Will I love The House of Doors?

This beautiful novel is rare in that -- while British imperial contexts are not unusual -- the early 20th century colonial Malaysia setting is strikingly different and absorbing. Not only is it a gripping read, the history and culture of British Penang are richly evoked -- from the social life to the urban and natural environments and the food. Tan Twan Eng has evidently conducted a good deal of historical research on both Somerset Maugham and Sun Yat Sen, who feature as major players based on their actual visits to Penang. Indeed, the author seems to have channelled Somerset Maugham… show more.

This story about a scandal amongst expats in colonial East Indies between the wars took me to a different part of the world and brought home to me just how false that life could be. It was written with sympathy andnn taught me a lot about W. Somerset Maugham as well.

I was intrigued by Tan Twan Eng’s choice to tell this story, set in the early 20th Century in Penang, from the perspective of English expatriates. The story swirls around a long visit by W. Somerset Maugham, but for me, it was the local people, landscape, and historical events that gave the book its depth, breadth, and beauty.

I found his weaving of the real, the fictional, the historical, and the imagined into a seamless story both masterful and mesmerizing.