Saint of Bright Doors

EPUB

English language

Published April 4, 2023 by Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom.

ISBN:
978-1-250-84739-3
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4 stars (7 reviews)

4 editions

Weird, inventive, and pointed commentary at the same time

5 stars

I tore through this book, and might just re-read it immediately, which is something I never do.

It starts out as a fantasy story that feels exceptionally weird because Chandrasekera's willing to do his world building / exposition very slowly. I kept going through a lot of confusion because the writing itself is just so beautiful. And then gradually as the exposition falls into place it becomes clearer that the book is at least partly a critique of religious fanaticisms and chauvinisms... but each time I felt I really had a handle on the book something in its world would shift - either the protagonist learning a new piece of his own story or a significant detail the the author waited until a dramatic moment to show the reader. Even the ending feels like another instance of that, and it is a relatively unclear ending, though it fits the whole …

The Saint of Bright Doors

4 stars

The thing I enjoyed the most about the Saint of Bright Doors is the way my expectations were constantly dashed. The first line starts the book off feeling like a dark fantasy, as Fetter's shadow is stripped away from him. But from there he grows up some and moves to a city where there's all sorts of technology that make it feel like a parallel modern universe. But there's also subterfuge and revolution, group therapy for (non)-chosen ones, complicated family, and the mire of prison bureaucracy.

I think overall it's just different than a lot of books I've read, and I appreciate the myriad ideas it's trying to fit together. The pacing and narrative arc were not what I had expected, but somehow it was a delight all the same.

(One minor point that hit home is that this is in part a story of plagues and pogroms; and, horrifyingly …

A New Favorite Author

5 stars

I greatly enjoyed my time with the book, even when the plot felt to me going nowhere (and not in that intentional cozy sort of way, but in a rambling past things that aren’t central to whatever it is that has or will happen). Some of this is likely due to cultural expectations of a narrative progression, and it was actually a joy to have that shaken up. The prose is decadent and evocative, breathing life into a world that was equally enchanting and horrifying. I also greatly appreciated fiction that pulls from Buddhist traditions and imagery, while not bowing to a need to only shine it in a grand and endearing light. Much of this may go unnoticed without having been previously exposed to the stories not often found in mainstream Buddhism, but it’s not required for enjoyment, just a lovely layer of depth to an already nuanced world. …

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