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My first Olga Tokarczuk and what a strange and unsettling book to start with.

From reading a few reviews I gather that this book pays a nod to The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. However I've not read that either so I cannot comment. From what I understand though, a lot of the comments on women's psychology come from highly respected psychologists of the day. They are therefore exceptionally funny - and completely bonkers.

The story involves Mieczysław (Mieczyś) Wojnicz who has been sent to a sanatorium in Görbersdorf to recover from tuberculosis. However once he arrives he is confronted with a very strange set-up. Klara Opitz, the wife of the manager, is found hanging having committed suicide; nobody seems to get better (in fact most patients appear to get sicker) and the manager, Willi Opitz, is feeding them Schwärmerei (a strange local drink that renders the drinker insensible) to the extent that noone seems to care if they get well or not.

As Wojnicz continues his stay he finds out that there have been many strange deaths in the area and always in the autumn. Wojnicz is disturbed to find that this is true but does not leave. He becomes fascinated by Frau Opitz's old room and her things, hos friendship with the very sickly Thilo and the mystery of the Tuntschi, representations of women made of stone, sticks and moss which are found on the mountainside and are said to come to life to exact revenge on men.

There's a lot of folklore and history woven into this unnerving little tale and Wojnicz is a very odd character who seems often to have no will of his own. The psychiatrists pronouncements about women are extremely amusing until you remember that these are actually from quotes.

I'd recommend this book if you like strange and unnerving novels. It certainly fits with the time of year.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Fitzcarraldo for the advance review copy.