House of Doors, The
Tan, Twang Eng
Needing rest and sanctuary, when Willie Somerset Maugham accepts the hospitality of Robert Hamlyn and his wife Lesley in Penang in 1921 during the heyday of the Empire, he is beset by trouble. Facing financial ruin, an unfortunate marriage and to top it off, writer’s block, his growing friendship with Lesley expands his vistas: he hears of her connection to the Proudlock murder case in Kuala Lumpur (the inspiration behind his short story The Letter), through to the politics of Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat Sen.
Moving between Lesley and Willie’s perspectives, this is an intriguing and thoughtful story of love, duty and betrayal based around real events and vividly evoking colonial Malaya.
Comments from BDS Reviewers
"The scene setting is wonderful lyrical."
"The author has very cleverly taken actual events and woven them into this novel."
"The book is particularly engrossing. I enjoyed reading of the bored Brits in Malaya."
"I loved the author's first two books. I enjoyed this one too, but it takes a while to become fully engaged."
"A very well-researched book of historical fiction."
"While I preferred the author's previous book, 'A Garden of Evening Mists', this is an amazing book. An intriguing look at the history of Penang, Somerset Maugham and Sun Yat-sen."
"This book is incredibly well researched - the book is a fascinating glimpse into the history of the time and place."
304
2023