Een schrijfster in Boedapest kijkt terug op het leven van haar excentrieke huishoudster.

Magda Szabo really makes the reader work hard with this book and I for one found the characters and the story unconvincing

The Door is a novel by Hungarian writer Magda Szabo. The novel documents two decades of life in Budapest after the Communist takeover in 1948, The novel tells the story of a developing and complicated relationship between a young Hungarian Writer and her housekeeper and is partly autobiographical.

Having visited Hungary only last year I was up to date on the history and was glad of that when reading this novel. The book started out promising but the further along I read the more I became frustrated with the character's actions and the repetitive nature of the novel. I know this is a favorite of many but I just couldn't relate to Emerence's rages and tantrums and never felt I understood her or indeed her employer or their actions and while the book is very readable and there are moments where it captured my imagination but I cant honestly say I enjoyed the novel and hence my 2.5 Rating. ( )

Regret. Failing those we love when they need us most, despite our good intentions, and having to live with it.

A young writer employs a housekeeper to help her while she focuses on her literary work. A complex relationship develops between them, one that is complicated by their experiences. Emerence is formidable, a person who has faced tragedies and pains of all kinds since childhood and managed to develop a system of values that she carries into her aging years that expresses kindness for vulnerable people and animals while at the same time keeping a distance between herself and others, giving small and different versions of herself to the few that she loves.

In the beginning, mystery enshrouds Emerence, she's been affected by the two world wars as well as the political upheavals in Hungary. At first it is unknown what role she played in the second world war and the narrator speculates about this, thinking the worst because Emerence shuts her door to everyone never admitting anyone into her house. Information trickles into the story slowly and halfway into the story, the truth is revealed. A trust is established between the narrator and Emerence who entrusts her with a task that she thinks will uphold the image she's constructed for those that know her, which the narrator fails to execute.

Others have already mentioned the symbolism of the door, what and who is kept in, and what and who locked out. I am thankful for the reviews by Cheryl and Tamara for introducing me to this wonderful book; their reviews together with reviews by Teresa, Candi and Kinga shaped my reading experience, and naturally this review as well. ( )

Magda is a writer and needs a housekeeper. Her neighbors recommend Emerence, an older and somewhat inscrutable older woman who works on her own terms, but soon becomes indispensable. The two form a strong bond, as Magda recounts the twenty or so years that they knew each other, but Emerence remains an enigma, never letting anyone past her front porch.

One of those character studies that asks, "How well can we know another person?" And in this case, readers have two to figure out, not just one, in Magda and Emerence. Do we trust our narrator, or do we think she isn't always aware herself of what's going on between them? What does Emerence keep behind closed doors? Magda is troubled by dreams, and the whole narrative has a dreamlike quality where we're not sure exactly how much time passes where in the story, until the very end where we know about twenty years has passed since the women first met. They have a very strange relationship, but at the same time, I found myself remembering a friendship I had with an older patron for many years, and the ways in which we knew or didn't know each other up until her death. An interesting story on the surface with much to ponder for readers willing to take up the challenge. ( )

A revelation; I’ve known about this book for years and for no good reason kept putting it off. Among other achievements, I think Szabo has created one of the most singular, most indelible characters I’ve ever encountered. The story of a young writer and the old woman she hires to clean her house. That’s it. But the old woman (whose name is Emerence) is used to having things done her way. The book, in brief, is about their relationship. The writer is often so obsessed by her interactions with Emerence that she can’t work. There are times that the writer wonders whether Emerence is insane. Indeed, to describe Emerence as a force of nature is likely insufficient. But the book is so much more: about life, about dying and how to die, about memory. To say much more would be too much. But make no mistake: if I haven’t made it clear already, this is an extraordinary book. ( )

Magda is a mature, well-established writer looking back on her twenty year relationship with her housekeeper, Emerence. The two were very different, despite coming from the same rural region. Magda is well-educated, married to an academic, and religious. Emerence has been in service since the age of thirteen and is outspoken, abrasive, and rigid in her opinions. She believes she was slighted by some well-meaning but condescending churchwomen and has turned her back on God and the church. The relationship between the two women was very important for them both, but fraught with disappointment, broken trust, and betrayal.

"You'll get something when I'm gone, and it won't be just anything. That should be enough. And don't forget that I let you in where I never allowed anyone else. Beyond that, I've nothing else to offer you, because I've nothing else in me. What more do you want? I cook, I wash, I clean and tidy. I brought Viola up for you. I'm not your dead mother, or your nursemaid, or your little chum. Leave me in peace."

Metaphors abound in this well-crafted novel, and there are many dichotomies that create tension. Locked doors that should have remained closed are opened, doors are boarded up and broken down, Magda is tormented by dreams of doors she can't open. Several characters are paralyzed and unable to make crucial decisions or act when they need to, yet at other times impulsivity leads to disaster. Rural family members are estranged from urban ones, animals are loved and abused, and people are protected and betrayed under the various regimes during and after World War II. It's not always clear who is good or where the truth lies.

The character of Emerence reminds me a bit of Alina Bronsky's older female protagonists. Difficult to love, but with a strength and passion that is hard not to admire. I found this a hard book to read because I wanted it to be simpler, for their relationship to become easier, for there to be a happier ever after. Instead I was left with life as it often is: messy, complicated, and unresolved. I have a feeling these are characters that will stay with me for a long time. I will definitely be reading more by this talented author. ( )

[b:The Door|22357838|The Door|Magda Szabó|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1417413611l/22357838._SY75_.jpg|485644] by [a:Magda Szabó|5168929|Magda Szabó|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1321090910p2/5168929.jpg] is about a hard-working cleaner who is hired to look after the writer-narrator's apartment and performs impeccably until she is struck ill, found by neighbors immobile in squalor and sent to hospital with no help from the narrator who has writing obligations elsewhere. "Emerence was pure and incorruptible, the better self that each and every one of us aspired to be. With her permanently veiled forehead and her face that was tranquil as a lake, she asked nothing from anyone and depended on no-one. She shouldered everyone's burden without ever speaking of her own, and when she did finally need my help, I...left her, in the squalor of advanced illness, for others to witness the single moment of degradation in her life." The author began her writing life as a poet and has written numerous novels, non-fiction and short stories and won various awards. ( )

I read this book after falling in love with another Szabo novel, "Abigail". This book is a much more complicated, and much more grown up: I admired it and was engrossed with it, but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as "Abigail". The subject matter is tough, with a central character -- the maid and caretaker Emerence -- who can give everything except the gift of accepting. Her relationship with her employer Magda is intense and at times puzzling, as is Magda's attitude towards her. Very interesting, very involving, but hard. ( )

This was a very touching read which has lingered with me for quite a few days.
This book is a nostalgia and guilt-tinged story of the special and intense (platonic) bond between two very different women. It is also a story of confession and of a deep desire for redemption.

The story is narrated by Magda, a wealthy novelist who lives with her husband and has just moved into a new appartement. Set in between the 1960s and the 1980, Magda tells us episodes of her life centered around her relationship with Emerence, her housekeeper.
Emerence is a very interesting character, full of contradictions. She is a hardworking, tough and demanding woman, shaped by a traumatic life. She is both extremely rude and very caring. She is extremely guarded and secretive and yet at times, she randomly shares surprising facts about her life.
Initially the relationship is tense and there is a shaky sense of trust which affected by Emerence’s bad moods and Magda’s mistakes. As Emerence opens up and starts revealing glimpses of her painful past, they warm to one and other. Magda realises Emerence’s life has become an integral part of her own. Their relationship is like a tug of war, but they start feeling like they are something akin to family. Until an unexpected event sets in motion an “avalanche of events” which irrevocably change their lives.

This book touches on quite a few themes: Inter-generational conflict, class divide, trauma, small town mentality, religion. It presents the idea of found family in a unique way.
I liked that the sense time feels shaky, at times it is difficult to tell when events are happening, but this also helps create a dream-like atmosphere.
It is a brilliant and very emotional novel which I would strongly recommend to any fan of historical fiction.

