Literary Significance & Criticism
Like many of Wolfe's works, There Are Doors is often praised for its intricate plot which many find can only be fully interpreted after several readings. It is often considered alongside Castleview and Pandora, By Holly Hollander, forming a trilogy of stand-alone works written by Wolfe in the late 1980s, nearly unique to his bibliography in that they have a contemporary, American setting.
Read more about this topic: There Are Doors
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