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The Ascent: A House Can Have Many Secrets

Description:

In this revealing and poignant story, Stefan Hertmans uncovers haunting details about the previous owner of his house and the crime he committed as a member of the Nazi police.

In 1979 Stefan Hertmans became obsessed with a rundown townhouse in Ghent. The previous owners were mentioned only in passing during the acquisition, and it wasn’t until the new millennium, long after he had sold the house, that he came across a memoirby the owner’s son Adriaan Verhulst, a distinguished history professor and a former teacher of Hertmans’, which revealed that his father was a former SS officer.
Hertmans finds he is profoundly haunted by images of the family as ghostly presences in the rooms he had once known so well, he begins a journey of discovery—not to tell the story of Adriaan’s father, but rather the story of the house and the people who lived in it and passed through it. Archives, interviews with relatives and personal documents help him imagine the world of this house as they reveal not only a marital drama, but also a connection between past visitors to the house and important figures in the culture and politics of Flanders now.
A stunning and immersive reimagining of a family in a historical moment of great upheaval confirms Hertmans’ always brilliant melding of fiction and nonfiction.
Read more

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Hertmans’s] most recent pastiche of fiction, memoir and Sebaldian evidence gathering [is] inspired by the discovery that his former home in Ghent once housed a notorious Nazi collaborator . . . [The Ascent] deftly blends reporting and speculation as he reimagines the lives these rooms once sheltered, laying out the terrible consequences of an ambitious man’s blinkered devotion to the bureaucracy of the Reich.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“When Bel­gian author Ste­fan Hert­mans decid­ed to rent a damp old house on the banks of the sludgy Lieveke canal in a run­down neigh­bor­hood of Ghent, he wasn’t think­ing about its pre­vi­ous inhab­i­tants. . . . But many years after he left the three-sto­ry house . . . he learned that, dur­ing World War II, it was occu­pied by Willem Ver­hulst, an SS intel­li­gence offi­cer. . . . Strad­dling the line between non­fic­tion and fic­tion. . . . [Hertmans] presents a grip­ping tale of the house on Dro­gen­hof Street, which con­tains both his own mem­o­ries and the secrets of the SS offi­cer and his family. . . . Using the house as a frame­work, the author pro­vides a vis­cer­al sense of life in the occu­pied city dur­ing the war. . . . Beau­ti­ful­ly trans­lat­ed by David McK­ay. . . . Hertmans’s par­al­lel sto­ries of Verhulst’s treach­ery and his own path to uncov­er­ing the secrets hid­den in the Dro­gen­hof house make for a com­pelling read. . . . the read­er can hard­ly wait to find out what he discovers.”
—Jewish Book Council

“A fascinating project of autofiction. . . . Hertmans had already sold his former home in Ghent when he read a memoir by a former occupant that shocked him: before he’d lived there, an SS officer had called the place home. Hertmans uses this jarring revelation . . . to explore the home’s long history and reconsider the meaning of sanctuary.”
—CrimeReads

“Hertmans turns the spotlight on the Flemish nationalist and Nazi collaborator Willem Verhulst. . . . paint[ing] a brilliant portrait of a deluded and dangerous man. . . . [The Ascent is] a deft blend of history, fiction and autofiction, skillfully translated by David McKay. Hertmans draws on a wealth of sources . . . [and] the photographs scattered throughout the text bring to mind the work of W.G. Sebald. . . . Eerie and atmospheric. . . . In his insightful and expertly crafted book, history that has settled is roused and reckoned with, and it still has the ability to captivate and the power to shock.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“Discovering he lived in a house in Ghent formerly owned by a Nazi collaborator, [Hertmans] experienced ‘the powerful pull of an unknown life’ and set out to investigate. Through a series of anecdotes, he tells the story of Willem Verhulst. . . . [His] impressionistic prose is deeply evocative, and the novel reads like a fascinating conversation, drawing on the storyteller’s absorption with his subject matter and intimate knowledge of the characters involved.”
—Booklist

