Love the spaciousness of this ending! Sets you up for sequels, if that’s the idea. I’ve been wondering if it’s this painting in NYC’s Neuegalerie: https://www.neuegalerie.org//womaningold Or another? Or one you invented?
Thanks Julie! Yes a sequel is a possibility….in Cyprus!
Love that painting. I decided to invent one to free it from the history of so many individual Klimts and let the reader imagine. But I was highly inspired by some of the smaller paintings in the Belvedere in Vienna. I’ll see if I can find a link to one…many in the surrounding woods with a Japonisme style.
Thanks for all your wonderful comments and support along the way. 🙏
Timing hasn’t been great with this new job. I am too busy to properly engage and respond to people and feel terrible about that. However, the experience has been very rewarding! Can’t wait to read your serialisation. 💙💙
Congrats, Kate — this was a fabulous read! I’ve never read a serialized novel without falling off the track at some point, but your story, pacing, and cliffhangers kept me going all these months. Looking forward to Marie’s eventual assignment in Cyprus! 💙
Wow, what a ride it's been on this stranger in a strange land tale of espionage, intrigue and murder. Marie is definitely a character I can see returning to for another adventure - perhaps one in Hong Kong, or London, or Switzerland? You've done a spectacular job of weaving all of the different ideas you've talked about in your intertext series, Kate. Thank you for this complex and unnerving tale!
(BTW can you imagine - Graham Greene wrote "The Third Man" AND "Travels With My Aunt" which I'm reading now. :)
"I watch time pass before me in the undulations of the sand that change with each tide. I know that one of these tides will bring my next assignment." I loved the switch to natural time, away from the human intrigues. It felt like the zoom out at the end of a film.
The vivid description of purging her childhood home—“I entered the storm, my hair flying all over my face, and began to purge”—beautifully mirrors the protagonist’s inner transformation. This conclusion blends a sense of closure with anticipation, creating an immersive and satisfying end to a remarkable journey. Great writing as ever!
I love this ending! So relatable in so many ways. When you started writing (and I began reading) Marie's story, the title instantly caught my eye (because of my own experience as an 'interpreter in Vienna')
Although my personal story doesn't involve espionage and murder, there was plenty of human drama going on at other levels... and in the end I found myself settling by the sea (for a while) working as a translator, catching my breath... in Cornwall, in a house with view over the Atlantic.
I had to look up Le Conquet on the map, and sure enough, it's just across the channel...
😎 🏄 What a story! Look forward to the sequel, but I totally agree. Marie deserves a rest (and so do you) 🙏
Love the spaciousness of this ending! Sets you up for sequels, if that’s the idea. I’ve been wondering if it’s this painting in NYC’s Neuegalerie: https://www.neuegalerie.org//womaningold Or another? Or one you invented?
I.e, Farmhouse in Upper Austria
https://www.belvedere.at/en/klimt-collection-belvedere
Love that museum! Thanks! Gorgeous.
Thanks Julie! Yes a sequel is a possibility….in Cyprus!
Love that painting. I decided to invent one to free it from the history of so many individual Klimts and let the reader imagine. But I was highly inspired by some of the smaller paintings in the Belvedere in Vienna. I’ll see if I can find a link to one…many in the surrounding woods with a Japonisme style.
Thanks for all your wonderful comments and support along the way. 🙏
It was such an enjoyable read! I’m inspired to begin serializing my novel in January. Making plans and edits now. 🙃
So exciting!!
Timing hasn’t been great with this new job. I am too busy to properly engage and respond to people and feel terrible about that. However, the experience has been very rewarding! Can’t wait to read your serialisation. 💙💙
And the stage is set for the sequel. Beautiful story, superbly narrated. Can't wait to see Marie again soon. :)
It'll be a little while but she'll be back...everyone needs a little rest ;-)
Thank you so much for reading and your wonderful comments along the way, Silvio!
Congrats, Kate — this was a fabulous read! I’ve never read a serialized novel without falling off the track at some point, but your story, pacing, and cliffhangers kept me going all these months. Looking forward to Marie’s eventual assignment in Cyprus! 💙
Thanks so much, Michael! I really appreciate this wonderful comment and, yes, let's all go to Cyprus next!
💙
Wow, what a ride it's been on this stranger in a strange land tale of espionage, intrigue and murder. Marie is definitely a character I can see returning to for another adventure - perhaps one in Hong Kong, or London, or Switzerland? You've done a spectacular job of weaving all of the different ideas you've talked about in your intertext series, Kate. Thank you for this complex and unnerving tale!
(BTW can you imagine - Graham Greene wrote "The Third Man" AND "Travels With My Aunt" which I'm reading now. :)
These are settings I'm thinking about, Troy!! Great minds...
Thanks for your wonderful comment and readership.
You're reading Travels with My Aunt? I haven't read it! But he has some gems of short stories as well. Enjoy :)
👏👏👏
Thanks Harvey!
"I watch time pass before me in the undulations of the sand that change with each tide. I know that one of these tides will bring my next assignment." I loved the switch to natural time, away from the human intrigues. It felt like the zoom out at the end of a film.
Oh I like that, Jeffrey. Thanks very much!
The vivid description of purging her childhood home—“I entered the storm, my hair flying all over my face, and began to purge”—beautifully mirrors the protagonist’s inner transformation. This conclusion blends a sense of closure with anticipation, creating an immersive and satisfying end to a remarkable journey. Great writing as ever!
Thanks so much, Jon! Pathetic fallacy is such fun. :)
Ahh, great open ending, with many assignments to follow! Marie's story has only just begun... :)
Thanks Alexander! I appreciate so many of your comments as well as suggestions all the way through. 🙏
I loved this book, and hope you published it. I would certainly buy a copy.
Thanks so much, Clare! Your comment made my day. I’ll be indie-publishing this very soon and aim to do a sequel. Stay tuned :)
👏👏👏
Is it chapter one of book two next week?!
What a fabulous read. Thanks, Kate 😀
Thanks Jules ☺️☺️☺️
Oh I wish! I haven’t had time to write much lately, but I’ve got the ideas for a sequel. In Cyprus of course! In time…
It was so good. Congratulations. I'm going to have to adjust to Saturday morning breakfast without An Interpreter In Vienna 🥲
💜
I love this ending! So relatable in so many ways. When you started writing (and I began reading) Marie's story, the title instantly caught my eye (because of my own experience as an 'interpreter in Vienna')
Although my personal story doesn't involve espionage and murder, there was plenty of human drama going on at other levels... and in the end I found myself settling by the sea (for a while) working as a translator, catching my breath... in Cornwall, in a house with view over the Atlantic.
I had to look up Le Conquet on the map, and sure enough, it's just across the channel...
😎 🏄 What a story! Look forward to the sequel, but I totally agree. Marie deserves a rest (and so do you) 🙏
Congratulations, Kate. A really spacious and calming ending, but with the scene set for a sequel should that so be desired!
Wonderful. A joy to journey through this ride and experience with Marie. Thank you for sharing this with us and for nailing the Substack Serial!