The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023 A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER It is 1921 and at Cassowary House in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Robert Hamlyn is a well-to-do lawyer and his steely wife Lesley a society hostess. Their lives are invigorated when Willie, an old friend of Robert’s, comes to stay. Willie Somerset Maugham is one of the greatest writers of his day. But he is beleaguered by an unhappy marriage, ill-health and business interests that have gone badly awry. He is also struggling to write. The more Lesley’s friendship with Willie grows, the more clearly she see him as he is – a man who has no choice but to mask his true self. As Willie prepares to leave and face his demons, Lesley confides secrets of her own, including how she came to know the charismatic Dr Sun Yat Sen, a revolutionary fighting to overthrow the imperial dynasty of China. And more scandalous still, she reveals her connection to the case of an Englishwoman charged with murder in the Kuala Lumpur courts – a tragedy drawn from fact, and worthy of fiction. From Man Booker Prize-shortlisted Tan Twan Eng, The House of Doors is a masterful novel of public morality and private truth a century ago. Based on real events it is a drama of love and betrayal under the shadow of Empire.

I was hesitant at first to enjoy this. I am not a fan of fiction books about real people. It helped that I know literally nothing of Maugham. This was a beautiful book. Tan Twan Eng knows how to write about loss, he knows how to write about love, and the unspoken agreements and tensions between people. Speaking of love, his love for Penang shines through the pages. I'm curious to know how this book would hold up for people who have read any Maugham, or know anything about him.

I really liked the ending, but I could never get into the book itself. I didn't connect with the protagonist.

If you've read any other reviews of The House of Doors, you've likely encountered every possible thought I could have to offer about this novel. In short, Tan Twan Eng's The House of Doors is beautifully composed. The story is tight. The characters are engaging. This is a wonderfully classic example of award-winning historical fiction.

And yet, it's too good of an example, because this novel eerily echoes so many others that were very notable thirty, forty, or more years ago. Certainly styles can come around again, but I don't personally see the overwrought but beautiful historical dramas making a comeback in exactly the same fashion. There's a very specific style here that feels tremendously out of date, particularly the details of wealthy British citizens facing trials in foreign locations. Yet, the fact that the novel is in part about an author who himself wrote these kinds of stories perhaps offers a reasonable and clever explanation for why the author embraced this style and nailed it so perfectly.

Don't get me wrong, The House of Doors is a great novel and I see it as a great example of what a sweeping historical novel can be. It just really doesn't do anything imaginative or original with the genre. As such, I highly recommend it to anyone who's still looking for more historical literature of ol'.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for feedback.