What is the titular door? We all have one. Life might lock it for us. But some special relationships might just provide the key.
( )

I loved the eerie and foreboding tone of this novel, but felt that there were some pacing issues that I couldn't get past. ( )

Escritora húngara, descoberta tardiamente fora de seu país, é lançada pela primeira vez no Brasil com romance impactante sobre a relação tensa e misteriosa entre duas mulheres

Uma escritora culta, com uma relação nebulosa com as autoridades comunistas na Hungria moderna do pós-Segunda Guerra Mundial, contrata Emerenc ― camponesa, analfabeta, impassível, bruta e de idade indefinida ― como sua governanta. Emerenc mora sozinha em uma casa onde ninguém pode passar da porta de entrada, nem mesmo seus parentes mais próximos. Ela assume o controle do lar da patroa, tornando-se indispensável, experimentando um tipo de amor ― pelo menos até o tão desejado sucesso da escritora trazer à tona uma revelação devastadora.

A força sobre-humana de Emerenc, sua disposição para ajudar os outros e fragmentos de sua biografia dolorosa constroem o mosaico do que parece uma existência transpassada por segredos. Na relação de dependência desenvolvida entre as protagonistas se encerram dúvidas e mistérios sobre a personalidade daquela que personifica um país que já não existe mais.

A cada nova informação sobre a excêntrica governanta, emerge o cenário de uma Hungria ocupada e dividida, e até a relação de Emerenc com seus pertences é questionada. Teria roubado dos judeus ou ganhado os bens de uma família judia que ela havia ajudado a fugir? Quem é essa mulher e por que ela está fechada a qualquer intimidade com seus patrões? Todas as possibilidades são plausíveis até que as portas, metafóricas e literais, sejam, por fim, abertas.

Em um romance revelado tardiamente ao grande público, mas muito debatido e elogiado pela crítica, Magda Szabó oferece uma visão generosa sobre táticas de sobrevivência, sobre tudo o que pode ser dito no silêncio e sobre o papel da autenticidade na arte e na vida.

The New York Times recently announced their top 10 books of the year and The Door by Hungarian author
Magda Szabo was named the number one choice in fiction. The main reason behind this has to be the character Emerence. I simply did not know what to make of her. And that is exactly what she wanted. Although she was loved and revered by everyone in the novel, she kept her private live locked behind closed doors, and no one, absolutely no one really knew her. A truly fascinating character. ( )

What an engrossing read! Both unsettling and fascinating. A writer (Magda) hires an older neighbour (Emerence) as a housekeeper and this book explores their relationship. We see differences based on class, politics, religion, age. We see a bond form despite all the differences. Emerence is one of the best characters I've ever read about.

The book raises issues about guilt: Magda's for what she did, and didn't do, at the end. And Emerence: is it guilt driving her amazing work ethic and kindness to those in need? Was Magda right to do what she did? Was Emerence a survivor of trauma? Was she motivated by kindness or the need for control?

The book made me reflect on the closed doors we all have in most of our relationships. ( )

Review published in Words without Borders: http://wordswithoutborders.org/book-review/magda-szabos-the-door ( )

the discussion of [The Door] last night was really good. Overall, members thought the novel was great, but there was a lot of controversy and discussion about the nature of the relationship between the narrator and Emerence, the rightness or wrongness of the narrator's actions after Emerence's stroke and her equivocal relationship with the power structure that had ignored her work until just then. Were the narrator's actions justified? Why did Emerence keep the back room untouched? and why did she plan the mausoleum for herself and her family? Was she a saint or a traumatized woman? Was her morality, her attitude to work, the result of her trauma or something else? How much of this was a commentary on the Communist state? We reached no conclusions. But we did all feel that in spite of taking place in a city, in Pest, the whole story felt as if it were set in a village, Emerence's village. ( )

Toward the end, around the last two or three chapters, I found it hard to continue reading, so heavy was the impending loss and guilt. The entire “plot,” such as it is, is the story of a housekeeper, Emerence, as told by one of her employers, a prize-winning author called Magda, and their evolving relationship. ( )

Completely judged this by its cover when I picked it up; I had never heard of the novel nor of Szabó, I just thought the name and artwork combo (and NYRB publisher) sounded mysterious so I bought it to read “eventually.” I’m glad I did: this is maybe the best novel I have ever read not having known anything about the author or title.

