In between books and wondering what to read next? Here are the books Penang Monthly’s Editor and Assistant Editors are currently reading.
Editor, Ooi Kee Beng
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
STATUS: COMPLETED
I finished The House of Doors in three days. I seldom read fiction nowadays, but Twan Eng’s writing is often a joy to read, and I actually found it hard to put down. His sense for the immediate and, often, unnoticed but tone-setting detail, and his meticulous use of language are often quite inspiring. This latest book of his is played out largely in Penang in the early part of the 20th century, wrapped around a woman called Lesley Hamlyn and the English author, “Willie” Somerset Maugham. The search for meaning — and for stories to tell — envelop the thoughts and emotions of the main protagonists. In the background looms the significant stay in Penang of Sun Yat Sen, of his sense of purpose, and the unusual trial of a white woman for murder in a Kuala Lumpur court. Enough said.
