Hotel du Lac

It's the end of the season at a lakeside hotel in Switzerland. The few leftover mostly female guests lounge on the terrace, take strolls in the autumn weather, get clothes made from seamstresses, have lunch, take tea, dress up for dinner, and then turn in early. Everyone behaves as if this is a novel set in the early 20th century. And yet, occasional remarks - like having television in their rooms - make you realize it really is set closer to the novel's publication date (1984). There's a hazy out-of-time feeling to it all. The women are mysterious, wretched and dramatic, living different fates of being-pushed-aside-by-men. The protagonist is at a crossroad in her own life, questioning if she should marry.

Elegant and wry writing, which I very much enjoyed.