The Door sketches the relationship between Magda, a well-off Hungarian writer/intellectual type, and Emerence, a bewildering older housekeeper with the strength and will of an entire village. The book primarily is from the POV of Magda, who goes about her artsy, cushiony sort of life while Emerence lurks and works behind her like some primordial helping force, or a guardian angel. Much of the tension between the two of them can be dumbed down to “Magda thinks; Emerence does,” but there are other subtler dynamics at play: the relationship between employer and employee; the largely unspoken, (almost) unconditional level of love (or devotion) between the two; who is really “controlling” or influencing who; class; age; politics; religion; war and suffering; etc. The relationship between these two, as it grows, explodes, plummets, apotheosizes, and finally collapses is an A story in its own right. Not much really “happens” as far as plot goes, besides the mystery about Emerence’s apartment—the story is the two of them.

The story works on its own, but I also need to emphasize the sheer force and mystery of the character Emerence. While reading this book, Emerence takes on a preternatural or even supernatural character. She is the engine, almost the entire car, of Magda’s life, in addition to her tireless work for others in the village. Her past is total mystery; her politics seem vague and contradictory (yet convincing); she detests religion but is the greatest Christian alive; she abides by strict, seemingly arbitrary unspoken rules of respect and duty, and reacts severely (but, one wonders, maybe appropriately) when they are broken; she barely sleeps, and when she does, it’s upright; she and animals communicate with ease; she knows everyone and everything and claims it is all good for nothing at all. She is pure contradiction, but it all makes the clearest, most perfect sense. By the end of the novel she is humanized some, and you see in her the beautiful possibilities latent in our silly ways of life. Emerence is almost Biblical, or at least is of the same class as characters like Blood Meridian’s Judge Holden or 2666’s Benno von Archimboldi.

Moments of this are sickening: watch as Magda and Emerence enact follies snd petty slights, how they help each other and then the next day hate each other, and see how ultimately helpless they are to their love. ( )

"I must speak out. I killed Emerence. The fact that I was trying to save her rather than destroy her changes nothing."

With The Door, I have now read 4 books by Hungarian author Magda Szabo, which I think is the totality of her work translated into English. Like the others I read, this was magnificent.

The book, described as semi-autobiographical, is a detailed character study of the complex relationship between two very different women, the narrator who is a writer and who is sometimes referred to as Magdushka, and her elderly housekeeper Emerence (with occasional appearances by Viola, the male dog they share custody of). Over the 20 years they interact, the narrator becomes a more successful and important writer, earning awards and acclaim. Emerence, an anti-intellectual, takes care of the narrator and her husband, but also of the entire neighborhood, from sweeping the snow from doorsteps to tending to and feeding the ailing. But despite Emerence's involvement in everyone's lives, no one has ever crossed Emerence's threshold. Her door is always closed, and she meets all and sundry on her front porch, which "was like a telex center."

The best way I can describe what this book is about is this quote from an Amazon reviewer which resonated with me: "We all have a part of ourself behind a locked door."

This was a superb book (as were the others by Szabo I have read). I highly recommend it, or anything else you come across by this author.

5 stars

First line: "I seldom dream."
Last line: "My efforts are in vain." ( )

The narrator, Magda, is a writer who lives in Pest, Hungary. She requires domestic help to allow her time to write, and hires Emerence, an older local woman who cooks, cleans, and sweeps snow. Emerence is known to everyone and entertains visitors on the porch outside her home. Her personal life is kept private behind her locked front door. The narrative follows the development of a friendship between Magda and Emerence. We also learn Emerence’s backstory and her reasons for protecting her privacy.

The Door is an exquisitely written character-driven novel. I think the author does an excellent job of creating authentic and complex characters. I particularly enjoyed the “sidekick” dog, Viola, as a key part of the story. At times, Emerence and Magda seem to intensely dislike each other. Differences in generation, class, and social standing result in each character creating conflict with the other through obstinacy and misunderstandings.

Dramatic tension is maintained by the gradual disclosure of Emerence’s secrets. The storyline examines loss, friendship, frustration, betrayal, and personal dignity. It also reflects the changing sociopolitical situation in the 1950s – 1960s in Hungary. I found it well-crafted. It would be a good book to discuss with a group.
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The Door is a fictionalized account of two Hungarian women, one an intellectual, a writer, and the other an uneducated woman whom the first takes on to be her housekeeper. The story spans years, and as the two women grapple with their relationship, it grows into one that can only be described as love. Ah, but love comes in so many guises, and love is a complicated emotion.

She didn’t understand that it was because of our mutual love that she went on stabbing me til I fell to my knees, that she did it because I loved her, and she loved me. Only people truly close to me can cause me real pain.

Magda Szabo has written a completely unforgettable character in Emerence; an enigmatic soul; one for whom you cannot help feeling an affinity but for whom you never really come to feel any affection. In the beginning, Emerence seems mostly unlikeable and stubborn, and thoroughly unreasonable, but as the story progresses, we are shown bits and pieces of what has shaped her and what drives her, and feelings begin to turn. At the outset, it is “the lady writer”, our narrator, a person of some importance, that appears to be at the center of this story, but along the way it becomes evident that this is really Emerence’s story.

She was the Snow Queen. She stood for certainty--in summer the first ripening cherry, in autumn the thud of falling chestnuts, the golden roast pumpkin of winter, and, in spring, the first bud on the hedgerow.

In addition to the desire to unravel Emerence’s strange personality, there is the added element of mystery surrounding Emerence’s home. What is behind the door? What is she hiding? She will not allow anyone to come into her apartment or even have a glimpse of what lies behind her door. What is there in her past that might explain why she is the most generous and caring when someone is in need and yet she, herself, can never accept the slightest gift or gesture of generosity from another? The symbolism of the closed door of her house and the closed door to her life is evident.

As this novel progressed, I became obsessed with the psychological complexities of this character. I could barely set the book aside for a moment and turn my attention to anything else. I found myself thinking about it incessantly until I could return and pick it up again. The ending took me by surprise as well. Like everything else about the novel, it was not so simple as it might have seemed it should be to decide what was right or wrong, who was most to blame, and what I felt I might have done, myself, in a similar circumstance.

There is a pervasive sense of darkness in Szabo’s writing. This is my third of her novels, and I find that same ominous aura hangs about them all. Her characters have endured wars and upheaval, and their lives reflect the chaos, even those characters who seem normal or appear to have moved on. Her writing is powerful; her prose is stark; her world is murky, but she is a remarkable dream weaver and well worth exploring.
( )

read in 2022 ( )

Um romance escrito pela húngara Magda Szabó, traduzido por Ernesto Rodrigues, conta-nos a estranha história de uma relação entre duas mulheres – a patroa, jovem escritora e a sua empregada, Emerence, já idosa.
Quando contrata Emerence, Magda percebe que ela é diferente das outras empregadas. É ela que sujeita a patroa a um exame que a fará perceber se quer ou não trabalhar para Magda. Aliás, chega a afirmar “Não lavo a roupa suja de qualquer um”.
É ela que estabelece as regras.
Emerence é dura, rude, fria e enigmática, mas também muito trabalhadora, atenta, e surpreendentemente dedicada. É esta personalidade que faz com que seja respeitada e até temida pela vizinhança.
Da sua vida pessoal, nada dá a saber, mantendo o seu passado em segredo, a sua vida fechada a sete chaves, atrás de uma porta que não abre para ninguém.
Apesar da aparente impossibilidade de se entenderem, Magda e Emerence, dadas as suas diferenças (Magda é escritora, Emerence não lê, nem sequer jornais; Magda é religiosa, Emerence despreza a religião; Emerence não compreende o emprego de Magda enquanto escritora, pois, segundo ela, um emprego era algo que exigia esforço físico), não conseguimos deixar de ficar surpreendidos, perturbadoramente fascinados, quando percebemos a forte relação existente entre elas.
Magda chega a dizer “Segui-a com os olhos perguntando-me porque se agarrava a mim, quando era tão diferente dela, não percebia do que ela gostava em mim. Eu já escrevia, era ainda jovem, não analisara a fundo até que ponto a paixão é um sentimento lógico, mortal, imprevisível…”
O certo é que, aos poucos, estabeleceu-se entre elas uma amizade, ainda que comandada por Emerence, que vai dizendo até onde esta amizade pode ir.
Até o cão de Magda é a Emerence que obedece, é a ela que vê como dona. O magnetismo que tem com o cão, a quem deu o nome de Viola, é o mesmo com que atrai Magda para a sua vida, para o seu mundo secreto, para a sua porta.
O seu passado é desvendado aos poucos, como se também não quisesse ser dado a conhecer.
A Porta é um romance escrito na primeira pessoa, com laivos de autobiografia, onde a própria Magda Szabó nos fala desta amizade e dos erros que considera que vai cometendo. Um romance imperdível. Este é o meu conselho de leitura. ( )

I was absolutely hooked by the intimately confessional style of this book wherin the narrator charts the course of her relationship over several years with her cleaning lady. The book is rather sad, immensely touching and yet somehow, sometimes almost comical (especially regarding Emerence's chastisement of the loyal Viola). Often whilst reading I would recognise parts of myself or of others within the story and I think this for me is what gives the book its fifth star - the ability of the author to so eloquently express our almost universal past failings, secrets and shame and our need for, if not forgiveness and absolution, then at least understanding.

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I offer a humble, dissenting view, without wishing to overturn the court's decision entirely: 'The Door' is over-rated. Szabo certainly gives us two memorable characters, and it's surely nice to get some intelligent books by women in translation. On the other hand, as a friend pointed out, this isn't exactly technical wizardry; large portions of the book feel like they were written by someone entirely unfamiliar with the uses and problems of first-person narrative. The foreshadowing is tiresome and silly. The plot creaks along, pointing to itself at every possible opportunity. The prose* is dreary. The dialogue is stilted and manages to sound like neither actual human beings talking, nor someone creating in writing a conversation between characters.

Well, well, people don't care. They should, though, at least care about the romanticisation of poverty and the idealization of ye olde country folk.

The book is excellent on the difficulties modernisation posed (poses) for people, problems that no doubt effect Hungary even more than Western European or Anglophone countries. Another review tells me that this will be turned into a movie, and I'll gladly watch it, because this is a movie in book form, for better (vivid, character-driven, plotty) or worse (stylistically dull, often simplistic, melodramatic).


*: with the usual caveat that this might be the translator's fault. Rix's translation of Szerb's 'Journey by Midnight' was a great deal more attractive, though, so perhaps he's just accurately rendering the book's prose. Perhaps, if I'm really digging deep, the fact that the narrator is in film is meant to be mirrored in her lack of feeling for language. ( )

The reviews sounded interesting -- a friendship between a female writer and her head-strong, opinionated housekeeper. Set in Hungary after the Communists, Magna hired Emerence as her house-keeper. The rest of the story is the development of their complicated and mutual love and dislike for each other. Emerence is a worker and everyone in the community somehow depends on her. She does not understand anything about the importance of Magna's writing. According to Emerence, there are two people in the world: those who sweep and those that boss the sweepers. Emerence is a sweeper.

In spite of rave reviews, I really can't say I understood the relationship. Magna develops a strange sense of responsibility to Emerence and the dog "Viola" who Magna rescues but who loves Emerence. I'm supposing there is far more here than meets my eye. ( )