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The Fortieth Door
"The Fortieth Door" by Mary Hastings Bradley is a novel written in the early 20th century, likely reflecting the cultural tensions and romantic ideals of its time. The story revolves around Jack Ryder, an American excavator in Cairo, who becomes entangled in a complex web of social conventions and forbidden love when he meets Aimée, a Turkish girl caught between her family's expectations and her personal desires. The opening of the book introduces Jack Ryder, who is reluctantly persuaded to attend a masked ball by Jinny Jeffries, an engaging girl he has entertained during her travels. Despite his disdain for such social gatherings, he ultimately decides to go for her sake. At the ball, he encounters a mysterious black domino, Aimée, who captures his attention with her enchanting presence. Their dance is filled with an intense connection, but it quickly becomes complicated as Aimée reveals her intended marriage to a powerful general, Hamdi Bey, orchestrated by her father in a bid to maintain family honor and security. The tension of their forbidden attraction and Aimée's impending fate set the stage for a tale steeped in intrigue and cultural clash.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1920
5 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Mary Hastings Bradley
38 books3 followersMary (Wilhelmina) (nee) Hastings Bradley (1882-1976) was an American writer. Her story The Life of the Party appeared in The O. Henry Prize Stories anthology. She published over twenty books including mysteries and travel writing. She is also noted as the mother of science-fiction author James Tiptree Jr. (real name Alice B. Sheldon) and she wrote a book referring to her titled Alice in Jungleland. Amongst her other works are: The Favour of Kings (1912), The Palace of Darkened Windows (1914), The Fortieth Door (1920), The Innocent Adventuress (1921), The Road of Desperation (1932), Old Chicago: The Fort (1933), Pattern of Three (1937), Murder in the Family (1951) and Nice People Poison (1952).
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 20, 2016
A romantic adventure set in 1920 Cairo, Egypt. A young archaeologist sets out to rescue a beautiful girl from the palace of her Turkish husband on the day of her hated arranged marriage. This would've made a great film in the late 1920s/early 1930s. (I can picture a young Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. as Jack.) A fun action-filled read.
September 14, 2023
I love this book.
Highly enjoyable adventure in Cairo in 1920. A love story, a swashbuckler, and a look back at very different times through the eyes of our brave hero, our equally brave heroine, and our loathsome villain. Harems, arranged marriages, mummies, tombs, and a lot of other wonderful settings enliven this story from Mary Hastings Bradley (who it was revealed up on her death was James Tiptree Jr.'s mother!).
Highly enjoyable adventure in Cairo in 1920. A love story, a swashbuckler, and a look back at very different times through the eyes of our brave hero, our equally brave heroine, and our loathsome villain. Harems, arranged marriages, mummies, tombs, and a lot of other wonderful settings enliven this story from Mary Hastings Bradley (who it was revealed up on her death was James Tiptree Jr.'s mother!).
September 15, 2012
This was written in 1920, I think. Yet, the prose is quite vivid and compelling. Set in Cairo, with an archeologist who falls in love with a Turkish girl. While it doesn't provide new moral issues to contemplate, it was just such a good read that I thought it merited a 5. And, it was free on Kindle!!
April 9, 2018
I started reading The Cinema Murder and then got sidetracked by this gem of a book. In one word, I describe this book as captivating; the same word my sister used when recommending it to me.
It is captivating, trust me; you will not want to put it down. I nearly forgot to feed my baby lambs! It's the type of book that makes you hold your breath (in suspense), that makes your eyes sparkle and your cheeks flush... it is clean and very well-written.
The plot is predictable, the people typical, and I found some of the Arabic phrases used incorrectly. However, it is excellent for a book written in the 1920s!
It is captivating, trust me; you will not want to put it down. I nearly forgot to feed my baby lambs! It's the type of book that makes you hold your breath (in suspense), that makes your eyes sparkle and your cheeks flush... it is clean and very well-written.
The plot is predictable, the people typical, and I found some of the Arabic phrases used incorrectly. However, it is excellent for a book written in the 1920s!
August 4, 2019
Good plot. Written in the early part of the 20th century. Takes place in British controlled Egypt. Also, i found a passage in this book that could have been Freddie Mercury's inspiration for:
"Bismillah! No, we will not let you go
(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go"
The wording is very close to this.
