Award-winning Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng's third novel has just arrived on the shelves amidst a lot of anticipation, and it certainly takes on a lofty task: The House of Doors fictionalises, among others, renowned author William Somerset Maugham and revolutionary Chinese statesman Sun Yat Sen, in a story set in colonial Penang. We speak with Twan Eng about why he was drawn to these personalities, writing from the viewpoint of a repressed British woman of the era, and the unique structure of the novel. We close off with a review of the book.

Image Credit: Lit Books

Produced by: Sharmilla Ganesan, Lee Chwi Lynn

Presented by: Sharmilla Ganesan, Lee Chwi Lynn

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Categories:  Literature/Philosophy

Tags:  by the book,  tan twan eng,  The House of Doors,