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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a recommendation and I really enjoyed the book. It’s set in Penang. Somerset Maugham (one of my favourite authors) is one of the characters in the novel and having recently read the wonderful Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham it was wonderful to his story woven through the historical fiction of this book. I will certainly read more by Tan Twan Eng.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng is the classic mold of historical fiction - hoity-toity, somewhat compelling plot, but by affect pretty boring. It follows a repartee narrative between Willie Somerset Maugham, a noted English author, and Lesley Hamlyn, the wife of Willie's friend Robert and his host for a visit to Penang. The story follows Willie taking in Lesley's story of romance, affairs, and murders, and his decision to turn it into a story of his own. Sounds sexy and exciting! It's not. I just never found the whole conceit compelling, and Eng's prose is way too cute. Many people find this quote to be deeply moving and beautiful:
"That night, side by side, we drifted among the galaxies of sea-stars, while far, far above us the asterisks of light marked out the footnotes on the page of eternity."
Come ON. Half of the chapters end with stuff like that. In the end, I think it's an effective piece of historical fiction, done in by its adherence to historical events (i.e., never really came to life as an engaging story).
"That night, side by side, we drifted among the galaxies of sea-stars, while far, far above us the asterisks of light marked out the footnotes on the page of eternity."
Come ON. Half of the chapters end with stuff like that. In the end, I think it's an effective piece of historical fiction, done in by its adherence to historical events (i.e., never really came to life as an engaging story).
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes