A young writer, struggling for success, employs an elderly woman called Emerence to be her housekeeper.From their first encounter it is clear that ...
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Nov 24, 2011
Noce
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L'importanza di chiamarsi Emerenc
“Ogni definizione senza emozioni finisce per essere imprecisa”.
Assioma importantissimo per poter leggere questo libro.
Emerenc non è una donna che si può “leggere” con fare distaccato.
E’ la domestica che tutti vorremmo, e la vicina di casa che senza conoscere, potremmo incolpare della strage di Erba.
Emerenc ha una casa. E come tutte le case, c’è una porta. Pur sembrando una porta qualsiasi, diventa blinda More...
“Ogni definizione senza emozioni finisce per essere imprecisa”.
Assioma importantissimo per poter leggere questo libro.
Emerenc non è una donna che si può “leggere” con fare distaccato.
E’ la domestica che tutti vorremmo, e la vicina di casa che senza conoscere, potremmo incolpare della strage di Erba.
Emerenc ha una casa. E come tutte le case, c’è una porta. Pur sembrando una porta qualsiasi, diventa blinda More...
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Nov 18, 2010
Isairon
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Avrei intitolato questo romanzo Matrioška (le bambole russe una dentro l'altra). Emerenc dopo aver sofferto e subito troppo. Delusioni, abbandoni, perdite. Decide di non farsi più coinvolgere sentimentalmente dalla vita, dalle persone. Aiuta, si fa voler bene da tutti ma lei non da confidenze a nessuno. Solamente pochi eletti riescono ad apprendere qualche episodio della sua vita. Per far questo erige un suo feudo dove solamente lei può entrare. La sua casa. Finestre, porte sempre chiuse. Nessun
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Feb 06, 2012
Ben
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Magda Szabó was widely regarded as Hungary’s foremost female writer, and following her death in 2007, her reputation has only increased. She was known as a novelist, dramas, essays, and poetry, though she came to the first three of those after the era of Stalinist rule ended in Hungary. Prior to Stalinist rule she had at least two books of poetry and was awarded the Baumgarten Prize in 1949 only to have to taken away from her the same day.
Az Ajtó (The Door), then, is a late entry in he More...
Az Ajtó (The Door), then, is a late entry in he More...
Jul 18, 2011
Sarah
rated it: 
I cannot decide whether I liked this book or not, perhaps because I found the characters hard to like. It is compellingly written for the most part. I found myself wanting to find out what happens next (there's a lot of foreshadowing that hints at the difficulties ahead) until I got to the final 20 pages and then I lost interest. Emerence and her employer have a strong bond in spite of their very complicated relationship. Emerence herself is a complicated person whose strengths and weaknesses
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May 29, 2011
Sera
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The Door combines the story of two women, a writer and her housekeeper. The housekeeper Emmerence is quite a character. She is full of surprises and secrets. She is maybe one of the most surprising characters in literature written in such a brilliant way, you can see her one of a kind character in absolute clarity.
While the narrator of the book enters the door of her soul, we see how vital the essence of privacy is in a human life. Everyday life details are combined with psychologica More...
While the narrator of the book enters the door of her soul, we see how vital the essence of privacy is in a human life. Everyday life details are combined with psychologica More...
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Aug 27, 2008
John
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Having lived and studied in Budapest for several years this book took my breath away....ive never read a work which captures so intensely the essense of privacy, boundries, our misconceptions of the people around us in our daily lives....its also superbly written and paced and somehow uniquely Eastern European....read it!
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Nov 11, 2010
Chrissie
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NO SPOILERS!!!
Through page 20: I picked this book up for two reasons – Daisy highly recommended it and it is written by a Hungarian writer that is very highly acclaimed. You know from the start that this book is about the relationship between two women, an authoress and her cleaning lady, Emmerence. You understand immediately that this cleaning lady is no ordinary person. You are intrigued to find out why she is the way she is – very hard to deal with and yet a very good person……. More...
Through page 20: I picked this book up for two reasons – Daisy highly recommended it and it is written by a Hungarian writer that is very highly acclaimed. You know from the start that this book is about the relationship between two women, an authoress and her cleaning lady, Emmerence. You understand immediately that this cleaning lady is no ordinary person. You are intrigued to find out why she is the way she is – very hard to deal with and yet a very good person……. More...
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Aug 08, 2009
Mazel
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" "Il faut savoir tuer qui on aime, dit la vieille femme, c'est plus humain que laisser souffrir."
Par moments le livre retrouve, naturellement, la réflexion antique de la quête du sens, ou du grotesque shakespearien. C'est aussi qu'Emerence a je ne sais quoi des figures de la tragédie antique, capable d'engueuler les dieux et de ramasser dans la poussière les viscères des morts. Ou de parler le langage des oiseaux et des chiens.
