The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Tokarczuk, Olga. The Empusium. Riverhead Books, 2024.

Olga Tokarczuk's novel The Empusium is set in 1913 Görbersdorf and written from the first person plural point of view. The narrative toggles between the past and present tenses to capture the complexity of the main character Mieczysław (Mieczhś) Wojnicz's experience. For the sake of clarity, this guide relies upon the present tense and a linear mode of explanation.

Twenty-four-year old Wojnicz leaves his hometown in Lwów where he is studying engineering and travels to a health resort in Görbersdorf. The alpine sanatarium is said to be one of the best in the region and residents are allegedly cured of their pulmonary ailments simply from breathing the mountain air. Wojnicz has lived with tuberculosis for some time and is therefore grateful that his father January Wojnicz has sent him here to get better. He is also hopeful that the founding doctor Hermann Brehmer's methods will indeed make him better.

Wojnicz starts to settle into his room at the guesthouse. He meets with Dr. Semperweiss, encouraged by his methods. He meets some of the other residents, too, including the proprietor Wilhelm (Willi) Opitz, his assistant Raimund, and patients like Lukas, August, Walter Frommer, and Thilo. Everything is going well for Wojnicz until one morning he pushes into the dining room and discovers Opitz's wife Frau Klara Opitz lying dead on the table. Opitz bursts in, revealing that she died by suicide.

Wojnicz cannot stop thinking about Klara's death over the following days. He and Thilo discuss the matter, too. Both are skeptical of the circumstances surrounding her death. Thilo is certain Opitz was abusive and wonders if he killed her himself. He then tells Wojnicz that the guesthouse and surrounding woods are strange and dangerous. He has heard that one man a year is murdered in the woods and that Wojnicz should watch out. Wojnicz wonders if Thilo has a fever and is making things up, but when he asks Frommer and August about the rumors, they confirm Thilo's tale. Frommer thinks supernatural forces are behind the killings.

Wojnicz feels anxious and restless and has trouble sleeping. He is particularly convinced that he hears noises coming from Frau Opitz's attic room above his chambers. He sneaks up there one day to investigate, and discovers how cozy the space is. Over the following weeks, he begins to take refuge in this space.

In the meantime, Wojnicz follows his doctor's regime, eats with the other men, listens to their lengthy conversations, and goes on regular walks. During some of these walks, he is forced to listen to the other men talk at length about gender roles, female psychology, theology, and politics. Wojnicz rarely contributes. He prefers to spend time with Thilo during their resting hours, reflecting on his life and his past.

When Wojnicz does drift into memory, he recalls January's abuse. He mourns his childhood housekeeper's absence from his life. He sometimes recalls the sexual abuse his doctor's subjected him too.

One day, Wojnicz runs into Frommer. Frommer admits that he is a policeman and he is only in town to investigate a murder that happened the year prior. He now thinks that Wojnicz is in danger of being the next victim. Confused and alarmed, Wojnicz starts to retreat from the other men. Instead, he spends more time with Thilo, whose health is rapidly fading.

Thilo passes away near the end of November. One night shortly thereafter, Raimund lures Wojnicz into the woods and tries to sacrifice him to the woodland spirits. Wojnicz flees. Back at the guesthouse, he discovers all of the other men have chained themselves up to avoid being taken by the spirits. Wojnicz unties Opitz and he wanders into the woods where the spirits take him to avenge the crimes committed against them.

Afterwards, Wojnicz goes to the attic and dons Klara's clothes. He assumes her identity and leaves Görbersdorf for Munich.