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A review by lorees_reading_nook
The Door by Magda Szabó
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“The old woman was interested only in giving, and if anyone tried to surprise her with something, she never smiled, she flew into a rage.”
I don't really know what to say about this book. The blurb on my edition had me expecting a Slavic version of Rebecca, Gothic vibes and all. It may have been what I wanted to read but this isn't that type of story. It's certainly dark and unsettling though which, coupled with the narrator's bouts of hysteria and Emerence’s rages and random acts of cruelty, made for very difficult reading.
This character-driven book deals with sensitive issues such as acceptance, trust and dignity. Unfortunately, I didn't find either of the characters to be particularly likeable and this marred my enjoyment while reading it. I never felt keen to pick it back up and heaved a huge sigh of relief when it was over. That's not to say it was badly written. I just couldn't deal with the overwhelming feeling of despair that this book seemed to arouse in me.
“Everything has to be done properly, even death.”
I don't really know what to say about this book. The blurb on my edition had me expecting a Slavic version of Rebecca, Gothic vibes and all. It may have been what I wanted to read but this isn't that type of story. It's certainly dark and unsettling though which, coupled with the narrator's bouts of hysteria and Emerence’s rages and random acts of cruelty, made for very difficult reading.
This character-driven book deals with sensitive issues such as acceptance, trust and dignity. Unfortunately, I didn't find either of the characters to be particularly likeable and this marred my enjoyment while reading it. I never felt keen to pick it back up and heaved a huge sigh of relief when it was over. That's not to say it was badly written. I just couldn't deal with the overwhelming feeling of despair that this book seemed to arouse in me.
“Everything has to be done properly, even death.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Death