The Door By Magda Szabó
Translated from the Hungarian by Len Rix
Translation copy 2005
Review
I am still reeling from The Door. So personal and intimate an account of a difficult relationship I have not read since reading Jonathan Franzen's novels, The Corrections and Freedom. The narrator and her elderly housekeeper, Emerence, become dependent on one another over the course of the novel. They love one another deeply, but the narrator does not fully understand Emerence, which leads to trials I don't want to spoil for you.
There is mystery connected with Emerence's past, bits of which readers piece together throughout The Door. But the compelling part of this novel is the relationship between the younger and the older woman, how each allows the other into her life, and how they each change as a result.
An emotionally powerful novel, The Door is well worth the read, especially if you like character-driven realism with a focus on interpersonal relationships.
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