Synopsis
"In the summer of 1914 Jean-Marc Montjean, a recent graduate from medical school, arrives in the Basque village of Salies in the French Pyrenees to assist the village physician. His first assignment is to treat the louche brother of a beautiful young woman called Katya Treville. As he comes to know his patient's family, he begins to realise that they are haunted by an old, dark secret - but he can't help falling deeply in love with Katya. Jean-Marc is repeatedly warned away from any attempt at romantic involvement by Katya's family, but he is young, hopeful, in love, and certain that his feelings are reciprocated. When he learns that the Trevilles are planning to leave the village forever, he insists on a final meeting with Katya, one that transforms a heartrending love story into a shattering nightmare. The chilling denouement, reminiscent of Hitchcock at his best, will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned."
The summer of Katya is the hardest book I've read. But it's also one the best books I've ever read. I bought it from my local library for a measly 20p. I wasn't particularly sold on the story but like every book lover, I find it hard to walk away from a cheap deal. Its a physiological thriller based in France in 1914. It's written by Rodney William Whitaker under his pen "The Travanian".
Its not a page turner, its dreary, overly descriptive and at times migraine inducing. But it's brilliant. Plain and simple. Why is it brilliant? This book is brilliant because the Travanian's use of color, suspense and vocabulary is outstanding. Why is it migraine inducing? Because its incredibly slow and draining. At times it was a struggle to get through one page. However I've never read an author whose transported me to a place so vivid and true that I felt like at times I was in 1914 during that hot summer on that bike with the beautiful Katya. This is a masterpiece, a lesson on how to build character and atmosphere, Hilary Mantel should read this book and weep. Unlike other somewhat highbrow reads such as WolfHall, the summer of Katya has attitude that once you get into the story you will find it hard to put it down.
I'm not a big fan of books that are overly descriptive because to be honest I switch off and wander off onto another book. A reviewer once said to me that he couldn't get past the first 100 pages of Bring up the Bodies because he got so bored of the descriptions and the prose. He felt like the author was indulging in her own brilliance. I'm sort of similar, if I cant get past the first 200 pages, I drop the book. Life's too short. However Travanian isn't one to glow in the fact that he's created a beautiful sentence, he moves on flawlessly and with ease. There's also a twist at the end that left me speechless and in awe of this author. I love this book but I'm also very weary of rereading it.
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