mirandajanisse's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide and Animal cruelty
missbear's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It was one of my goals for this year to actually make an effort to read books by authors who I've already tried and enjoyed. I say it all the time when I read a book by someone new — "I'm definitely going to read more by this author!" — and then the new year rolls around with so many new authors to try and I forget to go back. But this year, I was trying to maximize the number of books I really enjoyed, so I thought it would be a good strategy — and I was so right! Katalin Street was an unexpected delight last year and was so original and unique with its odd ghost perspective that I couldn't really imagine what another book by Szabó would be like. And The Door is completely different, in every way, but it still had that lightning strike effect that Katalin Street had, maybe even more so.
The thing that stood out to me most about The Door is that it's not magical realism (like Katalin Street is), everything in the book is theoretically realistic, and yet it has this feeling the whole time that something vaguely supernatural might be around the corner at any moment. This energy keeps the story incredibly compelling, which is especially impressive considering that there's very little plot and not much of a narrative arc. Even when events happen or time passes chronologically, you get the sense that the only point of including these kinds of details in the story is for the sake of developing the character of Emerence or the relationship between her and the narrator. And it works, because Emerence is such a strange and intriguing person, and the housekeeper/mistress relationship that the story is centered around is so unexpected. And, of course, because Szabó is such a talented writer. I'm ready to read anything she's written, no matter what the content is.
The thing that stood out to me most about The Door is that it's not magical realism (like Katalin Street is), everything in the book is theoretically realistic, and yet it has this feeling the whole time that something vaguely supernatural might be around the corner at any moment. This energy keeps the story incredibly compelling, which is especially impressive considering that there's very little plot and not much of a narrative arc. Even when events happen or time passes chronologically, you get the sense that the only point of including these kinds of details in the story is for the sake of developing the character of Emerence or the relationship between her and the narrator. And it works, because Emerence is such a strange and intriguing person, and the housekeeper/mistress relationship that the story is centered around is so unexpected. And, of course, because Szabó is such a talented writer. I'm ready to read anything she's written, no matter what the content is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed my listening experience with The Door, despite not liking any of the main characters and feeling that some of nuanaces and deeper meanings were passing me by. Where’s a literature professor when you need one? The confessional nature of the book made it well suited for audio. It was like having someone whisper their secret in your ear.
This book examines an unlikely and unconventional friendship between a writer and her housekeeper, Emerence. The two are pretty much polar opposites - one makes her living by writing, the other is illiterate; one is an atheist; the other a regular church goer. Emerence in particular is an enigma. Despite being an employee she very much sets the terms of the relationship. She expects people to bow to her will, and to know what that is without her having to state it. She’s mercurial and intensely private, not letting even her closest friends into her house. Yet she works hard, helps most anybody and seems to have plenty of friends. I recognise that many hard tragic things have happened to her and yet I was never able to muster much, if any sympathy or positive feelings for her. Her abuse of animals was beyond the pale and nearly had me DNFing on more than one occasion. The classist, entitled, self-absorbed nature of the narrator also rankled. I’m not sure if they were just genuinely unlikeable or if some cultural differences prevented me from forming a more sympathetic opinion of them. Thankfully I was still able to appreciate the writing, and since I read this in translation credit must also go the the translator for my reading experience. The book left me with plenty to think about - was Emerence at least a partial personification of twentieth century Hungary?, how much of the narrator was modelled on the author?, to what extent can a difficult past excuse present behaviour? and more. If you enjoy literary fiction, complicated women and toxic friendships this could be a good pick for you. For me it fell into the appreciated rather than enjoyed category.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Toxic friendship
yolanda_h's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicide, Medical content, and Grief
seulgireads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, and Death
georgia29's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Animal cruelty
palekayle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death
nadia's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Another book I went into not knowing what it was about at all. And boy — I was not prepared to meet Emerence — what a mysterious, strange, complex character! I was immediately hooked and my level of intrigue kept up almost all of the way through.
If you're into unconventional friendships, and in this case one between a younger woman, our protagonist, who hires an older woman to work for her, and slower-paced, character studies, then this book might be great for you.
For those looking to read more translated fiction, it's translated from Hungarian, and the book was, on the whole, very easy to lap up. Although the story is slower-paced itself, this was often a real page-turner for me!
If you're into unconventional friendships, and in this case one between a younger woman, our protagonist, who hires an older woman to work for her, and slower-paced, character studies, then this book might be great for you.
For those looking to read more translated fiction, it's translated from Hungarian, and the book was, on the whole, very easy to lap up. Although the story is slower-paced itself, this was often a real page-turner for me!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
samikoonjones's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
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