“The House of Doors” and more reviews from readers
Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and all Denver Post readers, to share these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com.
This novel is set in 1921 in Penang, Malaysia, where author Somerset Maugham visits his old college friend and becomes intrigued with puzzling out the truth about the past connections of his friend’s wife to the revolutionary Sun Yat Sen. But the truths that Maugham uncover turn out to be not quite what he expected. The heart of the story deals with the complications of steadfast friendship, the dangers and frisson of forbidden love, and the costs of maintaining secrets. Long-listed for the 2023 Booker Prize.
Describing this book is not easy. It’s a dark tale with bursts of light and humor, morbid, fantastic in numerous ways, historic, creative and unique. It’s a ghost story, a mystery, a gothic tale and a horror story. Within this macabre tale lies a most unconventional love story, and Kidd writes in lovely, loving prose. I was charmed over and over. Early on I conceded any attempt to guess where Kidd was taking me, and just enjoyed the journey. Kidd’s talent for evoking a sense of place and time is superb: England in the 1840s and 1860s is vibrant, raw and very real. This is one of those very rare books that I wish was the start of a series; I liked the characters that much. —
This novel takes us along on the mind-blowing trip of protagonist Harry, for some of his never-ending lives. He’s a Kalachakra, a term developed from Vajrayana Buddhism that means “wheel of time.” Quite definitely in the “speculative fiction” genre, the hero is one of a small group of people who have the ability to relive their lives. His memories roam back and forth. The hero also is a mnemonic: He remembers all the details of his past lives and carries an immense burden. Harry always returns to where he began, with the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times, until he learns to send a message that he hopes will save the future. —