The Ascent |
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| Author:
| Hertmans, Stefan |
| Translator:
| McKay, David |
| ISBN: | 978-1-922791-17-7 |
| Publication Date: | Jan 2023 |
| Publisher: | Text Publishing Company
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| Book Format: | Digital download |
| List Price: | AUD $27.99 |
Book Description:
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The dazzling new novel by the author of the modern classic War and Turpentine
In the summer of 1979, Stefan Hertmans fell in love with a dilapidated house in Ghent. He rescued it from decay and it became his peaceful sanctuary. Decades on, he learns that a bust of Hitler once sat on the mantelpiece, and a war criminal and his family relaxed in its rooms.
This shocking discovery sends Hertmans to the archives, where he uncovers the secrets of the house and...
More Description
The dazzling new novel by the author of the modern classic War and Turpentine
In the summer of 1979, Stefan Hertmans fell in love with a dilapidated house in Ghent. He rescued it from decay and it became his peaceful sanctuary. Decades on, he learns that a bust of Hitler once sat on the mantelpiece, and a war criminal and his family relaxed in its rooms.
This shocking discovery sends Hertmans to the archives, where he uncovers the secrets of the house and the atrocities committed by its former owner Willem Verhulst. Drawing on the historical record and interviews with Verhulst's family, Hertmans reimagines the life of a weak, narcissistic man who climbed the ranks of the SS. Hertmans also uncovers the marital drama that took place in the house: Verhulst's commitment to the SS was at odds with the outlook of his wife, a deeply religious pacifist.
The Ascentis an immersive tale of war, family and individual fate, in which Hertmans demonstrates his mastery at spinning a personal story into an epic narrative.
Stefan Hertmansis the prize-winning author of many literary works, including poetry, novels, essays, plays, short stories and a handbook on the history of art. His novel War and Turpentinewas longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize, and was chosen as a book of the year in The Times, the Sunday Timesand the Economist, and as one of the ten best books of the year in the New York Times.
David McKayis a translator of Dutch literature living in The Hague. He received the 2017 Vondel Prize for his translation of Hertmans' War and Turpentine.