Itzhak Zylberman Archives - Dale Hurst

You Can Hear Chopin

You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic: the Story Now

13 December 2023 No Comments

As I finish the first draft of my WW2 thriller You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic, I reflect on the story I’ve written thus far and consider the re-drafting process ahead…

In case you hadn’t heard the news, the first draft of my third major work, You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic, is now completed. I couldn’t believe it when I discovered it had taken nearly three years to finish, with well over 600 pages and 220,000 words written, not to mention a lot of self-doubt and deliberations over whether to start from scratch.

It’s with all that in mind that I’m facing the upcoming re-drafting and editing process with a mixture of excitement and dread. On the one hand, it’ll be fun to read through it from start to finish. But on the other hand, if it took that long to crack out one draft… how long will it take to analyse everything, monitor character arcs and development… to do everything you used to do in GCSE English? To say nothing of the amount that’ll need to be reduced or cut completely.

Synopsis (as it stands)

Young hotelier Heinrich Oeunhausen is in charge of The Heinrichstürme, one of the last luxury hotels still standing in 1943 Berlin. While he himself remains apolitical, he serves the war effort by accommodating a number of officers in the Nazi Party’s employ, including his family friend, the Minister of Hospitality, Standartenführer Leopold Upfauer, who pressures Heinrich to join the Party when the hotel’s finances begin to dwindle. Heinrich is reluctant, not least because upstairs, he houses two secret guests. His wife Sofie, a schizophrenia sufferer, is confined to their suite on the third floor, often heavily sedated. Above her hides the temperamental Jewish pianist Itzhak Zylberman, whose music has a mysterious but calming effect on Sofie’s condition.

The arrival of Cordelia Knesebeck stirs up trouble, as she is repeatedly caught snooping around the hotel, and ultimately becomes deputy manager, with the connivance of Upfauer. Cordelia discovers Heinrich’s secret, but she has an agenda of her own. Knowing what the other knows, Heinrich and Cordelia form an uneasy alliance — Cordelia to help protect Sofie, and Heinrich not to stand in her way. The subsequent events affect staff and customers alike, including the concierge Alois Seyẞ, Heinrich’s reprobate brother Konrad, and Upfauer’s sycophantic second-in-command Hoesch.

Major characters

Heinrich Oeunhausen — 23-year-old hotelier, owner of The Heinrichstürme hotel.
Cordelia Knesebeck — arrives as a guest, but later buys half the hotel to become deputy manageress. Has a secret involving Upfauer.
Sofie Oeunhausen — Heinrich’s 20-year-old wife, suffers from schizophrenia.
Standartenführer Leopold Upfauer — Reichsminister of Hospitality, family friend of the Oeunhausens and a close confidante of Hitler. Something of a father/uncle figure to Heinrich and Konrad.
Itzhak Zylberman — Polish-Jewish pianist in his 80s, prone to bad temper and bitter moods. Reputed for Chopin recitals.
Alois Seyẞ — The Heinrichstürme’s cynical and intelligent maître d’ and concierge.
Konrad Oeunhausen — Heinrich’s younger brother, something of a playboy and gambler.
Franz Verschuer — Accountant and lawyer for the Ministry of Hospitality; also controls the purse strings of The Heinrichstürme.
Irene Ginze — Alois’ best friend. Works at the hotel as both housekeeper and waitress.
Hauptsturmführer Hoesch — Upfauer’s sycophantic, overzealous aide. Jealous of Heinrich’s close relationship with his employer.
Frau Belinda Elberfeld — Head housekeeper at The Heinrichstürme, and staunch supporter of the Party.

Sounds pretty okay so far, right? Next stage, however, is to deal with some potential weak spots.

1. Root out the repetitions

When you’re writing the first draft, the priority is just to get it down on paper. So, when it comes to action, I may over-repeat myself. I know there are far too many instances of my characters walking down hallways and knocking on doors, not necessarily doing anything too important. This will be one of the first things I’ll look for and whittle down.

