A Narrow Door

Last updated

A Narrow Door is a 2021 literary crime novel by Joanne Harris. Although all three books stand alone, [1] it forms the third book in a trilogy that begins with Gentlemen and Players , and follows with Different Class . [2] It also exists as an unabridged audiobook, narrated by Alex Kingston and Steven Pacey. [3]

Contents

Plot

The novel is written in Harris's typical first-person, multiple-narrator style, with chapters alternating between the voice of Roy Straitley, the ageing Latin master, and that of Rebecca Buckfast, the new headmistress of St Oswald's, the minor Northern grammar school in which all three novels are set. The novel is also divided into five parts, named after the five rivers of the Underworld in Greek mythology. [4] As in the previous two novels, the narrators are indicated at the beginning of each chapter by the use of chess pieces; a white Queen for Buckfast, a black King for Straitley. [2]

The story begins in 2006, [5] a year after the events of Different Class, and the school is facing changes. St Oswald's has finally merged with its sister school, Mulberry House, to go fully co-ed, and for the first time in 500 years, the new Head is a woman. Ambitious, intelligent and ruthless, Rebecca Buckfast has finally achieved her ultimate goal, and has many plans for the improvement of St Oswald's, of which the traditionalist Straitley disapproves. [6]

But Buckfast has a troubled past, which now emerges to threaten her plans. She announces early in the first chapter that she has already committed two murders, "one a crime of passion, the other a crime of convenience," and has got away with both. And when a group of Straitley's pupils - his "Brodie Boys", including Ben, a Mulberry House student who is transgender - discover what they think may be old human remains on the site of a new swimming pool under construction in the school grounds, where Straitley himself finds an old Prefect's badge from King Henry's, a rival school, she persuades Straitley to first hear out her story before reporting the find to the authorities. [7]

Thus follows an account, delivered in sessions over several weeks, of Buckfast's troubled childhood, including the disappearance of her brother Conrad, who vanished from school when he was fourteen and she was five, a trauma from which neither the young Rebecca (who was present at the time of the incident), nor her parents have fully recovered. She has a child at sixteen, leaves home and trains as a teacher, taking on supply work while raising her daughter alone. She is befriended by Dominic Buckfast, a charming and much older man (also a teacher), whose kindness verges on the controlling. He disapproves of Rebecca's decision to take a job at the same boys' grammar school from which her brother vanished, years ago, and shows little sympathy for her struggle with its patriarchal authorities. Nevertheless, she marries Dominic for the sake of providing security for her daughter. But when a stranger contacts her parents, claiming to be Conrad, past memories - and monsters - conspire to return to haunt her, including Mr Smallface, a childhood monster, which lives in sinks and drains, and has now returned to terrify her daughter. [8]

As Buckfast's story unfolds, Straitley becomes increasingly drawn into the narrative. Like Scheherazade, she has her audience of one spellbound, [9] her sole objective being to make him hang on for long enough for the evidence found by the group of boys to be covered up by the new building which is already under way. Every time Straitley tells himself that he must investigate the find, he discovers a new reason to hold back, not least because he knows that a further scandal might destroy the school he loves, and which has been his entire life. [10]

Ending

Increasingly stressed and conflicted, Straitley collapses at school from a suspected heart attack. His Brodie boys visit him in hospital, and quiz him about the supposed investigation over the possible human remains, but he tells them he has the situation under control. The Brodie boys promise that they have prepared a surprise for him when he gets back.

Back home, under instructions to take time off and take it easy, Straitley is visited by Buckfast, who continues her story, offers him licorice tea, and continues her story. We learn of the death of Dominic Buckfast shortly after his marriage to Rebecca, and of Rebecca's relief to be free of his controlling habits. We also learn that Conrad was a bully who pitted his three friends against one other and terrorized his little sister with stories of Mr Smallface, so that when he died following an incident at school, she believed that the monster had taken him. We also discover that the imposter pretending to be Conrad in order to extract money from her parents was applying for a post as a teacher at St Oswald's, and that the young Rebecca killed him opportunistically before disposing of his body in the grounds.

