Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk emerges unscathed after being hospitalized
Olga Tokarczuk's latest novel, Land of Empusas, published by Anagrama, presents a captivating reinterpretation of Thomas Mann's classic work, The Magic Mountain. The book, translated by Katarzyna Mołoniewicz and Abel Murcia, has generated comments and discussions and can be found in Clarín Newsletter.
Set in a tuberculosis sanatorium in Silesia, Land of Empusas introduces Myeczyslaw Wojnicz, an engineering student who retreats to the sanatorium in 1913. This setting mirrors Mann's story of a young man spending time in a Swiss sanatorium, creating a parallel that runs throughout the novel.
In Tokarczuk's work, Wojnicz finds himself in a sanatorium that offers therapies such as long walks, cold water showers, and abundant meals with brandy and wines. Residents engage in debates about life, the universe, and everything over a hallucinogenic local drink while hinting at unsettling events in the surrounding woods.
The connections to Mann’s work are firmly rooted in this shared setting and era, with both novels focusing on young men undergoing transformative experiences in tuberculosis sanatoria just before World War I. However, Tokarczuk’s narrative introduces a different atmosphere—adding elements of satire, feminism, and an exploration of "primeval thinking," such as cave frequencies and ancient voices that shape human perception and reality.
Myeczyslaw Wojnicz in Görbensdorf acts as a counterpart to Mann’s protagonist Hans Castorp. Both are young men whose stays at a sanatorium become intense psychological and philosophical journeys. Tokarczuk’s version infuses this classic setup with new thematic layers and a regional specificity (Silesia vs. the Swiss Alps), revitalizing and reframing Mann’s exploration of illness and existential reflection through a contemporary literary lens and different cultural background.
Land of Empusas, with its 344 pages, has been reclassified as a classic shortly after its publication, joining the ranks of Mann's timeless work. Moreover, Tokarczuk's approach to storytelling, which involves rewriting endings in her work, has been likened to Quentin Tarantino's style.
In another of Tokarczuk's novels, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Wojnicz appears again, this time in Görbensdorf in 1913. This novel explores themes of misfits and the fear of the feminine, with characters expressing negative opinions about women.
It is worth noting that there was another famous sanatorium for tuberculosis patients in Davos, Switzerland, which inspired Thomas Mann to write The Magic Mountain. The sanatorium in Land of Empusas, however, was accessible only to wealthy people at the time.
Olga Tokarczuk, the Nobel laureate in Literature, continues to push the boundaries of literature with her unique and thought-provoking works, offering readers a fresh perspective on classic themes and narratives. Land of Empusas is currently available for reading, providing an engaging and thought-provoking experience for readers seeking a modern reinterpretation of a classic work.
Reading Olga Tokarczuk's Land of Empusas, one might find a break from the world of literature and delve into the realm of sports or entertainment, as the novel presents a reinterpretation of Mann's classic work, The Magic Mountain. Yet, when not engaged in Görbensdorf's therapeutic activities or engaging in debates about life, the universe, and everything over a hallucinogenic local drink, residents could potentially spend time flipping through books on various subjects, adding more layers to the multidimensional sanatorium life.
