The Empusium

In the early autumn of 1913, a young Polish man, battling tuberculosis, arrives at the Wilhelm Opitz's Guesthouse for Gentlemen, a sanatorium nestled in the serene Silesian mountains. Each evening, the guests come together to sip the hallucinogenic local liqueur while engaging in fervent discussions on the pressing matters of their time: should governance favor monarchy or democracy? Is the existence of devils real? Are women inherently inferior? Should nations choose war or seek peace? Amidst these nightly debates, unsettling occurrences start to unfold within the guesthouse and the surrounding countryside. It seems as if an unseen presence is lurking about, trying to penetrate this secluded enclave. Unbeknownst to the young newcomer, as he delves into both his inner truths and the enigma of the ominous powers surrounding him, a target has already been marked by these lurking forces. A century after Thomas Mann’s "The Magic Mountain" was first published, Olga Tokarczuk revisits and stakes her claim to this thematic landscape, brilliantly weaving elements of horror, comedy, folklore, and feminist allegory into her narrative.