Still weakened, Straitley forces himself to return to work, meaning to reveal everything to the authorities, but whatever evidence there may have been in the school grounds has vanished into the concrete foundations of the new swimming pool. Buckfast persuades him to listen to the end of her story, and they meet in his classroom after school, where Straitley's Brodie Boys have created a gargoyle in his image, on the balcony of his form room.

Buckfast arrives to tell the rest of her story, not knowing that Straitley has left a document addressed to his Brodie Boys next to the gargoyle, with details of everything that she has told him, along with the King Henry's badge. She reveals the location of Conrad's body and the true identity of Mr Smallface, then leaves. It is implied that Straitley suffers a further heart attack, triggered by the licorice tea with which Buckfast has been plying him, knowing it to be potentially dangerous for people with heart conditions. [11]

The book ends with Straitley's final written words to his Brodie Boys, instructing them to use the information he has given them, along with the Prefect's badge, as they see fit.

Background

The book is introduced by the following quote from Matthew 7:14: “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” [12]

Harris has stated that this book was inspired by her 15 years as a teacher in a boys' grammar school in Leeds. [13] Of Rebecca Buckfast, she says: "It’s easy for me to identify with her struggle against the patriarchy, her rage in the face of everyday sexism, her ambition to excel—as well as her damage, guilt, and grief..." although she also says: "I am not Rebecca, even though we share certain experiences." [14]

Straitley's Brodie Boys are a reference to Muriel Spark's novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie . [2]

In 2022 Harris turned down a US book club deal for A Narrow Door over demands to edit out instances of the "f-bomb" from the text, saying on Twitter: "I refused for two reasons: one, because I don’t use words accidentally. They matter. And second, because I don’t believe my use of the word ‘fuck’ harms anyone.” [15] [16]

Themes

Underlying the narrative is the theme of the treatment of women in academia [17] and the entitlement of male-dominated institutions, [9] as well as the concept of memories, [2] both false and true, [18] and how "lies and deceit are viewed differently through the prism of time." [19] Other themes, according to The Guardian , include; "deception, lies, expediency and the stories we create in order to survive." [20] The Sydney Morning Herald says of the novel: "It’s wildly entertaining but it also has some serious things to say about education, gender, and class." [21]

The title of A Narrow Door refers to "‘the way in which the doors to job positions are thrown open to men, while women have to find the smallest crack to squeeze through to get to the same place." [22]

Reception

The Guardian described A Narrow Door as: "...a worthy conclusion to an excellent series." [23] Julian Clary described it as: "very gripping. It’s also quite vengeful, which I rather like." [24] The New York Review of Books said: “Harris is to be congratulated on her ability to build a story with a maze full of twists and turns, memories false and true, and a totally unexpected ending.” Publishers Weekly says: "This spectacular feat of storytelling will seduce the reader from page one," [9] while the New York Times praises "the icy rage and ruthless revenge" that animates the novel. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamora Pierce</span> American writer

Tamora Pierce is an American writer of fantasy fiction for teenagers, known best for stories featuring young heroines. She made a name for herself with her first book series, The Song of the Lioness (1983–1988), which followed the main character Alanna through the trials and triumphs of training as a knight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joanne Harris</span> British author (born 1964)

Joanne Michèle Sylvie Harris is a British author, best known for her 1999 novel Chocolat, which was adapted into a film of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Atkinson (writer)</span> English writer

Kate Atkinson is an English writer of novels, plays and short stories. She has written historical novels, detective novels and family novels, incorporating postmodern and magical realist elements into the plots. Her debut, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book Award, the precursor to the Costa Book Award, in 1995. The novels Life After Life and A God in Ruins won the Costa Book Award for novel in 2013 and 2015. She is also known for the Jackson Brodie series of detective novels, which has been adapted into the BBC One series, Case Histories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Schulman</span> American writer (born 1958)

Sarah Miriam Schulman is an American novelist, playwright, nonfiction writer, screenwriter, gay activist, and AIDS historian. She holds an endowed chair in nonfiction at Northwestern University and is a fellow of the New York Institute for the Humanities. She is a recipient of the Bill Whitehead Award and the Lambda Literary Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Caine</span> American author (1962–2020)

Rachel Caine was the pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad, who was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and horror novels.

