The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

A gentle read set in the 1920s in Penang, Malaysia. A slice of colonial life depicted by the wealthy aristocrats who are forever drinking cocktails and going to parties. Beautiful houses and gardens are the main feature, artistically described by the author at great length. These are in contrast to the poor indigenous peoples and the rumbles of revolution.

The story is mainly told from the first-person perspective of a society wife who enjoys a very comfortable life. Of the many rich and distinguished guests, the couple who ignite the story are the real life author Somerset Maugham and his his secretary. Maugham takes over the storytelling regularly, confiding to the reader his own private issues. What they all have in common is they all have secrets and keep up the facade of being happy and contented even though most of the marriages, finances and other relationships are all shams. Appearances are everything. The actual house of doors is a perfect expression for this.

​The book is very much a time and place kind of tale, with a real-life murder and court case to enhance the plot. There is the feel that all the good things are about to end despite the dreamy setting, and symbolic of the British Empire. The writing is poetically pictorial, if drawn out a little at times, and very pleasant to read.

Published by Canongate on 18 May 2023.
​Advance review copy supplied by the publisher.