Qu'est-ce donc qu'un person More...
Par moments le livre retrouve, naturellement, la réflexion antique de la quête du sens, ou du grotesque shakespearien. C'est aussi qu'Emerence a je ne sais quoi des figures de la tragédie antique, capable d'engueuler les dieux et de ramasser dans la poussière les viscères des morts. Ou de parler le langage des oiseaux et des chiens.
Qu'est-ce donc qu'un person More...
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Nov 22, 2010
Grenouille
rated it:
Libro in lettura. Ma se mi piacerà anche solo la metà de "la ballata di Iza" sarà un bellissimo libro.
EDIT:
Finito. Bello e amaro.... come se qualcuno ti graffiasse l'anima con un ferro arrugginito. Emerenc è dura come la pietra e ruvida come lana di vetro.
Forse l'unico neo è che della storia ungherese, che segna così fortemente tutte le vicissitudini umane di Emerenc e della scrittrice (alla fine si scopre che si chiama Magda...) si dà solo qualche accenno. Mi sarebbe piaciuto avere qu More...
EDIT:
Finito. Bello e amaro.... come se qualcuno ti graffiasse l'anima con un ferro arrugginito. Emerenc è dura come la pietra e ruvida come lana di vetro.
Forse l'unico neo è che della storia ungherese, che segna così fortemente tutte le vicissitudini umane di Emerenc e della scrittrice (alla fine si scopre che si chiama Magda...) si dà solo qualche accenno. Mi sarebbe piaciuto avere qu More...
Jul 13, 2008
Katri
rated it:
A beautifully written, haunting novel. I was engrossed with this unusual story as I was reading it, and my thoughts keep returning to it afterwards.
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Jul 29, 2011
Jasminka
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Love this book, I really enjoyed while I was reading it...
The door is fascinating and beautifully story of a unique relationship between two women, the writer Magda Szabó and her hired elderly maid and neighbor Emerence. It is written from the writer's perspective, but focuses on enigmatic life and hidden, secret past of Emerence and the development of their friendship and mutual dependency. This is a heartbreaking and tragic story about responsibility, guilt, honesty, sacrifice, strength More...
The door is fascinating and beautifully story of a unique relationship between two women, the writer Magda Szabó and her hired elderly maid and neighbor Emerence. It is written from the writer's perspective, but focuses on enigmatic life and hidden, secret past of Emerence and the development of their friendship and mutual dependency. This is a heartbreaking and tragic story about responsibility, guilt, honesty, sacrifice, strength More...
Apr 18, 2008
lena
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One of the best books I have ever read. Simple narration about complicated relationship between two women. Very touching and sad book.
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Feb 27, 2011
Clumsy
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ecco la versione “alta letteratura” dell’Eleganza del riccio. anche qui c’è una portinaia che nasconde qualcosa, dal carattere duro e l’etica inflessibile. un microcosmo che le gira attorno, mentre spazza foglie o neve dai marciapiedi. E poi c’è il rigore dell’Ungheria. e qui ricordo un altro libro, il fantasmatico Trilogia della città di K: grottesco, austero, ‘pensiero’.<br />Bellissimo, questo La porta, che anche in tempi di lettura difficile mi ha strappato minuti e portato in un mondo di am
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Oct 19, 2008
Libbeth
rated it:
The ending of this book still haunts me two years later. A very touching story.
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Sep 19, 2011
John
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I thought this book was amazing! I can't think of another novel which explores so eloquently questions of privacy and respect in our desire for friendship and our perception of others. I found the central character, Emerence, utterly compelling as is the 'forcible unlocking' of her character which becomes a shocking violation by the end... It might be interesting to compare this book to "Notes on a Scandal' though i found this book more subtle and powerful despite it being much less melod
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Sep 19, 2011
Empress
rated it: 
Uh, I feel bad writing the first review and having it be negative. But, this book was not the complex or moving psychological drama/suspense novel that I had anticipated. Nothing really happened until the last third of the book, to which I persisted in reading despite my boredom and utter lack of care for the two "protagonists" whom have an unlikely "friendship" and basically just take turns having petty,outrageous explosions and consequent grudges against each other. This bo
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Oct 28, 2011
Elisa
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Quando l'umanità andrà a spasso tra le stelle, nessuno ricorderà più quel pianeta lontano, quel barbaro asilo infantile dove abbiamo combattuto così tante misere battaglie, pubbliche e private, per conquistare una tazza di cioccolata, ma anche allora sarà impossibile accomodare il destino degli esseri umani che non trovano posto nella vita degli altri.
