stampest's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent and Child death
Minor: Gore, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Racism, Terminal illness, Sexism, and Violence
laurenkimoto's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This review is almost entirely based on me having read The House in the Cerulean Sea first (so if you have not read it I, please do not continue reading as there will be mild spoilers).
Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Did it make me feel like I need to re-evaluate my life and what it means to show kindness and have an impact on those around you? Hell yes. Did this book remind me of The Good Place? Yes, Season 2 and 3 especially. Do I feel like Hugo and Arthur, and Wallace and Linus are the same characters, different fonts? Mostly, but I still enjoyed the characters.
On a completely unrelated note why are the supposedly menacing characters in T J Klune’s books children/are depicted as children? (I’m looking at you Manager and Anti-Christ)
Spoiler
WHY WOULD YOU HAVE THE DOG DIE TWICE?? That emotionally destroyed me. I was not prepared for the ghost dog to “die” and learn how the ghost dog became a ghost in the first place. Wow it’s always the dead dogs that get me. THE DOG IS NOT ON THE COVER OF THE BOOK ERGO THE DOG SHOULD NOT DIE
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Car accident, Animal death, Child death, Gore, Mental illness, and Self harm
thebookshelfmonster's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
T.J. Klune's Under the Whispering Door is a complex work of contemporary fantasy which tells the story of recently deceased lawyer Wallace Price who struggles to understand life beyond the death of his uninspired and disappointing life as one of the living. His reaper Mei escorts him to a curious tea shop manned by the ferryman Hugo and his ghostly grandfather Nelson and ghost service dog Apollo. This was a "waiting station" for those like him, where he would need to come to terms with his death and be ready to move on to whatever came next. This was easier said than done, especially with his growing attraction to Hugo and grudging fondness for Mei, Nelson and Apollo.
The subject matter of Klune's most recent work is weighty and potent, and the author tries to infuse levity and whimsy in its treatment, even as he navigates difficult questions about life, death, living, the purpose of life, and so on. The moments of humour in the story do not detract from the gravity of its subject but serves to highlight the same. While grief and coming to terms with grief is one of the underlying themes of the novel, regret and repentance are key to the action of the story. To the age old moral dilemma, what is the point of being good or bad in life in the face of the inevitability of death, Under the Whispering Door offers the simple yet reassuring response: "Because it's YOUR life ... It is what you make of it."
Klune's prose is, as always, beautiful, immaculate, and impactful. I found the first half of the novel a little slow and laborious to work through, though I suspect it was due to the nature of the story the author is writing. In that regard, I found the pace and levels of complexity of writing mirroring the state of its protagonist's mind. As a work of contemporary fantasy, Under the Whispering Door straddles an odd and precarious line between realism and fantasy. Sometimes this works in its favour, sometimes it does not. I found the latter to be the case in Klune's depiction of characters other than the protagonist. Characters like Mei, Nelson and to some extent even Hugo, seem almost like exaggerated caricatures in action, with side characters like Desdemona, Norah and Alan seeming even more so that way. Curiously enough, it was in their individual interactions with Wallace, especially in moments of vulnerability or confidence, that these characters appeared more real, complex and relatable.
A few inconsistencies notwithstanding, Klune still succeeded in bringing to life a heartwarming story of love and redemption with a cast of memorable characters. Apollo the ghost dog was easily my favourite with Mei the knife-happy reaper coming a close second.
The subject matter of Klune's most recent work is weighty and potent, and the author tries to infuse levity and whimsy in its treatment, even as he navigates difficult questions about life, death, living, the purpose of life, and so on. The moments of humour in the story do not detract from the gravity of its subject but serves to highlight the same. While grief and coming to terms with grief is one of the underlying themes of the novel, regret and repentance are key to the action of the story. To the age old moral dilemma, what is the point of being good or bad in life in the face of the inevitability of death, Under the Whispering Door offers the simple yet reassuring response: "Because it's YOUR life ... It is what you make of it."
Klune's prose is, as always, beautiful, immaculate, and impactful. I found the first half of the novel a little slow and laborious to work through, though I suspect it was due to the nature of the story the author is writing. In that regard, I found the pace and levels of complexity of writing mirroring the state of its protagonist's mind. As a work of contemporary fantasy, Under the Whispering Door straddles an odd and precarious line between realism and fantasy. Sometimes this works in its favour, sometimes it does not. I found the latter to be the case in Klune's depiction of characters other than the protagonist. Characters like Mei, Nelson and to some extent even Hugo, seem almost like exaggerated caricatures in action, with side characters like Desdemona, Norah and Alan seeming even more so that way. Curiously enough, it was in their individual interactions with Wallace, especially in moments of vulnerability or confidence, that these characters appeared more real, complex and relatable.
A few inconsistencies notwithstanding, Klune still succeeded in bringing to life a heartwarming story of love and redemption with a cast of memorable characters. Apollo the ghost dog was easily my favourite with Mei the knife-happy reaper coming a close second.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Self harm, Suicide, and Terminal illness
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