The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

I was first introduced to Tan Twan Eng by reading The Garden of Evening Mists which I loved. Eng knows how to evoke the sounds, smells and the moist air of Southeast Asia perfectly. The House of Doors is another evocative book that draws you in and doesn’t let go.

The year is 1921 and Lesley and Robert Hamlyn are living at Cassowary House in the Strait Settlement of Penang (which is now a part of Malaysia.)  Robert, a lawyer and a war veteran has been recently diagnosed with a degenerative disease, but has been able to continue his practice thus far. Lesley, an introvert by nature, must socialize with the other mostly British expats in the area, even though she would prefer to read and indulge in writing poetry. They live a comfortable, if somewhat mundane kind of life.

Then Somerset Maugham the famous writer, and his secretary, Gerald arrive. Willie, as he is known to his friends, went to school with Robert and needed to escape from his expensive marriage of convenience, a threatening scandal over his homosexuality, and the sudden news that he has lost all his savings. Desperate to recover his fortune Maugham hopes that here in an outpost of the British Empire he might find a new subject for a book.

Initially, Lesley seems like an intriguing subject, especially after Maugham discovers that she knew and had even worked with the Chinese revolutionary, Dr, Sun Yat Sen. But he soon discovers that Lesley is living a much more complicated life than he imagined and as their friendship deepens, Lesley reveals a surprisingly complicated story of scandal and betrayal surrounding a trial of an English woman accused of murder. Here indeed is the subject of the novel that will save Maugham’s career.

Eng writes delicately and simply, but that is deceptive, because there is a strength to his writing that pulls you into the story and holds you there until the last page. His characters are complicated and he writes about this era of colonialism with integrity and honesty. Lesley is one of the most complicated characters I have been introduced to in a long time. At first I didn’t really identify with her but slowly as she revealed herself to be so much more than an expat wife, I began to appreciate her resillience and integrity. Eng uses Maugham as a foil to draw out the other characters, but does not allow him to overwhelm the story. This was long listed for the Booker Prize and was a named a “notable work of fiction” by the Washington Post and and an “Editor’s Choice” by the New York Times, recognition which was truly deserved.

Brenda’s Rating: ***** (5 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Marian, Sharon, Ken and Keith.

Book Study Worthy! YES!

Read in ebook format.