<i>Gentlemen & Players</i> Book by Joanne Harris

Gentlemen & Players is a novel by Joanne Harris first published in 2005. A dark psychological thriller, some of the themes may be partly based on Harris' experiences as a teacher at Leeds Grammar School. Set in the present day during Michaelmas term at St Oswald's, a grammar school for boys somewhere in the North of England, the book is a psychological thriller about class distinctions, damaged childhood, secrets, identity and revenge.

Marie Van Brittan Brown was an American nurse, her husband Albert L. Brown, an electronics technician. In 1966 they invented an audio-visual home security system That same year they applied for a patent for their security system. It was granted three years later in 1969.

Kristin Hannah is an American writer. Her most notable works include Winter Garden, The Nightingale, Firefly Lane, The Great Alone, and The Four Winds. In 2024, St. Martin's Publishing Group published her novel, The Women, which is set in America in the 1960s.

The Shipley School is an independent pre-K–12 college preparatory school in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 10 miles west-northwest of Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tui T. Sutherland</span> Venezuelan-American childrens book author

Tui Tamara Sutherland is an American children's book author who has written more than 60 books under her own name and under several pen names. In 2009, she won $46,200 over three games on Jeopardy! She is best known for writing the Wings of Fire series of epic dragon fantasy novels. Sutherland's books have sold over 15 million copies.

<i>The Year of the Flood</i> 2009 novel by Margaret Atwood

The Year of the Flood is a novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, the second book of her dystopian trilogy, released on September 22, 2009, in Canada and the United States, and on September 7, 2009, in the United Kingdom. The novel was mentioned in numerous newspaper review articles looking forward to notable fiction of 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Han</span> American writer (born 1980)

Jenny Han is an An author, screenwriter, executive producer, and showrunner. She is best known for writing The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, which she adapted into a TV series for Prime Video. She also wrote the To All the Boys trilogy which was adapted into a Netflix film series.

<i>To All the Boys Ive Loved Before</i> (film) 2018 film directed by Susan Johnson

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a 2018 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Susan Johnson and written by Sofia Alvarez. The film stars Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Madeleine Arthur, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard and John Corbett. The movie is based on Jenny Han's 2014 novel of the same name, and was released by Netflix on August 17, 2018. It received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised the cast.

Eleanor Williams is a British writer. Her debut collection of prose, Attrib. and Other Stories, was awarded the 2018 Republic of Consciousness Prize and the 2017 James Tait Black Memorial Prize. Her writing has also been anthologised in The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short Story, Liberating the Canon and Not Here: A Queer Anthology of Loneliness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Roanhorse</span> American speculative fiction author

Rebecca Roanhorse is an American science fiction and fantasy writer from New Mexico. She has written short stories and science fiction novels featuring Navajo characters. Her work has received Hugo and Nebula awards, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kekla Magoon</span> American author (born 1980)

Kekla Magoon is an American author, best known for her NAACP Image Award-nominated young adult novel The Rock and the River, How It Went Down, The Season of Styx Malone, and X. In 2021, she received the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association for her body of work. Her works also include middle grade novels, short stories, and historical, socio-political, and economy-related non-fiction.

<i>The Great Believers</i> 2019 novel by Rebecca Makkai

The Great Believers is a historical fiction novel by Rebecca Makkai, published June 4, 2018 by Penguin Books.

The Strawberry Thief is a magical realism novel by UK author Joanne Harris, published by Orion Books in 2019. It is the fourth in a series of interconnected novels that began in 1999 with Chocolat and follows Peaches for Monsieur le Curé. It also exists as an audiobook, narrated by the author.

