Under the Whispering Door

The first 5 star of the year! What a whirlwind! I love TJ Klune’s work, and I’ll have to keep my eye out for his upcoming work in the future. His books make me laugh out loud. Literally. Who knew that books could be that funny? Especially tackling topics such as death and grief! His tone is so funny, in a dry humor kind of way.

He’s really nailed down his forte. Gay, funny, sad, tragic, love stories. You know, my favorite genre.

Wallace is a sourpuss. A lovable sourpuss, in the best way. Watching his growth at Charon’s Crossing is honestly beautiful and heart warming. The characters here are so lovable, and seeing them in pain made me in pain as well. So yeah, tears obviously spilled. How could they not? Hugo, Mei, and Nelson are show more so wonderful. It was hard for me to imagine life without Wallace with them. Hence, tears!

Hugo is so comforting, and everyone falls in love with him. How could you not? He’s just that guy! He’s exactly what Wallace needed, but the healed version of Wallace is exactly what Hugo needed. Im so glad that Wallace grew into such a sweetheart.

It’s kinda insane how TJ Klune can make characters that stick with you. He makes them real in a way a lot of other authors struggle with. Also, his ideas for worlds astounds me. They mirror our own so closely that you could make the case that the do exist in our own world, just hidden. That’s a talent, if I’ve ever seen one. Major praise to TJ Klune, because quite earnestly, even thought I tore through this novel, the characters and story is gonna stay with me, much like his other work.

I hate it took me this long to read it, but I’m so glad I did, and I got to see Hugo and Wallace’s story to completion, even as I ugly sobbed through the last couple of chapters (literally so sad why did he have to do that)!! show less

Wallace Price is a ghost observing his own funeral. He was a ruthlessly successful lawyer, and he's supremely disapproving that nobody can think of anything good to say about him at the small gathering. In the midst of his self-centered consternation, Mei arrives to escort him to "the ferryman." Arriving with Mei at an unassuming tea shop, Wallace meets two additional ghosts: an elderly man named Nelson, and the dog Apollo. He also meets Hugo, the tea shop proprietor whose role is to assist the newly dead with "crossing over" to what comes next.

This book has all the emotions, but also asks some philosophical questions. Despite the innately heavy nature of a story about death, the narrative was given a deftly lighthearted delivery, and I show more laughed out loud in a number of places. I strongly resisted growing to like Wallace because of how unsympathetic he was when introduced, but this is essentially the story of his redemption, and by the end I was convinced. This was for me a 3/3.5-star book most of the way through, until it hit 4 stars during the last 15% or so. By far the strangest thing about my experience with this book is having read it simultaneously, purely by coincidence, with Cemetery Boys. The parallels are eerie. show less

Wallace Price is not a nice person - a lawyer, he values efficiency and winning over all else, including human relationships. So when he suddenly dies of a heart attack, there are few mourners at his funeral. He is surprised when one of them, a young woman he has never seen, not only appears at the funeral but actually sees and responds to him when nobody else does; it turns out that she is Meiying, a Reaper sent to bring his soul to a waystation where a ferryman while guide him across. Hugo Freeman is unlike anybody he’s ever met, and along with Mei, Nelson the ghost of Hugo’s grandfather and Apollo the ghost-dog, Wallace begins to learn how to become a better person, despite being dead. After all, the potential for personal growth show more doesn’t stop with the mere end of life…. T. J. Klune is getting a lot of praise (and probably some hate too, unfortunately) for centering queer folk, people of colour and queer people of colour in his books, but what I think he does best is centering human relationships, connections and honest emotions throughout his work; I’ve only read two of his books (the other being “The House in the Cerulean Sea”), but in both cases the fantasy worlds are anchored by the characters’ humanity and care for each other. I pretty much knew what would happen in this novel from the beginning, but that didn’t detract from the story at all - indeed, it was fascinating to see how he would get his characters to that ending! Above all, this story is engaging and thoughtful, and it takes no time at all for the reader to become invested in Wallace, Hugo and the rest - they’re all people (and dog) that we would want to know in our own lives! Recommended. show less

TW: Death, Grief

Rating: 5/5

Rarely do we get to pick up books that take you through a long, beautiful trip of nostalgia and bring back the bits and pieces of memories that you had safely stored away for a rainy day.

