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evanscat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
dyehatgwgf's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
caity88's review against another edition
3.0
You know when you're so excited to read a book, and it sits on the shelf for months because you're "saving it"? That's how I felt about A Gate at the Stairs. I have read other works by Moore and enjoyed them, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, I felt a little let down with this one until the final 50 pages. Parts of the book just pissed me off and I was so irritated by them. Overall, the quality of the writing was great, I just didn't love the story.
earlyandalone's review against another edition
3.0
I did not love this book. I did not like a single one of the characters...except maybe the baby girl. But I will say this--the ending was one of the most shattering and disturbing I've read in a while. I found myself running late to meet friends, sitting alone in my kitchen, restlessly turning pages, my dinner getting cold because I could not put the book down. It was a combination of wanting it to be over, and of needing to know how it all played out. Even though I wasn't fond of Tassie, the book's narrator, I did end up caring what happened to her, in the end. And that's saying something, right?
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
My first Lorrie Moore book! and I really liked it. Thank you to the book I didn't like and didn't finish where one of the characters drags on Lorrie Moore, because I really liked this and I want to read another book by this author. This is set in rural America. The narrator is Tassie, who is twenty and at university in a liberal college town surrounded by farmland. She takes a job as a nanny for a family where the couple is fostering a baby leading up to adoption. The parents and Tassie are white and the little girl, Mary Emma, is biracial. The story is about family, Tassie's own and the family for whom she nannies. It's about how we bond and how we connect. I really loved this and can't wait to read another by this author.
mattyzmom's review against another edition
3.0
A nicely written story that most of us can relate to. It takes the perspective of a 20 year old college student ( who is also the narrator) and tells us her story. There were some twists and turns that surprised me.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
3.0
What an odd little book this was! It was beautifully written and kept my attention throughout, but the plot was weak and the characters not really likable or interesting, yet, I still enjoyed it. So take that for what it is worth!
tonythep's review against another edition
2.0
I was quite torn by this book. I too (like Susan G.) am a fan of Moore's short fiction and her short novel "Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?" I really wanted to like this, but, while Moore writes beautifully at times, I was never able to become fully engaged. Perhaps the story was too "down" or the writing too "realistic." Perhaps the protagonist was too "passive." I don't know and perhaps that frustrates me the most. It does make me want to go back and reread her earlier work to see if, you know, it's me or her.