I wanted to like this because of the topic and setting, but it just isn't tonally very compelling. Also the way it's written feels too modern for the time but incongruously old-timey for now.

Tan Twan Eng’s The House of Doors is a mesmerizing novel that transports readers to 1920s Penang, weaving a complex narrative of love, betrayal, revolution, and personal redemption. The story is rooted in historical events but explores timeless themes such as power dynamics, identity, and the inescapable weight of secrets.

The plot unfolds through the perspectives of Lesley Hamlyn, a wife and mother living in the luxurious Cassowary House, and the famous writer W. Somerset Maugham. Maugham, who is struggling with personal turmoil, arrives in Penang to visit his old friend Robert, Lesley’s husband. He is quickly drawn into Lesley’s world, uncovering stories about her past that entwine with the rise of Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen and a notorious murder trial involving Lesley’s friend, Ethel Proudlock.

Lesley, as the narrator of much of the story, is a woman of hidden depths. She is caught between the expectations of her comfortable colonial life and the revolutionary fervor she experiences through her friendships. Her connection with Sun Yat-sen adds an unexpected historical richness, while the murder trial she becomes embroiled in presents a fascinating blend of suspense and moral ambiguity. The author masterfully plays with timelines, revealing Lesley’s past through her conversations with Maugham, who serves as the perfect listener, drawing out her secrets and reflections.

One of the novel's most striking qualities is its setting. Tan Twan Eng’s lyrical descriptions of Penang are breathtaking, making the landscape feel like a character in its own right. The sprawling, lush environment contrasts with the emotional tension and moral complexities of the characters’ lives. As Lesley reflects, “So I remained here, a daub of paint worked by time’s paintbrush into this vast, eternal landscape,” the reader is reminded of the smallness of the individual against the vastness of history and place.

The themes of love, betrayal, and personal freedom are explored with nuance. Maugham’s own struggles—his troubled marriage, his sexuality, and his fading career—serve as a mirror to Lesley’s own internal conflicts. Both characters are navigating the tension between societal expectations and personal desires, and their evolving relationship forms the emotional core of the novel.

While the novel excels in its vivid storytelling, historical depth, and character development, it can be slow-paced at times, especially for readers accustomed to more fast-paced plots. However, for those who appreciate intricate prose and the exploration of profound emotional landscapes, The House of Doors is a deeply rewarding read.

Tan Twan Eng once again demonstrates his talent for blending historical fiction with rich character studies. His portrayal of a colonial world on the brink of change, and the personal transformations that occur within it, is both captivating and thought-provoking. The House of Doors is a remarkable novel that will stay with readers long after they’ve turned the final page, offering a poignant meditation on the intersections of history, love, and the human spirit.

Unfortunately I was unable to download this book before the archive date, so I'm not able to leave a review. I look forward to reading and reviewing books by this author in the future.

This was an intriguing historical fiction set in colonial Malaysia. It was a glimpse into an old lifestyle and I looked up many words and learned new things, so this was educational. There were a few different story lines and the plot meandered quite a bit. If you like character driven novels, this will appeal.

Meandering and takes its time. Still, an interesting homage to Somerset Maugham and to the island of Penang.

The House of Doors is a beautifully written, fictionalized take on Maugham's time in Malaysia. The story is told from multiple POVs and with multiple timelines. It would be a great book club pick (I think my Grandma would've enjoyed it).

The story took a little while to get to the meat of the plot, but it found its way. It was also difficult to read a story from a colonizer's POV, but I think there was some redemption.

Masterfully woven plots and gorgeous imagery of Malaysia are my favorite parts of this beautifully written book. This is truly a must read.

In 1921, Somerset Maughn, known as Willie to his friends, arrives in Penang, Malaysia, along with his secretary Gerald. He is there to visit his old friend Robert who lives there with his wife Lesley and their children. Maughn has just released a new book and it is doing well but while on his visit, disaster strikes. He gets news from his lawyers that he has lost all his savings in a risky investment. Distraught, he looks around for material for a new book.

Willie is gay and Gerald is not only his secretary but his lover. He had hoped to divorce his wife and travel more extensively with Gerald but that is not likely if he is impoverished. He hears that Robert and Lesley had known the Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat Sen and believes that Lesley may have had an affair with him. Would that be a good topic? Willie believes that everyone knows a writer uses everything he hears so he doesn't need to feel guilty about exposing secrets others have kept hidden. But as he gets to know Lesley better in late night conversations, he finds a better topic. One of Lesley's friends had been charged with murder of a man she might have been involved with.

Robert and Lesley have secrets but not the ones that Willie suspects. Their marriage has been a sham for many years but under everything there is still some love existent. Lesley is torn between keeping her secrets or blowing everything up in the relief of having someone to tell them to. What will Willie do?

This novel was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize as were his two previous novels. It won various awards and is considered a best historical fiction. Eng was born in Penang so he knows the area and can reproduce it and its culture during this time period. There is much discussion of homosexuality and of the Chinese revolution to overthrow the Emperor. The murder trial adds mystery while validating the cultural attitudes of the English who lived there and considered themselves above the native population. This book is recommended for readers of historical and literary fiction.

