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Post by wireman on Sept 29, 2021 11:58:57 GMT
Today we will discuss The Door In The Wall by HG Wells
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Post by wireman on Sept 29, 2021 13:17:48 GMT
That is a great story with multiple ways to interpret it.
Wallace seems to be a successful but unhappy man. He sees the door as some kind of escape from his life. After his initial visit through the door as a child, he sees the door throughout his life and always chooses his current life over the escape of the door. He's afraid of the door and yet can never stop thinking about it or thinking about going through it. The door seems to be a way to leave his unhappiness behind. Was he unable to distinguish fantasy from reality at the end or was the trip through the door suicidal? Suicidal is probably too strong a word as Wallace didn't seem that way but he did always seem to think of this door as a way to leave his mundane life behind. This is a fascinating story.
I read that this was Wells' last speculative fiction story. He turned away from speculative fiction and became very political in his writing in his later years. He wasn't particularly a well liked writer in his later years. If this was his last speculative fiction story, he went out with a bang.
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Post by spideyman on Sept 29, 2021 14:41:25 GMT
Wells had many themes within this story--escape, happiness, conflict, fear, doubt, conflict and death. I was left with the impressions that Wallace, in the end, was unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. He chose to believe what his mind was telling him-- that the garden was real and it cost him his life.
I really enjoyed this story.
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Post by edwardjohn on Sept 29, 2021 21:12:06 GMT
That is a great story with multiple ways to interpret it.
Wallace seems to be a successful but unhappy man. He sees the door as some kind of escape from his life. After his initial visit through the door as a child, he sees the door throughout his life and always chooses his current life over the escape of the door. He's afraid of the door and yet can never stop thinking about it or thinking about going through it. The door seems to be a way to leave his unhappiness behind. Was he unable to distinguish fantasy from reality at the end or was the trip through the door suicidal? Suicidal is probably too strong a word as Wallace didn't seem that way but he did always seem to think of this door as a way to leave his mundane life behind. This is a fascinating story.
I read that this was Wells' last speculative fiction story. He turned away from speculative fiction and became very political in his writing in his later years. He wasn't particularly a well liked writer in his later years. If this was his last speculative fiction story, he went out with a bang.
Alternatively, this story could also be Wells way of wishing for the return of romanticism. The romantic period was a time when great, natural splendour was celebrated; the door being a representation of this. Perhaps Wells had become disenfranchised with the literature that made up his period? I'm not sure. He always seemed to be a writer who was concerned with the past and the future, but perhaps that changed after he left speculative fiction. I do know that Wells was a fan of Defoe's Robinson Cursoe books, he was a very significant romantic author. Then again, I may be assessing this way too much.
Overall, a fantastic story. |
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Post by wireman on Sept 30, 2021 12:27:52 GMT
If we want to chose a SK collection to read every other week, this is a list of the ones we have not done yet in the group read spanning both boards.
Night Shift
Different Seasons (novellas)
Skeleton Crew
Hearts in Atlantis (novella and shorts)
Just After Sunset
Full Dark, No Stars (novellas)
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Post by spideyman on Sept 30, 2021 14:40:31 GMT
If we want to chose a SK collection to read every other week, this is a list of the ones we have not done yet in the group read spanning both boards.
Night Shift
Different Seasons (novellas)
Skeleton Crew
Hearts in Atlantis (novella and shorts)
Just After Sunset
Full Dark, No Stars (novellas)
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Post by edwardjohn on Sept 30, 2021 15:06:01 GMT
If we want to chose a SK collection to read every other week, this is a list of the ones we have not done yet in the group read spanning both boards.
Night Shift
Different Seasons (novellas)
Skeleton Crew
Hearts in Atlantis (novella and shorts)
Just After Sunset
Full Dark, No Stars (novellas)
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Post by wireman on Sept 30, 2021 15:10:45 GMT
If we want to chose a SK collection to read every other week, this is a list of the ones we have not done yet in the group read spanning both boards.
Night Shift
Different Seasons (novellas)
Skeleton Crew
Hearts in Atlantis (novella and shorts)
Just After Sunset
Full Dark, No Stars (novellas)
Ok, lets do Just After Sunset
Willa will be first up.
Next Wednesday, we will discuss Willa from Just After Sunset.
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Post by spideyman on Sept 30, 2021 15:26:33 GMT
Perfect choice. "Willa" for next group read.!!
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