The Empusium

The latest novel from the prestigious Nobel laureate unfolds in a sanitarium just before World War I, exploring the terrifying undercurrents hidden beneath our most revered beliefs. In September 1913, Mieczysław, a student battling tuberculosis, arrives at Wilhelm Opitz’s Guesthouse for Gentlemen, a health retreat located in the area now known as western Poland. The residents convene daily in the dining area, indulging in a mind-altering local liqueur, fixating on wealth and social standing, and engaging in debates over pressing questions: Will there be a war? Which is better, monarchy or democracy? Do devils exist? Are women naturally inferior? While these discussions occur, unsettling incidents begin to unfold within and around the guesthouse. As news of alarming occurrences in the nearby highlands reaches them, an atmosphere of anxiety builds. It seems an unknown entity is observing them and trying to penetrate their world. Unbeknownst to Mieczysław, as he seeks to uncover inner truths alongside the horror surrounding them, the malignant forces have already marked their next target. A century after the release of "The Magic Mountain," Tokarczuk ventures into territory once explored by Thomas Mann, making it her own by masterfully intertwining elements of horror, comedy, folklore, and feminist themes.