A young man seeking recovery at a mountain sanitarium in 1913 becomes entangled in a sinister mystery and unsettling philosophical debates on the eve of war. The newcomer to Wilhelm Opitz’s Guesthouse for Gentlemen, suffering from tuberculosis, finds himself in a community grappling with profound questions about governance, gender, and the supernatural, all while a pervasive sense of being watched and infiltrated permeates the resort and its surroundings. He must navigate his own internal truths and the external threat of unknown forces that have already marked him as their next victim. The narrative unfolds within the confines of this isolated world, hinting at a psychological and potentially supernatural horror.

The novel has been recognized as an instant national bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Critics have praised its folk horror elements, noting a deceptively light yet genuinely unsettling tone, with The New York Times Book Review highlighting its elegance and disturbing nature. The work is seen as a significant literary achievement, with comparisons drawn to Thomas Mann's 'The Magic Mountain' for its thematic depth and setting. Tokarczuk's signature boldness, inventiveness, and humor are evident in her exploration of profound questions within a historical context.