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nancyflanagan 's review for:
A Gate at the Stairs
by Lorrie Moore
Lorrie Moore is kind of an acquired taste. Her fertile mind and writing style sometimes get in the way of the plot; I don't think it's a matter of editing--it's about whether or not you enjoy her particular circuitous routes to truths and storytelling.
And the story here is rather weighty. Moore's narrator, Tassie, is only 20, and she has a lot of monumental events happen to her in a short period of time. She tries, like any very young person, to sort these out, but Moore lets the confusion and erratic behavior that comes from being 20 steer her actions. We're hearing the story from an older Tassie, years later--but the choices she makes really feel like those of a 20-year old college student, trying to figure out who she is, and why the world is so inexplicable. There's a little humor, a touch of sarcasm and a whole lot of stumbling around.
The heart of the story is Tassie's job as a babysitter for a biracial child being adopted by a white couple. As the white parent of an Asian son, the dynamics of this ring very true to me--it's a series of unanswered questions. In addition, there's a boyfriend who turns out to be not who he says he is, and a brother seeking her help and reassurance. Tassie often feels like the only sane person in her world.
Moore's narrative style occasionally (for me) gets in the way, with an overdose of description--so many plants! so much food!-- that slows down the story, but only sometimes. The writing is mostly delicious, but when the story is as compelling and layered as this one, the reader wants to know what happens next.
And the story here is rather weighty. Moore's narrator, Tassie, is only 20, and she has a lot of monumental events happen to her in a short period of time. She tries, like any very young person, to sort these out, but Moore lets the confusion and erratic behavior that comes from being 20 steer her actions. We're hearing the story from an older Tassie, years later--but the choices she makes really feel like those of a 20-year old college student, trying to figure out who she is, and why the world is so inexplicable. There's a little humor, a touch of sarcasm and a whole lot of stumbling around.
The heart of the story is Tassie's job as a babysitter for a biracial child being adopted by a white couple. As the white parent of an Asian son, the dynamics of this ring very true to me--it's a series of unanswered questions. In addition, there's a boyfriend who turns out to be not who he says he is, and a brother seeking her help and reassurance. Tassie often feels like the only sane person in her world.
Moore's narrative style occasionally (for me) gets in the way, with an overdose of description--so many plants! so much food!-- that slows down the story, but only sometimes. The writing is mostly delicious, but when the story is as compelling and layered as this one, the reader wants to know what happens next.