2. Strengthen and reinforce characters

Even with a comprehensive plan, it’s easy to lose track of characters over a period of nearly three years. Traits and behaviours I may have established in the earlier chapters may be non-existent by the end of the novel, purely because I forgot. Another one of the top priorities in the re-drafting process – a study of all the main characters, ensuring nothing important gets lost or forgotten about. If it’s really important, it’ll be interesting to apply it at other points in the story, to see how it affects characters and scenes.

In addition, there are some characters whose backstories I never really decided on – including my main antagonist, Upfauer. Who, as the writing process has gone on, has become less actively antagonistic. I had him down as outright evil, but I don’t feel I’ve made a convincing case of that so far. So I’ll need to assess how to establish that early on, to make his development more striking as the story progresses. Other characters, such as Itzhak and Verschuer, start out strong but have ended up not serving much purpose later in the story. Again, I’ll look at remedying these issues in the re-draft.

3. Vary the vocabulary

At any point of the writing process, I try to give at least 80% of my attention to variety in words and phrases. I’m a language lover – sue me. But, tying back to my first point, there are a plethora of points at which I use the same word for the same thing, the same adjectives and verbs to describe the same characters and actions. I can’t have that – I need a bit more colour to the language. I always keep a list of words I’ve heard or read. And if there’s a natural place for them, I’ll make sure they find their way into the work.

4. Strongly consider – are the protagonists working?

It’s not the first time I’ve brought this up in a blog post. The more I overthink it, the more I convince myself that I may need to change my main protagonist. You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic really follows two main threads – Heinrich primarily, and Cordelia secondarily – with a few chapters dedicated to the viewpoints of Alois and Upfauer. There are plenty of reasons why this should stay the case. Heinrich and Cordelia’s own relationship, and those they have with Konrad and Upfauer… they’re the focus of some of my favourite parts of the story. But they wouldn’t get as much attention if I changed the main protagonist to Alois, which is what I’m currently thinking.

Over the read-through, I really need to consider whether Heinrich and Cordelia’s viewpoints are the more entertaining. Or could Alois’ cynical, almost satirical view of the story prove better?

With this in mind, I have actually written an alternative opening to the first chapter from Alois’ POV. A preview will be coming soon for dedicated followers.

So there it is — the current state of play for You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic. I definitely need to take some time away from it. But come 2024, let the re-drafting process begin. Let’ see if it’s recognisable by the time we’re done!

Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think. And if you want to know more about my new book, leave a comment or follow my Facebook and Instagram pages. And read further posts out more about this novel.

Reading time: 6 min

Written by: Dale Hurst

Blog You Can Hear Chopin

You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic – the Story So Far… 2023 edition

24 February 2023 No Comments

Black banner with two hotel keys hanging from the top and piano keys lining the bottom. The text 'You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic' appears in the centre.

For those who’ve followed it since the beginning, and for those who’ve just arrived… Bringing you up to speed on my novel-in-progress, You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic…

It’s a story that I consistently refer to as a World War II thriller. You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic is a tale I’ve been dying to tell since 2017, and actively writing since 2021. And what a labour of love it’s turned into! A labour of love that’s so much more than the historical thriller I first envisaged. There’s politics, there’s romance, there’s revenge… You could even argue there’s a bit of satire. A love letter to my days working in hotels, and a means of taking the piss out of all the stupidity that hospitality staff face every day. Or venting my anger at the same… I dunno. But for all that, there’s no less serious an undercurrent. This is Nazi Germany, after all…

Where are we in the story?

As of 19 February, I have hit 400 pages of A5. Plot-wise, we’re very near the halfway point. In keeping with my previous two novels, this story is long. It deals with a large ensemble of characters, all of whom are playing relevant and pivotal parts in the story. They’re all undergoing their own development. But I know there are people out there who will say, “A historical novel should only be X number of pages long”. You’ll have to excuse me but I disagree.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that this story, as it is, is too long. I have already decided to cut a final quarter out to make way for a potential sequel if that’s what readers want. But to keep it in would give us a 21st century War and Peace. And in the redrafting and editing process, I’ll whittle it down and decide what needs to go, what needs to stay, and so on.

What part are you writing currently?

