins a dogged investigation by a determined detective who quickly finds that their cult-like solidarity can be a serious obstacle to breaking them.

An idealistic Dutch colonial officer posted to Indonesia in the 19th century is cohvinced that he can make the kinds of changes that will actually help the local people he is in charge of, but circumstances soon make him realize just how out of touch he really is, and it doesn't take long for things to go from bad to worse.

The lives of Erik Lanshof and five of his closest friends take different paths when the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940: fight and resistance, fear and resignation, collaboration and high treason.