A review by one_womanarmy
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Saint of Bright Doors is a vivid and ambitious debut novel. Chandrasekera's prose is elegant and evocative, immersing the reader in a fantasy world brimming with mystery, magic, and political intrigue. The reimagined Sri Lanka serves as a fascinating backdrop, where the author deftly explores the scars of colonialism and its connection to cultural and personal experiences of fascist uprisings, religious fundamentalism, and state-sanctioned violence.

While Saints is undoubtedly impressive for a first novel, it does have some shortcomings. A few awkward transitions, dangling plot threads, and a lack of emotional depth in the main character detract from the overall impact. (I remember feeling this way when I went back and read N.K. Jemison's first novel - comparing it to her later work was fascinating, aka seeing an author refine her craft after a brilliant but indulgent beginning). The author's penchant for esoteric language, while showcasing his vocabulary, occasionally feels like a distraction. As Fetter himself reflects, "Sometimes I think language is a cage, a thing that traps us between its bars." This sentiment could be applied to the novel itself, where the ornate language sometimes obscures the narrative's emotional core.

The Saint of Bright Doors is more than a little tricky to summarise. The novel subverts the traditional hero's journey, reimagining the story of the Buddha from the perspective of his abandoned son, Fetter. Raised by his vengeful mother, Fetter is destined to kill his father, "The Perfect and Kind," who achieves enlightenment by stealing magic from his mother. "Change only comes through directed violence," his mother insists, setting the stage for Fetter's struggle against the expectations imposed by his parents and society, a boy raised with expectations of great achievement and great destruction held in each clenched fist.

Fetter's journey is one of self-discovery and rebellion against the various "prisons" he encounters, both physical and metaphorical. He finds solace in the surreal city of Luriat, a place that "shouldn't exist" according to the story's magical lore. Luriat, with its vibrant chaos and enigmatic "bright doors," serves as a powerful metaphor for the rapid cultural shifts of the digital age, particularly the toxic but confusing civil wars that can open up on Tiktok or Twitter in the blink of an eye. If you've ever stepped away from social media for a short time, and come back to find a maze of self-referencing drama or memes that feels impossible to gain context for, you too will enjoy the metaphor of Fetter's experience in Luriat as one of feeling constantly left out of larger patterns he cannot see or fully grasp. Chandrasekera masterfully uses the setting as a character in itself. The setting is intentionally confusing, and it’s wonderful. Luriat is a vibrant megalopolis, which refuses to be pinned down. It is rich, warm, and vibrant in a way that made me feel like I was experiencing the story in the hot sun of a south asian afternoon. 

Luriat's ever-shifting landscape mirrors Fetter's internal struggle with identity, as he grapples with his queerness, his biracial heritage, his friends' desires for revolution and his own apathy at being pulled towards yet another "path", and the weight of his parents' legacies. The novel explores complex themes of fascism, intergenerational trauma, and the difficulty of individual choice in the face of societal pressure.

Fetter's imprisonment in a bureaucratic, Kafkaesque hell is a particularly compelling sequence. It highlights the absurdity of a system that punishes without explanation, reflecting the Buddhist concept of samsara, the endless cycle of suffering. Even after Fetter escapes prison, he’s not truly escaped; the vicissitudes of samsara follow him back to Luriat. This realization ultimately fuels Fetter's rebellion against his father and the oppressive forces that control Luriat, simultaneously freeing Fetter from his destiny and fulfilling it at the same time.

The novel's exploration of opposing philosophies through Fetter's parents adds depth to his character arc. He ultimately learns to balance his mother's fiery activism with his father's contemplative nature, forging his own path. This internal struggle is further enriched by the novel's exploration of queerness, colonialism, and the complexities of identity in a fractured world.

"The Saint of Bright Doors" is a dazzling and thought-provoking novel that defies easy categorization. While not always an easy read, it is a rewarding one, offering a unique and unforgettable exploration of identity, freedom, and the struggle against oppression.