"Bismillah! No, we will not let you go
(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go"
The wording is very close to this.
August 14, 2012
I am a dyed in the wool murder & mayhem fan, and won't normally read a love story, but I read this anyway and rather enjoyed it, despite myself. It was a little different and gave some few insights into the old Muslim world.
December 7, 2013
25 NOV 2013 -- my lunchtime walking book. A fun mystery set in Egypt. An archeologist goes unwillingly to a masquerade ball and mayhem follows.
6 DEC 2013 -- a very good listening-to companion for lunchtime walks.
6 DEC 2013 -- a very good listening-to companion for lunchtime walks.
July 8, 2008
A good adventure story, but you have to accept this book as a product of its time (a little racist, sexist, and imperialist).
January 9, 2012
An American archeaologist attends a masked ball in Cairo and meets an unusual woman, thus begins a mystery...
November 7, 2025
How ironic to have started listening to the LibriVox recording of this story on World Digital Preservation Day, only to discover from Wikipedia that the 1924 film adaptation is on the Library of Congress National Film Preservation Board’s list of “7,200 Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films”!
Overall this is a fun romance in the style of the time period it was written. It is easy to see how it could be adapted into a film. The plot generally entertains and the writing style makes the characters feel real and authentic. However, one feels that Jack Ryder, in being the swashbuckling hero for one maiden, foolishly neglects and treats a different maiden rather badly. This can be forgiven though, as the reader is swept up into the heroic adventure of aiding a lady who, when the POV is turned to her thoughts, is just as brave and actually somewhat smarter than the hero*. Unfortunately like most damsels in distress, she is trapped by the norms of her culture and is unable to save herself without the aid of a white knight.** Thankfully for the hero who rushes headlong into the fray, heedless of the consequences of his actions, there are several stalwart friends and even a stranger ready to lend aid.
My rating would have been 4 stars if not for the last line. It left me confused and did not provide enough explanation. I have read enough of these types of adventure stories to expect an epilogue or the friends receiving a telegram/ newspaper announcement that provides them and the reader with an explanation. Instead, the story ended rather unsatisfactorily. The footnotes below express some of my frustrations. I understand that Ryder acts the way he does partially to fulfill the plot and tropes and partially because it was 1920 and he’s an American man abroad. That doesn’t mean I don’t find him infuriating at times, particularly as the narrative criticizes his shortcomings but then rewards him all the same!
*chivalric heroes are not often the smartest, as then they would never go rushing into danger, so it is understandable that Ryder is the dumbest character and does not take the advice of his friends, especially (as the narrative constantly reminds) he is very young and (therefore) impetuous. However it does not make his lack of foresight (often highlighted by his own reflection on What He Should Have Done in pseudo-flashbacks) any less frustrating.
**said white knight has little to no understanding of the great offense he gives in flaunting those cultural norms, despite living in the country for two years. Again, this is understandable since at the story’s beginning, he lives mostly for his excavation work, scorns society, and he is an American and therefore is afforded more social grace as a White Foreign Man. He even receives grace from his fellow American because he is a man, as women of the time were unfortunately expected to do. It is interesting that while the story criticizes Turkish customs as barbaric and sexist, it does not realize that it is reinforcing the sexist Western norms of the time, since in 1920, Americans & Europeans, especially Brits, considered themselves the most civilized (and some still do). Reading the story from a modern perspective, one learns a great deal about both the politics and the cultural norms of the white upperclass world of the early twentieth century. There is irony in the characters’ reflections on the interaction of French and Turkish culture, but the most interesting part is that both Ryder and McLean consider the biggest trouble/ social faux pas to have been committed by Delcassè when he brought his family to Egypt with him, highlighting the imperialist mindset!
Overall this is a fun romance in the style of the time period it was written. It is easy to see how it could be adapted into a film. The plot generally entertains and the writing style makes the characters feel real and authentic. However, one feels that Jack Ryder, in being the swashbuckling hero for one maiden, foolishly neglects and treats a different maiden rather badly. This can be forgiven though, as the reader is swept up into the heroic adventure of aiding a lady who, when the POV is turned to her thoughts, is just as brave and actually somewhat smarter than the hero*. Unfortunately like most damsels in distress, she is trapped by the norms of her culture and is unable to save herself without the aid of a white knight.** Thankfully for the hero who rushes headlong into the fray, heedless of the consequences of his actions, there are several stalwart friends and even a stranger ready to lend aid.
