This was a strange book, it's like a mix of several stories that take place in different places in time, maybe a bit like could atlas, and let me be honest, I still haven't read that book, but I saw the movie, and it reminded me of it.

Did I like it? I did enjoy the voice of the woman reading the book, Lorna Bennett, she keep me entertained, so I must admit I did like her performance, I was mostly lost because of the way the story was written, not because of her performance.

I think I will put this book in the category of speculative fiction, it's an OK story, but if you want to read it, get the audiobook, it adds value.


Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio, for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

I was very fortunate to consume this story. Surrealism is one of my favorite genres when done correctly, and there is a reason this is a classic. I highly recommend this book.

Despite my best efforts, this book was simply too esoteric and surreal for me. I struggled to follow what the author was trying to do and when I did follow it, I didn't care too much. I have read my fair share of weird lit but this breaks free of weird to a realm of occult that was just too much for me.

Thank you to Tantor Audio, the author and NetGalley for a LRC in return for an honest review

The author, Leonora Carrington, was a major figure in the Surrealism movement and that influence is unmistakable in this book - The Stone Door is full of riddles, metaphors, and esoteric references. Once you have got your head around the fact that this book is not meant to be easily understood in a conventional linear way, then it becomes easier to enjoy. It’s a surrealist work, which means it's built more like a dream than a traditional story. The book is littered with strange images and events that don’t follow real-world logic. Carrington did this on purpose. She wants the reader to feel like they’re in a dream or a myth, not reading a straightforward story. Carrington’s style is not for everyone. It's surreal, challenging and totally uninterested in being 'easy'. This book leaves you feeling like you were trapped inside a sentient Dali painting (which honestly would suit me as Dali is my favourite painter)!

Lorna Bennett, the narrator, provides a magnificent array of voices, I particularly enjoyed the crow's highly amusing speech.

In short, just your normal tale of boy meets mystical girl, girl disappears, boy tries to find her by possibly travelling through a portal into a bizarre dream-realm full of strange creatures...

#TheStoneDoor #NetGalley

This one is a little hard to review for me. It is not linear very on purpose. The novel's relationship to time is largely the point, but it makes for a difficult reading experience. I appreciate the art of form that is employed here. It's imaginative, and I've never read anything quite like it.

The narrator here is wonderful, but the book itself might be too complex and referential for an audio version for me. Without being familiar with Kabbalah and minimally so with the Zodiac, it was clear I missed a lot that would have informed my reading.

If you love this book already and are waiting for a reprint or an audio edition, this is lovely.

The Stone Door by Leonora Carrington is the rarest kind of novel: a novel that makes magic paradoxically real and alien to us, that grants the experience of true mystery.

Not for the faint of heart, this is a novel deeply entrenched in the world of surrealism, alchemy, and Jewish mysticism. Its symbolism is obscure and often opaque to a casual reader. While there is always a thread of grounded narrative running through the endless dreams, visions, and imagistic digressions of The Stone Door, this is a novel of expression and aesthetic rather than a novel of plot. Nevertheless the result is a deeply moving journey that can have deep resonance across a variety of interpretations.

The audiobook edition, narrated by Lorna Bennett, provides an engaging reading of the text which brings unique life to its strange characters and world.

Thank you Tantor audio and netgalley for the advance listening copy!