The Voice at the Door

This book is the work of both love of the subject and impressive craftsmanship. James Sulzer makes an interesting moment in the life of America's great poet, Emily Dickinson compelling and intriguing. The dare and precision of his writing is most impressive as is his scholarship underlying the story. Can't recommend it highly enough.

The author entertains a controversial hypothesis about Dickinsen's health and her relationship with a married minister. I hesitate to write more for fear of spoilers, but it would make a great book club selection so that many could consider whether or not the argument has merit. In any case, it offers a close reading of her life, letters and some of her poetry, and there is intrinsic merit in that!

A superb recreation of Emily Dickinson's adult life and the wellsprings of her creativity - with an astounding new revelation about this most original of American poets. An absorbing read.

It’s not very often that I can say that I’ve finished a book in just a few short sittings. Usually I get distracted too easily or I need some other motivating factor to keep me going—like for example employment as a reviewer for a book company (wink, wink). In the case of Voice at the Door, I believe I can say that it’s a testament to the quality of the writing. And to its brief length.If you forced me to classify Voice at the Door by genre outside of the obvious “historical fiction” label, I’d probably have to go with “romance” or “love story,” but I feel that labeling the book this way would be a mistake. Romance novels and love stories are all about the relationship between two people and generally very little else. We read them and enjoy them because they give us hope that true love can bloom without significant real-life obstacles—like jobs, emotional differences, and money—in the former case and that it can bloom in spite of these obstacles in the latter case. However, that’s not really what this “novel of Emily Dickinson” is about. Rather, this is a novel about Dickinson herself, about her emotional struggles and subsequent withdrawal from most of society in the last third of her life. It presents a plausible theory to explain the known facts and manages to do so while still being an entertaining story.The book begins with an introduction by the author, explaining that this is, in fact, the manuscript of his late Uncle William Norcross. In a similar fashion, the story ends with an afterword by William Norcross, elaborating on his theories of Emily Dickinson and why he finds the other explanations for the mysteries of her life to be lacking. These aspects of the book are actually more intriguing than they should be because it’s not clear whether James Sulzer has made up this uncle. Hence, long after I finished reading, I find myself still trying to figure out if William Norcross was a real person or not. Having James Sulzer’s name on the cover seems to suggest William is make-believe, but if this is the case, at the very least, I can say the author is good at fooling the reader with believable writing.Of course, the real reason we’re here is the story, and happily it doesn’t disappoint. Being a sucker for romance, I find the relationship between Charles Wadsworth and Emily Dickinson to be very tender and sweet, even though it is conveyed with such minimal interaction. It encompasses the first half of the book, starting with witty banter and intelligent conversation between two intellectuals. From there, it grows into long distance correspondence via letters, and culminates in a single night of passion that changes Emily forever. Then, after this night, we get to see what the dissolution of this relationship does to Emily’s livelihood and poetry. In my eyes, the second half of the book—after Charles and Emily go their separate ways—is less interesting than the first, likely due in no small part to the lack of romance on the horizon. Instead, we witness her getting sick, going blind, and dealing with her own heartache. However, this section of the book is still well written and worth the effort.What I find more surprising than all of this, though, is how much better Sulzer is at writing a love story than Nicolas Sparks is. Not that Sparks is particularly bad—though there are some who may say so—and in fact Sparks has managed to “tug at my heartstrings” with books like The Notebook, A Bend in the Road, and A Walk to Remember. But Sparks is not particularly good at dialogue or subtlety, nor does he do a lot to vary his stories, in some cases ripping twists clean out of previous ones. Sulzer, on the other hand, is very subtle in his characterization of Emily and Charles’s relationship. He conveys so much with so little that it’s almost amazing the story still feels complete instead of unfinished. And his dialogue is excellent. The banter between Charles and Emily sounds like genuine discussion between two intellectuals. Even when things get slightly sappy in the penultimate moment of the book, the dialogue is great stuff.All told, The Voice at the Door is a very worthwhile read. To see a book propose a theory of a real woman’s life in the guise of fiction—and have it interweave so many real world components like poetry to explain it all—is a phenomenal accomplishment. If you hate romance with a passion, it might not be for you, but I believe most everyone else—including those who know nothing about Emily Dickinson—will gain something worthwhile from it.GRADE: A-

a plausible and intriguing speculation into the extent of a love affair between Emily Dickinson and the Presbyterian minister, Charles Wadsworth. Syphilis is given as the reason for Dickinson's withdrawal from the world in the latter part of her life. I liked it very much.

I did not know very much about Emily Dickinson’s life going into this, so I didn't know what to expect. I found this to be a unique, fascinating book and I enjoyed it very much. I appreciated how Dickinson’s actual poems and letters were intertwined with the story. And it is easy to see how much the author loves and relishes Dickinson’s work. A really engrossing read—something different and very special!

This novel is partly a new take on Emily Dickinson's enigmatic life, positing the central importance of Dickinson's friend and correspondent, the pastor Charles Wadsworth. The ensuing version of events is indeed plausible, even convincing.But most of all this is a novel. Sulzer manages to both integrate Dickinson's letters and poems into the story, and to blend his own narrative voice with Dickinson's idiosyncratic style. A fun, fresh, lively, provocative read.

I absolutely loved this book! It is incredibly well written and so absorbing. I am not very familiar with Emily Dickinson or her poetry, but I didn't need to be to fully enjoy The Voice at the Door. I hated to see it end.