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The House of Doors

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The House of Doors

By: Tan Twan Eng
Narrated by: David Oakes, Louise-Mai Newberry
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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 Ltd Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Fiction Marriage Heartfelt
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An interesting and enjoyable novel, the voices bringing an extra dimension to the story.
Now to read more of W Somerset Maugham and Tan Twang Eng.

Utterly enjoyable ….

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TTE writes with such beauty and elegance. No words are wasted, no paragraph is surplus to the story he creates.
I love his easy spellbinding prose. Until the next book...

spellbinding

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Loved this audiobook. My favourite so far! You really feel transported back to a time and a place far away. Will try and find more of this author now!

Amazing writing and excellent performances

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Excellent story well narrated. I loved the blending of facts into the fictional story line. The story takes you into the heart of Penang in the 1910s and 1920s. Recommended!

Wonderful Book - Perfect Narration

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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.

interesting read

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