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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I love Lorrie Moore. Love her. Not sure what happened here but I found myself kind of shrugging through this. Disappointing.
I enjoyed the last four stories the most.
In the story Wings, the phrase that captures the relationship between two musicians is "Motherless children would always find each other." They are ill matched, and she becomes friend with an elderly neighbor who gives her his house where she opens a nursing home, alone at the end. So it has somewhat a happy ending.
In the story Referential, about a manic son, his mother and a failing relationship (many failing relationships) she writes, "...the loss of fathers etched primitively in an algebra of skin." And, "Mutilation is a language." This story does a great depiction of mania.
In the story Thank you for Having Me, there is comparison between weddings and funerals. It is the second marriage of the daughter's Brazilian caregiver, which mother and daughter are attending together, Moore writes, "And without weddings there were only funerals."
Every once in a while there is a quote that brought me deeper and seems philosophical. She is a good writer and there are surprises in these stories, but be prepared, they are not uplifting. These stories are not like the early Lorrie Moore stories, which are comedic in a lighter way, here they are weighted down.
In the story Wings, the phrase that captures the relationship between two musicians is "Motherless children would always find each other." They are ill matched, and she becomes friend with an elderly neighbor who gives her his house where she opens a nursing home, alone at the end. So it has somewhat a happy ending.
In the story Referential, about a manic son, his mother and a failing relationship (many failing relationships) she writes, "...the loss of fathers etched primitively in an algebra of skin." And, "Mutilation is a language." This story does a great depiction of mania.
In the story Thank you for Having Me, there is comparison between weddings and funerals. It is the second marriage of the daughter's Brazilian caregiver, which mother and daughter are attending together, Moore writes, "And without weddings there were only funerals."
Every once in a while there is a quote that brought me deeper and seems philosophical. She is a good writer and there are surprises in these stories, but be prepared, they are not uplifting. These stories are not like the early Lorrie Moore stories, which are comedic in a lighter way, here they are weighted down.
I love Lorrie Moore so much that this is not getting any less than three stars, but yeah, this was one of her weaker collections. It's a very Moore-ian irony that a book called "bark" would not have any real bite. Okay, maybe that pun is a bit too obvious and lazy for Moore - but then, so are these stories.
When I read the first story in this collection, which was quite long, I was disappointed. For years I had heard of Lorrie Moore, storyteller, and was not impressed. So much so, it took me nearly a year to pick it back up and try again. The second story was interesting enough to keep me going. By the time I finished, I realized why she gets the accolades.
Personally, there are other short story writers I prefer; but in general, the work here is solid.
Personally, there are other short story writers I prefer; but in general, the work here is solid.
Another great collection of short stories with breathtaking lines. "“Living did not mean one joy piled upon another. It was merely the hope for less pain, hope played like a playing card upon another hope, a wish for kindnesses and mercies to emerge like kings and queens in an unexpected change of the game.”
3 1/2 stars; a bit uneven but those that are good are very, very good. Does anyone else out there wish we could give half-star ratings on Goodreads??
This is my first Lorrie Moore book, although I've been reading/hearing about her for years. Kind of wish I'd started with a novel, as short stories tend to be uneven, and the reader begins comparing one to the other, rather than sinking into a storyline, characters and prose.
And what prose! Almost an overdose of clever and witty. I was snorting when reading these--the writing is just one-after-another good lines. But good lines don't always lead to a satisfying reading experience.
Will pick up a novel next--looking forward to it. These stories were the hook.
And what prose! Almost an overdose of clever and witty. I was snorting when reading these--the writing is just one-after-another good lines. But good lines don't always lead to a satisfying reading experience.
Will pick up a novel next--looking forward to it. These stories were the hook.
I love well written short stories. It's an amazing talent to get me caught up in a world that only lasts for a few pages.