As of 19 February, I’ve hit 400 pages of A5. Plot-wise, we’re very near the halfway point. In keeping with my previous two novels, this story is long. It deals with a large ensemble of characters, all of whom are playing relevant and pivotal parts in the story. They’re all undergoing their own development. But I know there are people out there who’ll say, “A historical novel should only be X number of pages long”. You’ll have to excuse me, but I disagree.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that this story, as it is, is too long. I’ve already decided to cut a final quarter out, to make way for a potential sequel if that’s what readers want. To keep it in would just give us a 21st century War and Peace. And in the redrafting and editing process, I’ll whittle it down and decide what needs to go, what needs to stay, and so on.

I’m just in the middle of a high-octane, action-packed and emotional set of chapters, in which bombs start to fall in the middle of an important function at the hotel, during which one of our main characters also falls seriously ill; it falls to our hero, Heinrich, to choose between love and duty. It’s also the point at which the hotel stops being seen as invincible, a haven of luxury and security away from the war-torn Berlin that surrounds it. Heinrich struggles to come to terms with his complacency as a result.

What’s the book about?

You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic follows young hotelier Heinrich Oeunhausen, who is being pressured to join the Nazi Party by his frequent customer and family friend, Standartenführer Leopold Upfauer, the Minister of Hospitality. He grapples with a sense of duty to his country, respect and fear of Upfauer, and his devotion to his wife Sofie, whose mental illness makes her a target of the party. Heinrich must keep her existence a secret from his SS clientele, hiding her in relative plain sight under heavy sedation and with the music of Chopin to quell her violent hysterics. The pianist is a secret in his own right; a peevish Jew named Itzhak Zylberman, confined to an attic annexe with little sympathy from Heinrich.

With Upfauer’s influence, Heinrich’s business (and his secrets) remain relatively safe. That is, until the arrival of Cordelia Knesebeck, a beautiful but inquisitive and mysterious woman with secrets of her own, who Upfauer soon installs as deputy manager of the hotel. Events take dramatic twists for both Heinrich and Cordelia as they are thrown into an uneasy alliance. Their loyalties and commitments are tested, and control over their lives and secrets begin to crumble.

Meet the Main Characters

If you’ve read my other books already, you’ll know I’m fond of a large cast of characters. That is real life, after all… you don’t stay in a hotel and only encounter two or three people… not in my experience, anyway. Here are the ones you need to know about for now:

Heinrich Oeunhausen

The 23-year-old manager of The Heinrichstürme, one of the last luxury hotels still operating in Berlin, which he inherited from his father. With a soft-spoken and gentle-faced demeanour, Heinrich is seen as something of a pushover by many. But the events of the novel lead him to harden as a leader, forcing him to confront several awful choices along the way.

Cordelia Knesebeck

A beautiful, if difficult, young woman who arrives at The Heinrichstürme as a guest. With the connivance of Standartenführer Upfauer, and to Heinrich’s chagrin, she soon joins the hotel staff as deputy manager. A development that leads many including Cordelia herself to question her loyalties and motives. But it also opens her eyes to hardships she’d never known before.

Sofie Oeunhausen

Heinrich’s beautiful wife, whom he met at a ball and married in secret after a brief courtship. It was only after everything was said and done that he discovered she has schizophrenia, an illness that makes her a target of the Nazi Party. Unable to flee without drawing attention to themselves, Heinrich conceals Sofie to their suite at the hotel, where she is out of harm’s way but confined to her bed, often under heavy sedation. Initially regretful and self-reproaching of the situation she feels she has caused, Sofie gradually chafes against her imprisonment and longs for freedom. Freedom her husband wants to give her, but cannot for the sake of their lives.

Standartenführer Leopold Upfauer

A member of Hitler’s inner circle, the Reichsminister of Hospitality, and a family friend of the Oeunhausens. One of their best and most influential customers. He reigns over his staff with an iron fist and combustible temper, while insisting on complete respect towards Heinrich and the hotel workers. However this respect is a front for the considerable control and manipulation Upfauer wields. Though he claims his motives are pure, he won’t be truly satisfied until the hotel and its owner cast aside their apolitical attitudes and tie themselves directly to the Nazi Party.