I am really torn with this book. On one hand, one could say that it is beyond technically proficient. It follows the formula of a historical novel very clearly and appears to do what it originally set out to do. My issue is, this read so much like it was written from a Western perspective and that was extremely disappointing.

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng was high on my list after all the praise. Honestly, which of course all my reviews are, it was hard for me to get into. I'm not sure if it was because I read at Thanksgiving when my mind was being pulled into many different direction OR if it just wasn't for me. Bummed because I had high hopes.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I'm very sorry to say that I was not a fan at all. I had a hard time getting into the story and after a while I was bored. I started to skim and eventually put it down. I'm sure other will love it since It has gotten so many rave reviews.

This is the Malaysian history I wish I knew! Admittedly I don't know much about W. Somerset Maugham. There's a beauty and lushness in the language here.

✨ Review ✨ The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

What I loved
⭕️ the multiple timelines of this historical fiction story
⭕️ how these multiple timelines were nestled into layers of storytelling
⭕️ the settings of the book
⭕️ the complicated ways that people find love in and out of marriage
⭕️ the parallels to history (e.g. Ethel's story)

What I didn't love
⭕️ I don't know a lot about Somerset Meagher's writing and so the allusions / parallels to that went over my head
⭕️ the racial dynamics were complicated and hard to sort through without more historical knowledge about this place and time

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.75)
Genre: historical fiction 1910s/1920s / literary fiction
Pub Date: 2023

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This is engrossing literate story telling in top form. A memorable mix of fictional characters with real characters as W. Somerset Maugham.

The House of Doors” by Tan Twan Eng takes place in Malaysia in the 1920s. The protagonist is expatriate Lesley Hamlyn who, together with her husband Robert, hosts W. Somerset Maughm for some months. Lesley, in an increasingly difficult marriage, finds herself talking intimately with “Willie”, knowing he has a penchant for putting the people he meets into his stories. She tells him about her relationship with the Chinese revolutionary, Sun Yat-sen and her friend’s murder trial. The end result is these stories fueled Maughm’s “The Letter” (about the murder trial). It’s been many years since I’ve read W. Somerset Maughm, but I’m about to go dust off the books in my shelf and reread them. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this fabulous book.

Reading this story set in a time over 100 years ago, in governments long gone, with social systems no longer present, it amazes me to still feel the echoes, recognize and long after the beauties and rarities left behind. Here we have an example of these in the stories told by an author of those days - adeptly gathered like ripe fruit by Tan Twan Eng and reimagined and extended. The House of Doors is one of those - featuring a version of W Somerset Maugham himself, and a few of his stories from The Casuarina Tree.

Tan Twan Eng skillfully picks up the trail, and widens it, showing readers a deeper view, one that explains (a little) the blindspot of white society - self-centeredness, no room for 'others,' through characters such as Lesley as they watch consequences crash on all levels in Penang, as Japan and China fight for dominance around the people who've always lived there no matter what they were called, by whoever had settled in amongst them. The story is haunting, showing much of what we miss as humans even during times we are closest to history-changing events (as ever, by whoever is doing the writing/record-keeping).

One of the aspects I most enjoyed was the speed with which I connected with the characters. . .all of them in some way. . .Lesley and her intentional blinders with Robert, Willie and his midnight swim, Arthur and his house of doors (oh, I'd love to see that!), and Sun Wen with his best and brightest love - the one that will crush him in the end. . .

I will be thinking of this story for a long time. . .and have already started reading The Casuarina Tree.

*A sincere thank you to Tan Twan Eng, Bloomsbury USA, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TheHouseofDoors #NetGalley

An immersive window into Penang in the early 1900s and the life of Somerset Maugham. Recommend reading "The Letter," the final story in his collection The Casuarina Tree or watching the movie adaptation prior to reading The House of Doors.

After seeing all of the Booker hype around this book, I was excited to read it. The summary sounded really interesting, but I found it to just be okay. The story was sort of dull and dragged on a bit, The writing is lovely, but I just needed something more exciting to be happening.

This was hauntingly beautiful. Told in alternate timelines and viewpoints, the reader is introduced to Lesley and her husband Robert who live in Penang in 1921. Robert’s old friend Willie Maugham, an author, comes to visit them with his secretary/lover, Gerald. What follows is a tale of love and betrayal amidst the beauty and heat of Asia. Willie is drawn to Lesley and her stories, trying to find out if there is more to her and her marriage to Robert than meets the eye.

Lesley Hamlyn and her husband Robert have a lush life in 1921 Malaysia. The couple welcomes notable writer W. Somerset Maugham and his secretary (and secret lover) Gerald for an extended stay. But Maugham is quietly searching for creative inspiration to turn around his declining career, and he finds it in Lesley’s connection to former Chinese revolutionary Dr. Sun Yat Sen.

A richly detailed, immersive historical fiction set around real people, this book asks what it means to trust someone with your story. The prose is undoubtedly beautiful and the perspective on art and the imperfection of artists is interesting. There's some kind of heart or passion missing here in my opinion, but still certainly worth reading!