Why I read it: Book club selection for December 2024

The House of Doors follows the journey of an author in the early 1920s who has found himself in need of inspiration. Inspiration strikes on a visit to old friends, and soon it’s revealed that not everyone is who they seem to be.

I’ll admit it– this book was a challenging read, in more ways than one. At the beginning, I struggled to parse through unfamiliar language and vocabulary that felt out of my depth. Throughout, it was equally challenging to adjust my mindset to the time period, grappling with  the sexism, racism, and homophobia (among other issues) depicted in the story. When the book club chose this piece of historical fiction, I felt nervous and completely out of my comfort zone.

But I am so glad we chose this work because it was worth the effort in every way. Once I adjusted to the author’s style (longer chapters and the aforementioned dense vocabulary), I became lost in the story. What began as a task of calculating how many pages I needed to read to finish on time soon transformed into a book I’m already looking forward to rereading.

As someone who loves puzzles and uncovering hidden meanings, I appreciated the meandering nature of the plot and enjoyed piecing together how the characters’ lives intertwined. By the end, I was captivated and inspired to explore the deeper connections between the fictional story and its real-life historical counterparts.

I look forward to owning a copy of this book one day and discovering even more layers of meaning in subsequent passes. 

SPOILERS AHEAD, tread lightly!

At the start of the book, I detested Lesley. By the end of it, I started to see things through her eyes. I truly did not expect this to be a love story, but I’m so glad it was, as it gave much-needed complexity to Lesley’s character. My heart warmed immeasurably when I realized that the inscription described during the very first pages was a message from Arthur after all these years. During my next re-read (whenever that ends up being!), I am looking forward to reading between the lines more and hopefully finding answers to some of my unanswered questions:

• Is it true that Willie and Robert never had a relationship?
• Why was there so much focus on Ethel’s trial? Is there hidden meaning there that I didn’t catch? Maybe a parallel between her affair and Lesley’s?
• Are Lesley’s homophobic feelings due to the nature of the time period, or are they a symptom of jealousy?
• Why did Willie change the end of the story he was telling to Robert near the end of the book? Was it to teach him a lesson? What would that lesson have been?
• Could there be more of a connection between Willie’s fascination with doors and Arthur’s esteemed collection? Or is that merely coincidence?

Are there any questions that you had unanswered when you finished the book? Or did you pick up on anything that I missed? Let me know in the comments!

TL;DR: Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes! This book really challenged me and opened me up to stories beyond my typical repertoire.