Book Review: The Way Through Doors Jesse Ball - Page 2

The only down side of The Way Through Doors is that there wasn’t enough. Some parts of Ball’s work seemed a little rushed because I wanted to delve further into his characters and stories. The beginning of Selah’s experience as Ministry Inspector is only briefly explained from first person point of view. But when Selah begins his 18 hour narrative, the point of view shifts to third person. Many of the tales during this time end abruptly as they morph into a new one. Sometimes Selah goes back, and sometimes he doesn’t, which is a little disappointing. Also it becomes a little confusing. Unlike One Thousand and One Nights, Ball never returns to Selah’s first person perspective, and at the end, I wasn’t quite sure if I was reading the real end or only the end of Selah’s narrative.

However, apart from this confusion, The Way Through Doors is a beautiful piece. If you enjoy a mix of fantasy and bizarre tales, Ball’s work is absolutely mesmerizing. Anytime I was forced to put this book down, I continually thought about it and relayed short pieces to my family. It has a way of penetrating your mind and filling it with enchanting images that could only come from Jesse Ball.

Article Author: Janica Unruh

Janica Unruh has her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the college of Professional Writing at the University of Oklahoma. She is happily married to a very nerdy engineer and enjoys writing more than breathing, but refuses to give up the latter.

Visit Janica Unruh's author page — Janica Unruh's Blog