“‘In the first year of the new millennium . . . I learned that for twenty years I had lived in the house of a former SS man.’ So begins Flemish author Hertmans’ coolly intriguing re-creation of the life and circumstances of Willem Verhulst. . . . As much a story of the family and the setting as of the horrible . . . figure at its center, the book . . . delivers a haunting, detailed record of people, place and atmosphere.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A thoughtful and unflinching narrative in which [Hertmans] imagines the life of his Ghent home’s previous owner. . . . Recreating the lives of the Verhulst family during the grisly period of Nazi occupation from 1940 to 1945 and beyond, Hertmans chronicles how Willem becomes a high-ranking Nazi informant, traces his exploits as a Flemish nationalist rabble rouser after WWII, and explores his romantic attachments. . . . [he] adds nuance by drawing on interviews with Verhulst’s daughters Letta and Suzanne . . . and the memoirs of Verhulst’s son, Adriaan, who was Hertmans’s history professor in the 1970s. . . . along with excerpts from various letters and journals, [which] convey the depth of the author’s immersion. In Hertmans’s hands, the dusty rooms of history come alive.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A powerful and humane reminder that the horrors of the past century are inexhaustibly fascinating and reverberate today.”
—The Observer (UK)

“Hertmans’s acute scrutiny of the grim tale he has unearthed brings a monster and his milieu into riveting focus. Alive with the same investigative verve, psychological perception and narrative virtuosity as its two acclaimed predecessors, The Ascent is a compelling addition.”
—The Sunday Times (UK)
 
“A self-conscious blend of archival legwork and artistic licence. . . . grimly compelling.”
—Mail on Sunday (UK)
 
“Prepare to descend. Based on years of research and augmented with personal reflections and fictional episodes . . . the book tells the true story of Willem Verhulst, a Flemish nationalist from Ghent. . . . Hertmans brilliantly describes and imagines scenes. . . . memorable.”
—The Daily Telegraph (UK)

About the Author

STEFAN HERTMANS is an internationally acclaimed Flemish author. For more than twenty years he was a professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Ghent, where he wrote novels, poems, essays, and plays. His first book in English, War and Turpentine, was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize and awarded the prestigious AKO Literature Prize in 2014. His last book, The Convert, was a finalist for the 2020 National Jewish Book Awards.

Translated from the Dutch by David McKay.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of a Nazi collaborator

J.S. · June 25, 2025

This is a stunningly intricate portrayal of a Dutch Nazi collaborator, and his innocent family. The writing style reminds me of a Flemish painting, with every detail highlighted. The accumulation of careful details serves as a frame for the collaborator, a person who trivializes the most evil deeds, and as an SS officer betrays his neighbors, making lists of people who would be deported to Nazi concentration camps. It's disgusting to hear how he becomes rich and treats his family with luxuries, while his admirably moral wife tries to deal with his suspected wickedness. But the author/narrator never judges; rather, he leaves that to his readers. The audiobook is very well narrated,

3.0 out of 5 stars Overpromised, Underdelivered

R.W. · June 14, 2025

What should have been an exciting insight into the world of a Nazi informant and a” world of ghosts” based on the summary, turned out to be a rather boring documentary that did not deliver on its promises. There is no story arc and the reader does not become invested in any of the characters. I did find it complicated from the begging but so was Gentleman from Moscow so I held on. I should have tapped out instead of finishing this very boring novel.

3.0 out of 5 stars Alright read

K. · September 25, 2023

This book was translated from its original Dutch. I found the English translation to be done quite well. I listened to the audio, and I really enjoyed it. The narrator did a fantastic job capturing the feel of the book. I always find fictional biographies an interesting time. I do prefer real biographies but feel that there is still a lot of history to take away from the fictionalized ones. This one was no different. I do feel that while the book intended to highlight Verhulst, however, his wife was the true star of the book. I do think that she faced an interesting dilemma when she found herself married to a Nazi, and I really did feel that she came across too naïve. While parts of this novel did fall flat for me, I did find it an immersive and captivating read and I would recommend it, however it isn’t a standout for me in the genre.3.5 stars rounded down for me.

2.0 out of 5 stars Just can't slog thru it

P. · August 31, 2023

Up to page 16 and I just can't slog through any more of it. The story should be interesting if not fascinating. But the writing is so dry and stilted I thought it was a poor translation. Just doesn't engage me as I thought it would and it is about 10 days past its return date. Chalking it up to experience.

More questions than answers

S. · January 19, 2024

I enjoyed the book but would have liked information of the house today and if futurehabitats of the house knew it's history. An unusual, interesting story.

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The Ascent: A House Can Have Many Secrets

Product ID: U0593316460
Condition: New

3.9

(52 ratings)

AED24854

Price includes VAT & Import Duties
Type: Hardcover
Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

|

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

This item qualifies for free delivery

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Imported From: United States

At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.

BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.

Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.

If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.

Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.

All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.

While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.

BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.

All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.

All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.

