The book flap on THE THIRD HOTEL calls it “surreal” and “mystifying.” I think that is a nice way of saying “unintelligible” and “confusing.” The story made little sense to me. I read and reread paragraphs, hoping that the problem was my own inattention. Perhaps Laura van den Berg said something that I missed, which was certainly possible; she snuck details into paragraphs that seemed to have nothing to do with anything.

I could be wrong when I describe this story. I can only say this is how it seemed.

Clare seems to be having a nervous breakdown after her husband died. I doubt my impression about this, though, because she also didn’t seem with-it in some of her flashbacks from before he died.

Clare travels to Havana, Cuba, to attend a horror film festival, a trip her husband had planned. Regardless of the number of times I reread paragraphs, I couldn't figure out why. I guess she thinks she will learn something about him.

While in Havana, Clare sees her husband. For most of the rest of the book, she follows him around. Remember, he’s dead.

Clare does a lot of weird, crazy things, and the people she encounters often seem unreal. Heck, everything seems unreal.

This book made me feel stupid.