Under the Whispering Door
Ratings405
Average rating4.1
I loved the writing. The story was quirky. Unfortunately the ending was trite and twee. This could have been so much better.
It started off really slow and I genuinely almost DNF, however around half way in it gets really good and I genuinely sobbed the last quarter of it. If you're wondering if you should finish the book, do it. I don't usually read this style but I'm so glad I did.
When I read the info about the book, its premise reminded me of a solo rpg game call Last Teashop and that inspired me to read this. I so enjoyed it and didn't want to put it down and couldn't get back to it fast enough when I had to. Loved the characters (and hated the one we're supposed to), it was funny and had some teary moments (I'm emotional lol)
I recommend this book!
I was not exited while reading this. It did not make me super intrested. Like the whole baseline I liked But I just wasnt exited while reading. Is probley me and myself so may try to reread it later one day
Under the Whispering Door tells a heartfelt and whimsical story of life, love, and death.
Have you ever read a book and just didn't know what to say about it? Not because it was bad but because it was so good you didn't think you could do it justice?
Under the whispering door by TJ Klune is one of those for me. I got the audio from the library and just couldn't stop. It's one of those quirky books that will make you life, cry and lay a hand over your heart as it comes to a close.
The book is about Wallace Price. A mean and unlikeable lawyer who dies alone. When a reaper comes for him and brings him to the tea shop, a place to cross over but Wallace is just as stubborn in death and refuses to go,l but that tea shop is where Wallace finally learns what it's like to be human. To clear. To feel.
He ends up falling in love with the ferryman and learns so much by watching, things he didn't learn in real life.
It was so heartwarming and Klune always creates these wonderful characters.
If you listen to audios I highly recommend this one.
It might be the best audio I ever listened to
5 stars
Não tenho palavras para expressar o quão lindo e maravilhoso foi ler esse livro.
Sempre gostei das obras do T.J. Klune, mas essa superou todas. O jeito que ele envolveu a ficção, o imaginário, a fantasia com a morte, os sentimentos, as emoções e os pensamentos que temos sobre a vida e a morte foi incrível.
Me senti muito emocionado enquanto lia, foi um misto de emoções. Num momento estava rindo com os personagens e no outro com lágrimas nos olhos.
A morte ainda é algo que muitos não entendem. Cada um pensa nela de uma forma, seja ela sendo um inimigo ou um alívio.
É um livro tocante, divertido e que talvez te faça refletir um pouco sobre a vida e a morte.
Recomendo fortemente esse livro e desejo uma ótima leitura a quem se interessar e decidir ler.
I absolutely adored this book. TJ Klune has such a wonderful way of writing that just fills you with warmth and transports you to another world full of heart and whimsy and magic. A beautiful exploration of growth and life after death in a cheesy heartfelt way that had me shedding many tears.
I wanted to like this one and really enjoyed the set-up of the novel. But ultimately I wasn't sold on the characters or their relationships and got a little tired of being told just how much everyone is really so good at heart.
Cute. But not really for me. I found the premise intriguing but the story and writing were pretty weak. It felt very YA despite not being marketed as such. Did I cry? Sure. But that's not a great measure of success.
3.8 stars — oh I so love cozy Klune
Soo I read this back-to-back with Cerulean Sea and that may have been a problem. It gave me high expectations and they were not quite met. I still love this one, but I felt it could have been better?
It has all the right ingredients to make a five star rating and a place on my favourites shelf. There's a cozy tea shop, kind reapers, a queer romance, Klune's trademark humour and a wonderful character journey on finding a family and home...
But I think it just suffers in the execution. Klune has all the right elements, but it just doesn't impact in the way that Cerulean Sea does. It's a hard one to beat, and both books have similar themes, but frankly Cerulean Sea does it better.
I love the entire concept for this one with a tea shop before you pass on. There's also an adoring cast of characters that I grow to care for. Klune's iconic humour makes me laugh outloud. There are scenes I loved, cried at, laughed and more.
But man there are so many things I would change with this book! For starters, I didn't like the ending. It felt like the ending was too happy and perfect. And Wallace. He starts out as this asshole, but his development felt too quick? I love the idea of learning kindness, but it felt the character had changed drastically in only a few pages.
That being said, I still loved this one, and Klune is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors for his whimsy and heartwarming books. Keep at it Klune, you are amazing at doing cozy books!
cool concept and all but it's the second book i've read from this author where the characters become empty personalities half way through the book. There is no character development but instead a switch between the character they were and the character you want them to grow into in an instant
I loved the found family aspect and what Wallace does with his knowledge of how to be better. I liked the way the plot wrapped up. But the characters were hands down the best part.
There were a couple digs at Christianity that felt unnecessary, but it might have been an attempt at humor as well.
Wallace was a cranky man who only viewed the bottom line. Whether people made small mistakes or big mistakes, once they crossed that line they were out of his life. Up until the day he died. And as a ghost, he watched his own funeral, unsatisfied with the crowd and their reactions. When a reaper guides him to his next destination, a tea shop containing the door to his final resting place, Wallace is faced with the reality of his life. And bit by bit, the tea shop residents begin to chip away at Wallace’s tough exterior.
Wallace is set up to be an unlikable character. His actions and internal dialogue paint the picture of an ignorant man who wants things his way or not at all. And the side effect of people becoming emotional or detached is viewed through a lens of disconnection. Even after death Wallace digs his heels in and refuses to admit he was ever wrong. Until his daily interactions with Hugo, the reaper May and fellow ghosts break through to show him just how insufferable he was.
But Wallace holds himself back from forming connections, building walls between himself and others. It forced the character relationships to start and stop in their development and slowed the pacing as well. Each time there was a shred of hope for Wallace to improve his relationship, the lens of disconnection appeared and made the interactions less impactful. That’s not to say there isn’t any character development, it just takes a long time for Wallace to begin. And when he does start to evolve, the emotions behind his actions aren't strong enough to connect with the reader.
Under the Whispering Door does a good job of showing the beauty of living a fulfilling life. And while there aren’t many jokes woven into the tale, Apollo the ghost dog is sure to make a few readers laugh. His antics around anyone he doesn’t enjoy are hilarious as a normal person can’t see him, or feel when he decides they should be peed on.
While this story is slower-paced than other TJ Klune novels, it still has great underlying themes. I would recommend this to those who are looking for a lighter read about life after death, and quirky characters who try to do their best to help people cross over.
Originally posted at www.behindthepages.org.