The Stone Door
The Stone Door by Leonora Carrington, published by New York Review of Books on July 22, 2025, is a surrealistic adventure story that intertwines themes of love, the Zodiac, and the Kabbalah. This edition spans 144 pages and is presented in English. The narrative unfolds in a richly layered manner, exploring the convergence of ancient cultures and mystical elements, including Transylvania and Mesopotamia, through the experiences of its two central characters.
Readers will encounter a unique blend of absurdist and fantastical elements as they navigate the tale of a mad Hungarian King named Böles Kilary and a woman’s journey toward self-discovery. The Stone Door serves as both an omen and an incantation, inviting exploration of profound themes while celebrating the union of male and female energies. This long-unavailable work, originally written at the end of World War II, offers a distinctive perspective on liberation and awareness, making it a noteworthy addition to the realm of world literature.
Official synopsis Publisher
Ancient Mesopotamia, the Zodiac, and the land of the dead feature in this wildly surrealistic adventure story—Leonora Carrington’s revolutionary first novel, long out of print.
The Stone Door is an omen, an incantation, and an adventure story rolled into one. Built in layers like a puzzle box, it is the tale of two people, of love and the Zodiac and the Kabbalah, of Transylvania and Mesopotamia converging at the Caucasus, of a mad Hungarian King named Böles Kilary and of a woman’s discovery of an initiatory code that leads to a Cyclopean obstacle, to love, self and awareness, to the great stone door of Kescke and beyond.
Written at the end of World War II but not published until 1977 and long unavailable, The Stone Door is at once a celebration of the union of the surrealist painter Leonora Carrington and her husband, the Hungarian-born photographer Chiki Weisz, and an argument for the unification of the male and the female as a means of liberating the human race.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “The Stone Door” about?
Who is the author of “The Stone Door”?
When was “The Stone Door” published?
What is the ISBN for “The Stone Door”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