Itzhak Zylberman

A Jewish former concert pianist from Poland whose skill on the keys has a miraculous calming effect on Sofie’s condition. In his 80s, Itzhak is confined to a secret attic annexe in the hotel, where he is forced to play the piano for Sofie, who rests beneath him. While this fate is considerably better than that of his family and his countrymen, Itzhak resents it all the same, feeling like a prisoner whom Heinrich would give up in a second if the opportunity arose. The two share an antagonistic relationship throughout the novel. Conversely, Itzhak views Sofie with fondness, and also enjoys Cordelia’s company.

Franz Verschuer

A prolific Berlin attorney and accountant, whose clients include Heinrich and the Ministry of Hospitality. He relishes the power and influence this position gives him, particularly so he can dote on his glamorous wife. While a shrewd and conniving character, Verschuer has his limits. As the novel progresses, we see his attitudes towards the state of Germany, the war, and Upfauer’s cruelty, grow less steady.

Konrad Oeunhausen

Heinrich’s younger brother, an irresponsible yet irresistible, charming and charismatic rogue and gambler. He shows up unannounced after selling his share of the hotel, still hoping to score freebies and luxuries from his long-suffering brother, who hopes in vain to tame Konrad back onto the straight and narrow. Konrad is also mutually smitten with Cordelia on sight and their relationship is one of the novel’s key subplots.

Alois Seyß

Chief waiter and “Head” of the concierge department (also its sole member), nothing happens around the hotel without Alois’ knowledge or involvement. Fearless and impulsive, he will disobey orders and take serious risks to discover information and satisfy his hunger for justice. No matter how petty that justice may be. And while he rebels against him frequently, he is fiercely loyal and protective of Heinrich and will do anything to help him and Sofie. Though he possesses an encyclopaedic knowledge of Berlin, Alois’ ambition lies in the law.

Irene Ginze

A housekeeper and waitress at the hotel, who also plies a less savoury trade behind closed doors. Upfauer and Konrad count among her clients. She also has a soft spot for Alois, and is often both a voice of reason and reluctant ally in his mischief.

Hauptsturmführer Hoesch

Upfauer’s chief adjutant; in other words his most senior secretary and, in Hoesch’s view, the Ministry of Hospitality’s second-in-command. But for all his sycophancy and dedication, his master looks on Hoesch with disdain and irritation, making no secret of his preference for Heinrich. Hoesch is malignantly jealous as a result, and he shares a mutual enmity with the hotelier. He also commands little respect from the others in his department, but hungers for power and authority despite lacking the skills to manage either.

Belinda Elberfeld

Fanatic Nazi Party supporter, Frau Elberfeld is head housekeeper at the hotel. She is a staunch admirer of Hitler and longs for him to bless the hotel with a visit. She doesn’t hide her disdain for the way Heinrich runs things, preferring the stricter style of his late father, who hired her after she resigned from her previous job in a private household. Frau Elberfeld also commands her department with militant relish, and dislikes Irene Ginze for a number of reasons. Not least the latter’s beauty, but also her close alliances with Heinrich and Alois, her main nemesis.

Mauritz Kerstein

A quiet-spoken chef for whose skill in the kitchen Heinrich has a professed admiration. While only second-in-command in the department on paper, Mauritz is more-or-less in charge of the daily operations. But despite Heinrich’s efforts, he is shrouded in mystery. A mystery that may or may not involve the newly-arrived Cordelia Knesebeck.

What challenges is You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic facing?

The short answer to this is, many. Like I said in the intro, this novel is a real labour of love. Researching it has been a huge, but fun, challenge. But knowing how to frame the story… knowing which character’s eyes we should be telling it through… I’m still facing these obstacles even now. Suffice it to say, I already know that I’ll look to change things in the redrafting stage.

A more detailed post on the things I already know about my first draft of You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic will follow in due course.

Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think. Got a favourite character already? Want to know more? Why not leave a comment or get in touch via my Facebook and Instagram pages. And read further posts out more about this novel.

Reading time: 11 min