If you enjoy slower moving, subtly ominous horror, then you need to give Marie NDiaye’s That Time of Year a try. I’ve read a few of her books now, and two others have had a hint of unease, but she ramps up the creep-factor with this one. 

Every year, Herman, his wife Rose and their child spend their summers in a quaint rural village, far from the hubbub of Paris. Every year, without fail, they leave the village by 31st of August. Except this year, Rose and the child left for eggs and never came back, meaning Herman is left alone in the village on the 1st of September. The sunny façade of the village drops, and Herman is about to discover the dreary, uneasy reality of the village post-tourist season. 

Village residents sit in darkened rooms, only coming to life when someone enters, like puppets awaiting the directions of their puppet-master. All the women wear the same outfit. People offer smiles and superficial words of advice to Herman’s face, but as soon as his back is turned, they fall back into cold indifference. In just over 100 pages, NDiaye offers a bleak exploration of the gaping chasm that exists between Parisians and those from remoter areas of France, often driven by the superior attitudes of Parisians. The villagers lament the lack of upwards mobility available to them, dream of bigger opportunities in nearby towns – but those opportunities always seem just out of reach. 

At first the novel is driven by Herman’s anxiety at finding himself stranded in the village, and of course his desire to find his wife and child. But as it goes on, the villagers’ laconic, indifferent attitude seeps into Herman, and he slowly resigns himself to his strange new fate. The relentless rain, chilling politeness of the residents, and ghostly apparitions combine to create a novel which isn’t outright horror, but which nonetheless gets under your skin. I’m still not sure why what happens, happens – overwhelming ennui of life as usual in Paris? The village enacting its will on visitors? Unsure, but it’s fun to think about, and I’m glad NDiaye is back on form with this one after I was disappointed in The Cheffe!