<i>Broken Light</i> 2023 novel by Joanne Harris

Broken Light is a 2023 novel by English-French author Joanne Harris. It is in the psychological thriller genre, with aspects of magical realism, and deals with a woman approaching menopause who develops paranormal abilities.

Different Class is a 2016 literary crime novel by Joanne Harris. Although all three books stand alone, it forms the second book in a trilogy that begins with Gentlemen and Players, and ends with A Narrow Door. It also exists as an unabridged audiobook, narrated by Steven Pacey and Ewan Goddard.

References

  1. ↑ "Blue Book Balloon: #Review - A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris". Blue Book Balloon. 2021-08-19. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Artis-Ann (September 23, 2021). "The Tinnitus of Grief: A Narrow Door By Joanne Harris". yorkshiretimes.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  3. ↑ Celeste (2022-01-07). "A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris - Celeste's Review". Novel Notions. Archived from the original on 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  4. ↑ "A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris @Joannechocolat @OrionBooks". Live and Deadly. 2021-08-02. Archived from the original on 2024-07-14. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  5. ↑ Huddleston, Yvette (September 17, 2021). "Author Joanne Harris on where the inspiration for her novels comes from". Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  6. ↑ Norfolk, Pam (August 26, 2021). "A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris: Brimming with the enthralling atmospherics and psychological intensity - book review". Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  7. ↑ bookmunch (2022-05-14). ""A thriller that failed to thrill" – A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris". Bookmunch. Archived from the original on 2024-07-14. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  8. ↑ "Crime fiction: Joanne Harris's A Narrow Door, plus this month's other top titles". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2023-12-09. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  9. 1 2 3 "A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris". www.publishersweekly.com. October 2021. Archived from the original on 2024-05-19. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  10. ↑ Duerden, Nick (2021-07-30). "Joanne Harris: 'If I'd been Lee Child and written predictable books, I'd have an easier life'". inews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  11. ↑ Lawrence, James; Pui, Lin Chong Lina (2010-03-31). "The dangers of drinking liquorice tea". Endocrine Abstracts. 21. ISSN   1470-3947. Archived from the original on 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  12. ↑ "A NARROW DOOR | Joanne Harris". Archived from the original on 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  13. ↑ Huddleston, Yvette. "Author Joanne Harris on where the inspiration for her novels comes from". The Yorkshire Post. Archived from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  14. ↑ "Joanne Harris on how her career as a teacher shaped her career as a writer". CrimeReads. 2022-01-05. Archived from the original on 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  15. ↑ Chilton, Louis (February 19, 2022). "Joanne Harris says she rejected book deal over demand to edit out 'f-bomb". Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Joanne Harris Turns Down US Book Club Deal". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-02-21. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  17. ↑ Celeste (2022-01-07). "A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris - Celeste's Review". Novel Notions. Archived from the original on 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  18. ↑ "a book review by Judith Reveal: A Narrow Door: A Novel". www.nyjournalofbooks.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-09. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  19. ↑ "A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris | The Arbuturian". 2022-01-25. Archived from the original on 2022-02-06. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  20. ↑ Wilson, Laura (2021-08-20). "The best recent crime and thrillers – review roundup". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2024-07-08. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  21. ↑ Capp, Kerryn Goldsworthy & Fiona (2021-10-08). "A brilliant novel about PTSD & the brumby problem: what to read next". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2021-10-15. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  22. ↑ Carnegie, Holly (August 11, 2021). "Scala Radio Book Club: A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris". Scala Radio Book Club. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  23. ↑ Flood, Alison (2021-08-09). "The best recent thrillers – review roundup". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2024-07-08. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  24. ↑ Team, i (2021-10-14). "Julian Clary: 'I'll often pick up a book by a woman rather than a man'". inews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  25. ↑ Weinman, Sarah (2021-12-23). "She Thought Her Brother-in-Law Was a Killer. No One Believed Her". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-02-17. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.