ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng (born 1972) is widely hailed for his significant contributions to the field of fiction. After attending the University of London, he quit a legal job in Kuala Lumpur to become a full-time writer. Eng is fluent in English, Penang Hokkien, and Cantonese.
Eng’s literary breakthrough came with the publication of The Gift of Rain (2007). The book went on to be shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. His 2012 novel, The Garden of Evening Mists, propelled him to the sort of worldwide success no Malaysian author had achieved before. He also won the Man Asian Literary Prize and the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. Eng was even shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Translated into several languages, his novels have a wide global outreach.
In addition a prolific writing career, Eng has been a featured speaker at many international literary festivals. His work, The House of Doors, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2023. He made history by becoming the first Malaysian to serve as the International Booker Prize judge.
SYNOPSIS
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng is a captivating work of historical fiction. The book transports readers to colonial Penang, Malaysia, from 1910 to 1921. At its heart, the narrative revolves around three prominent historical figures: the renowned author William Somerset Maugham, the influential political figure, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and the enigmatic Englishwoman, Ethel Proudlock, who becomes embroiled in a sensational murder trial that captures the nation’s attention.
Lesley Hamlyn, a white colonial wife married to a high-class barrister, takes center stage in this intricate tale. Her connections to Sun Yat-sen and her close friendship with Ethel Proudlock serve as the wellspring of intrigue and suspense. The plot masterfully interweaves rumors, scandals, cultural disputes, judicial drama, friendship, betrayal, and the intricate workings of societal power. To make matters even more interesting, all of this is set against the backdrop of colonial rule.
In 1921, the sickly W. Somerset Maugham, accompanied by his secretary-cum-partner, Gerald, embarks on a journey to Penang. He is on the verge of bankruptcy, in search of inspiration, and his sham marriage is falling apart. Maugham walks into a web of hidden agendas and deceit as he immerses himself in the local community. He even begins seeking covert controversies to use in his works.
Lesley Hamlyn entrusts him with the details of her closely guarded personal secrets and a murder involving her closest friend, Ethel Proudlock. She elaborates on her association with the Chinese revolutionary, Sun Yat-sen, who ended the monarchy. Many Chinese even regard him as the father of modern China. Initially, Lesley merely assisted Yat-sen with the translation of his essays. However, later, the spouses go so far as to help him with his fundraising efforts among the Straits Chinese. Somerset Maugham begins to suspect there is more to this relationship than meets the eye.
Soon, Ethel Proudlock finds herself on trial for the murder of a man who visited her during her husband’s absence. Maugham uses this incident as inspiration for his 1926 book, The Casuarina Tree, later adapted into a play titled The Letter. The unresolved nature of the real-life case adds an extra layer of tension to the narrative.
WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT THE HOUSE OF DOORS
The House of Doors is a beautiful novel involving real historical characters with a deluge of drama. The plot paints a vivid picture of the lives of British expats in Malaya. The story delves deep into their rigid social conventions, sense of isolation, and propensity for controversy. The narration occurs from both Lesley and Maugham’s perspectives, unveiling years of concealed secrets involving seductions, infidelities, and marriages of convenience. It explores the complexities of hidden identities and the knotty interactions among its characters. The book is an apt representation of a society striving to maintain its facade of morality.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER ABOUT THE HOUSE OF DOORS
There are times when the books takes up more themes than it should, all at once. This makes it somewhat confusing for readers.
QUOTES
Ethel Proudlock has damaged our prestige among the natives. “How can we allow an Asiatic potentate to exercise the power of life and death over a European, an Englishwoman?”
True, I had betrayed my friend, but in doing so I had prevented her from being erased from history. I refuse to feel guilty. Because of Willie’s story, Ethel Proudlock will never be forgotten and, in a smaller way, neither will I.
CONCLUSION
By no means a light-hearted read, The House of Doors is an insightful book. Fans of the historical fiction genre must absolutely give this one a try, though other readers may not mind missing this.
A reverential admirer of words, Madhu loves watching them weave their bewitching magic on cozy afternoons.