My rating would have been 4 stars if not for the last line. It left me confused and did not provide enough explanation. I have read enough of these types of adventure stories to expect an epilogue or the friends receiving a telegram/ newspaper announcement that provides them and the reader with an explanation. Instead, the story ended rather unsatisfactorily. The footnotes below express some of my frustrations. I understand that Ryder acts the way he does partially to fulfill the plot and tropes and partially because it was 1920 and he’s an American man abroad. That doesn’t mean I don’t find him infuriating at times, particularly as the narrative criticizes his shortcomings but then rewards him all the same!
*chivalric heroes are not often the smartest, as then they would never go rushing into danger, so it is understandable that Ryder is the dumbest character and does not take the advice of his friends, especially (as the narrative constantly reminds) he is very young and (therefore) impetuous. However it does not make his lack of foresight (often highlighted by his own reflection on What He Should Have Done in pseudo-flashbacks) any less frustrating.
**said white knight has little to no understanding of the great offense he gives in flaunting those cultural norms, despite living in the country for two years. Again, this is understandable since at the story’s beginning, he lives mostly for his excavation work, scorns society, and he is an American and therefore is afforded more social grace as a White Foreign Man. He even receives grace from his fellow American because he is a man, as women of the time were unfortunately expected to do. It is interesting that while the story criticizes Turkish customs as barbaric and sexist, it does not realize that it is reinforcing the sexist Western norms of the time, since in 1920, Americans & Europeans, especially Brits, considered themselves the most civilized (and some still do). Reading the story from a modern perspective, one learns a great deal about both the politics and the cultural norms of the white upperclass world of the early twentieth century. There is irony in the characters’ reflections on the interaction of French and Turkish culture, but the most interesting part is that both Ryder and McLean consider the biggest trouble/ social faux pas to have been committed by Delcassè when he brought his family to Egypt with him, highlighting the imperialist mindset!
December 6, 2025
This is an utterly delightful book. A romantic adventure set in Egypt in the period between the two world wars, it could probably not be written today. For one, it is quite ethnocentric. But more importantly, a modern novel could not produce its simple, you might even say naive, charm.
Jack Ryder is a handsome young archaeologist. He is also shy and unworldly, and much prefers the rough camp living of his excavation site to polite Cairo society. In a weak moment he promises his friend Ginny (who would like nothing more than to be more than a friend to Jack) that he would attend a masquerade ball. But once he is there he is bored and out of his comfort zone… until he meets a shy young lady who seems as out of place as he does. They dance and enjoy one another’s company.
But it turns out the lady is a young Turkish girl from a very traditional household. Usually cloistered behind high walls, she has stolen away for the evening to see what life is like on the outside. But returning to her house that evening, she is in for a terrible surprise: her father has given her to a much older man as a bride.
Well, Jack can’t let that happen. And, perhaps, everything is not exactly as it seems.
Of course there is a happy ending. But in between there is much excitement, plot twists, and excellent writing. It all makes for a lovely and fun story.
Jack Ryder is a handsome young archaeologist. He is also shy and unworldly, and much prefers the rough camp living of his excavation site to polite Cairo society. In a weak moment he promises his friend Ginny (who would like nothing more than to be more than a friend to Jack) that he would attend a masquerade ball. But once he is there he is bored and out of his comfort zone… until he meets a shy young lady who seems as out of place as he does. They dance and enjoy one another’s company.
But it turns out the lady is a young Turkish girl from a very traditional household. Usually cloistered behind high walls, she has stolen away for the evening to see what life is like on the outside. But returning to her house that evening, she is in for a terrible surprise: her father has given her to a much older man as a bride.
Well, Jack can’t let that happen. And, perhaps, everything is not exactly as it seems.
Of course there is a happy ending. But in between there is much excitement, plot twists, and excellent writing. It all makes for a lovely and fun story.
