The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

 Maugham in Malaya

A book worthy of its gorgeous cover!

Eloquent prose threads its way through exotic 1921 Malaya when renowned author W. Somerset Maugham visits an old friend. Maugham finds inspiration for his next book in the story of a decade-old murder that serves as a backdrop for the complexities of social mores, cultural clashes, and one’s inner truth. Alluring and moving.

 

I liked the way Tan Twan Eng blended the lives of Maugham with the struggles of his hostess, along with the woman who murdered a man, and the Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-Sen who fought to bring down the Ching (Qing) Dynasty, a part of history I didn’t know much about (especially the Taiping Rebellion).  The stories were engaging, the setting was striking, and the writing was beautiful. And, I loved the symbolism behind the title of the book. 

 

This book has staying-power and will be talked about for years to come! It's been long-listed for the Booker Prize.

Pub date: Oct 17

Here are some of the quotes I loved:

“He picked up his letter opener, disemboweled the envelope and drew out the piece of paper inside.” pg 68

 

“He was conscious of his smile unstitching itself from his face.” pg 83

“That night, side by side, we drifted among the galaxies of sea-stars, while far, far above us the asterisks of light marked out the footnotes on the page of eternity.” pg 270

As a sidenote, so far, I had read only The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maugham, which I really liked. I have Of Human Bondage and The Razor’s Edge on my shelf ready for me to read. 

 

The House of Doors spurred me on to read Maugham's most famous short story, Rain, and I can see why it was so celebrated. It was a powerful story that made me mad, pushed my buttons, as was intended. And the ending is worthy of a book club discussion. 😮

Happy reading!

Annette