Sicuramente avrete preso fra le mani questo libro attratti dalla trama vagamente misteriosa annunciata dalla quarta di copertina: una sc More...
Sicuramente avrete preso fra le mani questo libro attratti dalla trama vagamente misteriosa annunciata dalla quarta di copertina: una sc More...
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May 13, 2011
Bettie
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Translated by Len Rix. First line: I seldom dream.
from wiki - Their most influential leader, László Rajk, who was minister of foreign affairs at the time, was arrested in May 1949. He was accused of rather surreal crimes, such as spying for Western imperialist powers and for Yugoslavia [...]At his trial in September 1949 he made a forced confession to be an agent of Miklós Horthy, Leon Trotsky, Josip Broz Tito and Western imperialism. He also admitted that he had taken part in a murd More...
from wiki - Their most influential leader, László Rajk, who was minister of foreign affairs at the time, was arrested in May 1949. He was accused of rather surreal crimes, such as spying for Western imperialist powers and for Yugoslavia [...]At his trial in September 1949 he made a forced confession to be an agent of Miklós Horthy, Leon Trotsky, Josip Broz Tito and Western imperialism. He also admitted that he had taken part in a murd More...
Aug 28, 2010
Ruth
rated it:
Outstanding. This is a glorious and compelling tragedy, perfectly crafted, a tour de force of originality and intensity. A portrait of a remarkable and infuriating person and an inexplicable but vital relationship. More than anything, the book is about the close line between love and hate, control and helplessness, intimacy and distance, trust and betrayal. How those we love can disconcert us, disappoint us, wound us, destroy us more than any other, and how they remain vivid in our imaginations
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Oct 28, 2009
Rick K.
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Really good, 9/10.
Nothing much happens over the course of the book, but it is so well done that you don't care. A little like Marilynne Robinson, in that sense.
Well written. I especially like the discussion/portayal of what is betrayal and how the most important or damagig events in a relationship can seem minor, or justified, from the outside.
Nothing much happens over the course of the book, but it is so well done that you don't care. A little like Marilynne Robinson, in that sense.
Well written. I especially like the discussion/portayal of what is betrayal and how the most important or damagig events in a relationship can seem minor, or justified, from the outside.
Nov 24, 2009
Manda
rated it:
Oh, a gem of a book, beautifully translated; like sitting down to a perfect meal. A keeper to be re-read, and lingered over.
What is it about - well, the relationship between a woman and her cleaner? No, not really. Perhaps it's about the way we present ourselves to society? Perhaps about how relationships come to have power over us? Perhaps it's about survival.
Read it, then you can tell me.
What is it about - well, the relationship between a woman and her cleaner? No, not really. Perhaps it's about the way we present ourselves to society? Perhaps about how relationships come to have power over us? Perhaps it's about survival.
Read it, then you can tell me.
Jan 31, 2012
Claudia
rated it:
Escrito de manera hermosa, solo puedo pensar que en el idioma original debe ser magnífico. Las protagonistas son excelentes personajes, pero es difícil preocuparte por ellas a un nivel mas personal. Me dió la impresión de que la trama iba cuesta arriba hacia algo y que no llegó tan lejos como esperaba, pero valió la pena, totalmente.
Feb 12, 2011
I have not read this yet, other than an excerpt on Amazon, but I did just finish "A Passion for Watercolor" by Stefan Droughan, the translator and illustrator of this edition of Szabo's work. That alone is a recommendation!
Sep 24, 2009
Ever since I visited Hungary many years ago, I've wanted to read a novel by a Hungarian. This looks like it could be very good!
Dec 18, 2010
Trombone
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I think the image of Emerenc still lives inside me. A fascinating story, by all means.
Jan 28, 2011
Kato
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Het verhaal over de vreemde vriendschap tussen een schrijfster en haar huishoudhulp. Erg bevreemdend boek maar wel goed geschreven. Het viel me vooral op dat de schrijfster erg consequent is in haar schrijfstijl: verwijzingen naar eerdere of latere passages in het boek werden vaak gebruikt; personages worden geleidelijk aan voorgesteld en verder uitgediept, het verhaal ontplooit zich langzaam maar zeker tot je eindelijk door hebt waarom de huishoudhulp zich zo vreemd gedraagd. Goed boek.
Sep 09, 2008
mary
rated it:
I found this book hard to assess. While I was reading it I found that, a lot of the time, I was really irritated by the two main characters. I found it hard to relate to, or even vaguely like, any character in the book.
However, since finishing it the whole feel of the book has lingered on in my mind - for me the underlying theme is that of a Greek Tragedy with very flawed heroines.
However, since finishing it the whole feel of the book has lingered on in my mind - for me the underlying theme is that of a Greek Tragedy with very flawed heroines.
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