July 5, 2017
I read the Project Gutenberg version, which is remarkably free of typos. Written in the 1920s, The Fortieth Door is--yes--racist. (A lot is made of the heroine's ethnic identity. A lot.) It's also full of action and implausibility and villainy and coincidence--which are just what I've been hankering for. Bradley, however, does her best to give most of the characters some depth.
September 17, 2018
3 stars for the plot, 5+ stars for the excellent style and the background research.
August 13, 2019
This comedy masquerades as a drama. Well written and fun.
June 19, 2020
Classic story. Enjoyed the enchanting tale of love and the ends humans will go to protect themselves.
March 14, 2024
This tale is a bit slow although the melodrama remains top notch. J. M. Smallheer (the Librivox reader) is spectacular.
January 13, 2024
A mystery set amid the crumbling ruins of a long-dead civilization and the clash of two modern civilizations. What could be better? Okay, so maybe the archeological aspect wasn’t as prominent as I could have wished, and maybe the mystery was almost completely missing, and it was mostly a Gothic romance in an exotic setting, but it was still very suspenseful. Not because there is any doubt about the success of our hero’s endeavor, but more because there were a few times that I couldn’t see how the author was going to get them out of the ridiculously melodramatic scrapes she gets them into. Some of the suspense was wondering just what crazy obstacle they would have to overcome next.
So if you are in the mood for an insta-love melodrama with the action of an Indiana Jones movies, this is the perfect book for you.
There are a couple curse words early in the story. Then there was a spot where our hero must face down an attempted seduction. It is delicately handled, but I do wish that had been left out.
So if you are in the mood for an insta-love melodrama with the action of an Indiana Jones movies, this is the perfect book for you.
There are a couple curse words early in the story. Then there was a spot where our hero must face down an attempted seduction. It is delicately handled, but I do wish that had been left out.
March 12, 2015
I found the plot so ludicrous that it was difficult to like anything else about this book. SPOILER ALERT. The "poor maiden" is being forced into a marriage by her evil stepfather so our intrepid hero flies to her rescue. When he points a gun at the baddie's head, the latter - who is an Army General - falls down in a dead faint. What does the intrepid hero do? Rather than tying the baddie up and gagging him, the hero ignores him at which he promptly jumps up from his pretend faint, disarms the hero and takes both the hero and the "maiden" captive. There are many more examples like this. Characterisation is so slight that we hardly get a feel for anyone in the book and thus liking them is hard work. I was just glad when it ended.
May 16, 2019
This is my second reading. I love this book.
Highly enjoyable adventure in Cairo in 1920. A love story, a swashbuckler, and a look back at very different times through the eyes of our brave hero, our equally as brave heroine and our loathsome villain. Harems, arranged marriages, mummies, tombs, and a lot of other wonderful settings enliven this story from Mary Hastings Bradley (who it was revealed up on her death was James Tiptree Jr.'s mother!).
Get the audio free from Librivox.
Highly enjoyable adventure in Cairo in 1920. A love story, a swashbuckler, and a look back at very different times through the eyes of our brave hero, our equally as brave heroine and our loathsome villain. Harems, arranged marriages, mummies, tombs, and a lot of other wonderful settings enliven this story from Mary Hastings Bradley (who it was revealed up on her death was James Tiptree Jr.'s mother!).
Get the audio free from Librivox.
June 28, 2023
This was written by the mother of Alice B. Sheldon / James Tiptree, Jr. and I was interested in reading it after reading Julie Phillips' Tiptree biography. I had expected it wouldn't be very good, but it was worse than anticipated. Orientalist to the extreme, predictable plot, and the irritating tendency to describe everything with no less than two adjectives.
June 3, 2015
I listened to this book on my drive to and from work over the last couple weeks and really enjoyed it! There were some things I really didn't expect which were interesting and it made my drive much nicer! I would definitely recommend this!
January 13, 2012
An interesting book of a venture which takes place in Egypt. A good hobby for a quiet day.
May 29, 2012
"Well thanks for rescuing me! Bye."
February 23, 2014
This was a captivating old book. I couldn't put it down!
August 14, 2016
Interesting read.
February 8, 2019
Reminiscent of a 1930's set vlack and white thriller. Enjoyable throughout.
I listened to this on Podbean, an unexpected resource!
I listened to this on Podbean, an unexpected resource!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews