Mini-review: The Door by Magda Szabó (Hungary)

5th Feb 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 comments

Reading The Door by Magda Szabó was, for me, bittersweet, and quietly saddening. This book probably has more to it than I was able to notice, given my lack of knowledge of Hungarian history and society. Having said that, Szabó gives us glimpses into Hungary’s recent history through the anecdotes of the main character, so after reading this my knowledge is slightly better!The Door tells the story of a writer and the neighbourhood housekeeper, Emerence. Emerence is, if I remember correctly, in her 80s, but still going strong in her work. She lives alone, refuses to allow anyone beyond her front door and is very protective of her independence, violently rejecting anyone who tries to help her or do her a good turn. She, however, in her short-tempered way, is the heart of the street, helping people whenever they need it, even when they don’t ask for it or show their appreciation. As the story progresses, though, her age finally catches up with her.

The Door was in part a reflection on the emotional experience that both the elderly and those around them go through. Emerence faces the possibility of her carefully protected image of strength and self-sufficiency being destroyed while the narrator has to navigate the heavy guilt of having to decide how to deal with the situation. In youth, we are determined to maintain our image, to establish our independence and self-reliance, to be the giver and not the taker. But if we do reach old age, we will many of us have to face the humbling reality that Allah has created in the cycles of life: we are not invincible.

Quotations I liked

“I know now what I didn’t then: that affection can’t always be expressed in calm, orderly, articulate ways and that one can’t always prescribe the form it should take for anyone else.”

“The prize, I reflected bitterly, had already begun to work its influence. I had rushed off in a TV car towards its radiance, away from illness, old age, loneliness and incapacity.”