The House of Doors
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The House of Doors
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Narrated by:
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David Oakes
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Louise-Mai Newberry
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By:
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Tan Twan Eng
About this listen
LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023
It is 1921 and at Cassowary House in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Robert Hamlyn is a well-to-do lawyer and his steely wife Lesley a society hostess. Their lives are invigorated when Willie, an old friend of Robert's, comes to stay.
Willie Somerset Maugham is one of the greatest writers of his day. But he is beleaguered by an unhappy marriage, ill-health and business interests that have gone badly awry. He is also struggling to write. The more Lesley's friendship with Willie grows, the more clearly she see him as he is—a man who has no choice but to mask his true self.
As Willie prepares to leave and face his demons, Lesley confides secrets of her own, including how she came to know the charismatic Dr Sun Yat Sen, a revolutionary fighting to overthrow the imperial dynasty of China. And more scandalous still, she reveals her connection to the case of an Englishwoman charged with murder in the Kuala Lumpur courts—a tragedy drawn from fact, and worthy of fiction.
From Man Booker Prize-shortlisted Tan Twan Eng, The House of Doors is a masterful novel of public morality and private truth a century ago. Based on real events it is a drama of love and betrayal under the shadow of Empire.
©2023 Tan Twan Eng (P)2023 W. F. Howes LtdListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The House of Doors
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jay Acharya
- 03-06-23
Nothing like the previous two
I really enjoyed TTE’s first 2 books and was really looking forward to listening to this. However, in my opinion, I wasn’t able to relate to the characters and the story wasn’t anything like he had written before.
In the previous books there was a subtle approach to relationships between people, but in this TTE bravely used more expressive language which surprised me.
I am currently in Kuala Lumpur and didn’t feel transported like I had with the previous 2. The descriptions of Penang truly made you feel as though you had been transported there. But not in this one.
The narrators were really good, and I do have the hardback book, so will attempt to be drawn into that.
I don’t like making comparisons to the previous works, but with this book I just wasn’t satisfied.
I have just finished listening to it and already forgotten the character names.
Oh well. Roll on the next book.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- debbieg
- 24-07-23
interesting read
This book develops nicely, Keeps you intrigued. Set in colonial Malay 100 years ago and touching on the end of the Chinese feudalism, it mixes fact and fiction. Enjoyable.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lightkeeper.Beth
- 02-09-23
Exquisite.
A wonderful story, beautifully told.
A convincing evocation of life in Penang in the early twentieth century.
I found it utterly spellbinding.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tree
- 19-05-23
Beautifully recounted interesting story
Because I have lived in Penang I really loved this book it brought back many memories of my life there . I loved the information about Somerset Maugham
This author is able to meld fiction and history in a very authentic manner amd compelling methods . The narration is excellent too
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Helen SJ
- 03-02-24
I struggled with this book, not sure why.
I have read The garden of evening mists so I was looking forward to this book. I love Somerset Maugham so I thought it was going to be great. I think I need to read or listen to it again.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- geran blair
- 25-06-24
writing is beautiful
slow moving pace prefer garden of evening mists enjoyable but I did not rush to continue reading
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- AndreaW
- 30-10-24
The House of Doors
Disappointing overall.
Disjointed story lines which I struggled to stay involved with.
Stiff, amateurish narration
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stanley's Table
- 10-06-23
Wonderful Story-telling
A visit to the early-ish 20th century, the between the wars time, with W. Somerset Maugham, his lover, various friends and some revolutionary acquaintances, set mostly in Malaysia and South Africa, and with a reference to Bette Davis to boot - couldn't be bettered for the escapism. Tan Twan Eng tells a good story.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rachel peterson
- 27-09-23
A brilliant story
Tan Team Eng is a wonderful story teller,more so because he opens up a world that I ,and I suspect many others,know very little about. His descriptions of place are superb ,and his characters beautifully drawn. Where fact meets fiction is difficult to pinpoint-such are the intricacies of plot and character.
The narration was sympathetically done and worked well with two performers.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A. Hunter
- 28-02-24
Like being back in Penang.
Atmospheric and captivating. Unfortunately the Penang of this book no longer exists but in the memory.
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