TJ Klune, Sir, I picked up the book at a time of uncertainty in my life. At a time when I thought that I haven't achived anything. But, with that heart wrenching prose, you made me realise that the people I love, the people that love me are more than a testament to the fact that I AM succesful in a way and capabale of more.

There's so many things and people that the book reminded me of. To begin with, I missed the presence of my Grandfather while seeing him through Nelson.

When you quoted -

'The first time you share tea, you show more are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family!'

I was about to reunite with my friends after over a year for my convocation and it got me overwhelmed with Love for them because that's exactly how we became family.

With many such endearing circumstances that I couldn't help but connect with my life, I loved the book to bits and piece. I know I haven't really reviewed it much but the book was the right thing I needed at the right time.

It deals with grief and processing the grief. It deals with peers helping you process the grief. It talks about something that almost everyone inevitably goes through while others pay no heed and makes us think.

I hope everyone gets to read this book someday in their lives. It'll feel like a pat on the shoulder or a hug that you badly needed. show less

(Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!)

I need to preface this review by noting that I am biased--I adored TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea, and I put off reading and reviewing this book because I was so excited. Y'all, this book did not let me down.

The book begins with our main character, Wallace, a very rigid, unsympathetic lawyer...during his final hours alive before he experiences a heart attack, and then witnesses his own poorly attended funeral. We then encounter Mei, a Reaper, who brings Wallace to meet a ferryman in a tea shop (also, love this setting detail!). The character development in this book is brilliant, and I appreciate the humor sprinkled throughout a book focused on grief, loss, and love. There are a few show more difficult topics such as suicide, divorce, child illness, death of parents, which the main characters handle with grace, while Klune still includes mentions of more harmful side characters--which makes these moments feel more realistic. This is a book that I intend to buy a copy of once it is available, and I am excited to add this book to my favorites!

As a high school teacher, I would add this book to my classroom library, and would encourage some to make this a book club or reading circle book choice (I say choice only because some families do not feel comfortable with mentions of ghosts, demons (brief, joking mention), or higher powers. show less

MASTERPIECE! I loved every single page of this book. I needed to read a story like this! Under the Whispering Door is the story of Wallace Price, an arrogant man who scared everyone so much because of his ugly personality and bad temper. He's a wealthy lawyer who thought he was better than everyone else. Death took him by surprise on a Sunday as he tried to work a little more so as not to waste a day. Work first right?. Wallace therefore found himself dead, attending his own funeral where not even a dozen people showed up to pay homage to him. This is what you get when you are as unpleasant as a person. Fortunately for him, Meil ​​the reaper brings him to Hugo who is a ferryman. He is the one who is supposed to help him accept his show more death and cross over to the other side to continue on his journey.
It's the first time I've hated a character that much. There is no way for a reader to not hate Wallace Price. But throughout the book, luckily he has come to realize his abhorrent behavior and be aware of all the bad things he has done to people. Under The Whispering Door is the story of death seen from another angle. Death is not meant to be seen as the end but rather as the beginning of a new story and there is no reason to be afraid of it. Everyone has to go through this. What also caught my attention in the book is the Manager (the one who opens the doors and allows the dead to cross over from this world to another). His description simply made me think of Papa Legba. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and is responsible for opening doors. First book of T. J Klune that I read and I absolutely love it and it was with pleasure that I added The House of the Cerulean Sea to my list! Do you want to have a more open idea about death? Read this book. show less

When Wallace dies suddenly of a heart attack, it's evident that no one will miss him much. He wasn't the nicest person on the planet, not by a long shot: selfish and entitled, with not a drop of empathy anywhere in his (disem)bod(y)(ied soul). When a reaper takes him to a sort of waystation between worlds that doubles as a small-town tea shop, Wallace spends his time ranting and raving at the shop owner/ferryman, Hugo, until, gradually, he becomes more aware of what's happened to him, what it means to be dead, and what it means really to live.
It started out slowly for me, but I'm *so* glad I stuck with it because by the end it has become a definite favorite. This book is a heartbreaking hodgepodge of zen-like dialogue, hilarious show more hijinks, a warm-and-fuzzy love story, and gut-wrenching self-discoveries. It's about death and love and grief in many forms, but it's not a sad read, overall. Honestly, it's difficult to fit this novel into any particular category, so I'll just shelf it under Books I Love with All My Heart. show less