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A review by thingtwo
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
3.0
I want to say I loved this book, but I think I just fell in love with the author. This is my first experience reading Lorrie Moore and I know I'll be back for more. Her biting wit reminds me of Jonathan Franzen's. Unfortunately, the entire story didn't work for me.
The story opens with Tassie, the daughter of a small town potato farmer, who is interviewing for a job as a nanny. She is evidently a college student, although she spends very little time in the book actually in class. Tassie narrates a year of her life, covering such topics as racism, love and heartbreak, post 9/11 fear, and tragedy, with clarity and cynicism which seem too developed for her limited life experiences. The tale also leaves a lot of big pieces just dangling. There are a number of characters in this book, many of whom seem to have significant roles, who vanish with no apparent reason.
Even with this criticism, I look forward to reading more from this author. She has a gift I'd like to enjoy further.
The story opens with Tassie, the daughter of a small town potato farmer, who is interviewing for a job as a nanny. She is evidently a college student, although she spends very little time in the book actually in class. Tassie narrates a year of her life, covering such topics as racism, love and heartbreak, post 9/11 fear, and tragedy, with clarity and cynicism which seem too developed for her limited life experiences. The tale also leaves a lot of big pieces just dangling. There are a number of characters in this book, many of whom seem to have significant roles, who vanish with no apparent reason.
Even with this criticism, I look forward to reading more from this author. She has a gift I'd like to enjoy further.