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Visit the Pantheon Store

The Ascent: A House Can Have Many Secrets

Product ID: U0593316460
Condition: New

3.9

(52 ratings)
The Ascent: A House Can Have Many Secrets-0
Type: Hardcover

AED24854

Price includes VAT & Import Duties
Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

|

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

This item qualifies for free delivery

Returns & Warranty policies

Imported From: United States

At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.

BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.

Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.

If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.

Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.

All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.

While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.

BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.

All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.

All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.

Description:

In this revealing and poignant story, Stefan Hertmans uncovers haunting details about the previous owner of his house and the crime he committed as a member of the Nazi police.

In 1979 Stefan Hertmans became obsessed with a rundown townhouse in Ghent. The previous owners were mentioned only in passing during the acquisition, and it wasn’t until the new millennium, long after he had sold the house, that he came across a memoirby the owner’s son Adriaan Verhulst, a distinguished history professor and a former teacher of Hertmans’, which revealed that his father was a former SS officer.
Hertmans finds he is profoundly haunted by images of the family as ghostly presences in the rooms he had once known so well, he begins a journey of discovery—not to tell the story of Adriaan’s father, but rather the story of the house and the people who lived in it and passed through it. Archives, interviews with relatives and personal documents help him imagine the world of this house as they reveal not only a marital drama, but also a connection between past visitors to the house and important figures in the culture and politics of Flanders now.
A stunning and immersive reimagining of a family in a historical moment of great upheaval confirms Hertmans’ always brilliant melding of fiction and nonfiction.
Read more

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Hertmans’s] most recent pastiche of fiction, memoir and Sebaldian evidence gathering [is] inspired by the discovery that his former home in Ghent once housed a notorious Nazi collaborator . . . [The Ascent] deftly blends reporting and speculation as he reimagines the lives these rooms once sheltered, laying out the terrible consequences of an ambitious man’s blinkered devotion to the bureaucracy of the Reich.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“When Bel­gian author Ste­fan Hert­mans decid­ed to rent a damp old house on the banks of the sludgy Lieveke canal in a run­down neigh­bor­hood of Ghent, he wasn’t think­ing about its pre­vi­ous inhab­i­tants. . . . But many years after he left the three-sto­ry house . . . he learned that, dur­ing World War II, it was occu­pied by Willem Ver­hulst, an SS intel­li­gence offi­cer. . . . Strad­dling the line between non­fic­tion and fic­tion. . . . [Hertmans] presents a grip­ping tale of the house on Dro­gen­hof Street, which con­tains both his own mem­o­ries and the secrets of the SS offi­cer and his family. . . . Using the house as a frame­work, the author pro­vides a vis­cer­al sense of life in the occu­pied city dur­ing the war. . . . Beau­ti­ful­ly trans­lat­ed by David McK­ay. . . . Hertmans’s par­al­lel sto­ries of Verhulst’s treach­ery and his own path to uncov­er­ing the secrets hid­den in the Dro­gen­hof house make for a com­pelling read. . . . the read­er can hard­ly wait to find out what he discovers.”
—Jewish Book Council

“A fascinating project of autofiction. . . . Hertmans had already sold his former home in Ghent when he read a memoir by a former occupant that shocked him: before he’d lived there, an SS officer had called the place home. Hertmans uses this jarring revelation . . . to explore the home’s long history and reconsider the meaning of sanctuary.”
—CrimeReads

“Hertmans turns the spotlight on the Flemish nationalist and Nazi collaborator Willem Verhulst. . . . paint[ing] a brilliant portrait of a deluded and dangerous man. . . . [The Ascent is] a deft blend of history, fiction and autofiction, skillfully translated by David McKay. Hertmans draws on a wealth of sources . . . [and] the photographs scattered throughout the text bring to mind the work of W.G. Sebald. . . . Eerie and atmospheric. . . . In his insightful and expertly crafted book, history that has settled is roused and reckoned with, and it still has the ability to captivate and the power to shock.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“Discovering he lived in a house in Ghent formerly owned by a Nazi collaborator, [Hertmans] experienced ‘the powerful pull of an unknown life’ and set out to investigate. Through a series of anecdotes, he tells the story of Willem Verhulst. . . . [His] impressionistic prose is deeply evocative, and the novel reads like a fascinating conversation, drawing on the storyteller’s absorption with his subject matter and intimate knowledge of the characters involved.”
—Booklist

“‘In the first year of the new millennium . . . I learned that for twenty years I had lived in the house of a former SS man.’ So begins Flemish author Hertmans’ coolly intriguing re-creation of the life and circumstances of Willem Verhulst. . . . As much a story of the family and the setting as of the horrible . . . figure at its center, the book . . . delivers a haunting, detailed record of people, place and atmosphere.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A thoughtful and unflinching narrative in which [Hertmans] imagines the life of his Ghent home’s previous owner. . . . Recreating the lives of the Verhulst family during the grisly period of Nazi occupation from 1940 to 1945 and beyond, Hertmans chronicles how Willem becomes a high-ranking Nazi informant, traces his exploits as a Flemish nationalist rabble rouser after WWII, and explores his romantic attachments. . . . [he] adds nuance by drawing on interviews with Verhulst’s daughters Letta and Suzanne . . . and the memoirs of Verhulst’s son, Adriaan, who was Hertmans’s history professor in the 1970s. . . . along with excerpts from various letters and journals, [which] convey the depth of the author’s immersion. In Hertmans’s hands, the dusty rooms of history come alive.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A powerful and humane reminder that the horrors of the past century are inexhaustibly fascinating and reverberate today.”
—The Observer (UK)

“Hertmans’s acute scrutiny of the grim tale he has unearthed brings a monster and his milieu into riveting focus. Alive with the same investigative verve, psychological perception and narrative virtuosity as its two acclaimed predecessors, The Ascent is a compelling addition.”
—The Sunday Times (UK)
 
“A self-conscious blend of archival legwork and artistic licence. . . . grimly compelling.”
—Mail on Sunday (UK)
 
“Prepare to descend. Based on years of research and augmented with personal reflections and fictional episodes . . . the book tells the true story of Willem Verhulst, a Flemish nationalist from Ghent. . . . Hertmans brilliantly describes and imagines scenes. . . . memorable.”
—The Daily Telegraph (UK)

About the Author

STEFAN HERTMANS is an internationally acclaimed Flemish author. For more than twenty years he was a professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Ghent, where he wrote novels, poems, essays, and plays. His first book in English, War and Turpentine, was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize and awarded the prestigious AKO Literature Prize in 2014. His last book, The Convert, was a finalist for the 2020 National Jewish Book Awards.

Translated from the Dutch by David McKay.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of a Nazi collaborator

J.S. · June 25, 2025

This is a stunningly intricate portrayal of a Dutch Nazi collaborator, and his innocent family. The writing style reminds me of a Flemish painting, with every detail highlighted. The accumulation of careful details serves as a frame for the collaborator, a person who trivializes the most evil deeds, and as an SS officer betrays his neighbors, making lists of people who would be deported to Nazi concentration camps. It's disgusting to hear how he becomes rich and treats his family with luxuries, while his admirably moral wife tries to deal with his suspected wickedness. But the author/narrator never judges; rather, he leaves that to his readers. The audiobook is very well narrated,

3.0 out of 5 stars Overpromised, Underdelivered

R.W. · June 14, 2025

What should have been an exciting insight into the world of a Nazi informant and a” world of ghosts” based on the summary, turned out to be a rather boring documentary that did not deliver on its promises. There is no story arc and the reader does not become invested in any of the characters. I did find it complicated from the begging but so was Gentleman from Moscow so I held on. I should have tapped out instead of finishing this very boring novel.

3.0 out of 5 stars Alright read

K. · September 25, 2023

This book was translated from its original Dutch. I found the English translation to be done quite well. I listened to the audio, and I really enjoyed it. The narrator did a fantastic job capturing the feel of the book. I always find fictional biographies an interesting time. I do prefer real biographies but feel that there is still a lot of history to take away from the fictionalized ones. This one was no different. I do feel that while the book intended to highlight Verhulst, however, his wife was the true star of the book. I do think that she faced an interesting dilemma when she found herself married to a Nazi, and I really did feel that she came across too naïve. While parts of this novel did fall flat for me, I did find it an immersive and captivating read and I would recommend it, however it isn’t a standout for me in the genre.3.5 stars rounded down for me.

2.0 out of 5 stars Just can't slog thru it

P. · August 31, 2023

Up to page 16 and I just can't slog through any more of it. The story should be interesting if not fascinating. But the writing is so dry and stilted I thought it was a poor translation. Just doesn't engage me as I thought it would and it is about 10 days past its return date. Chalking it up to experience.

More questions than answers

S. · January 19, 2024

I enjoyed the book but would have liked information of the house today and if futurehabitats of the house knew it's history. An unusual, interesting story.

Similar suggestions by Bolo

More from this brand

Similar items from “World War II & Holocaust”

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https://www.bolo.ae/products/U0593316460