lucyblack's review against another edition
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I love the way Lorrie Moore writes, she's so observant and sharp. The main character of this novel is a young woman in her early 2os who is kindof lost but still brave, a really likeable character. The plot is a bit cooked though, so quietly bizarre and maybe shoe horning a few too many 'issues' in.
katylang's review against another edition
2.0
Included a lot of navel-gazing big thinking by the main character that I found to be all over the place and not always related to the story or have any resemblance to what Tassie would likely be musing on. Maybe to a different person or in a different headspace I would've found it profound...but I did not.
spiderfelt's review against another edition
2.0
Blech. Too much. Too dense. Too much philosophizing and not enough substance.
heathernj9's review against another edition
4.0
Lorrie Moore hasn't written anything in a long time so I was excited to see her new novel out. It's an interesting story of a small town girl going away to college and dealing with racism, love, and military stuff post-9/11. She never fails to surprise and end in an unexpected way. Highly recommend.
greebytime's review against another edition
1.0
Lorrie Moore is an insanely talented writer - her collection of stories, Birds of America, is so brilliant it should probably be required reading. And yet, after reading her latest - and first full length - novel, The Gate At The Stairs, I feel like I need to pick Birds back up to remind me of why I like her writing so much.
Yep, it's that bad. Click the link below to read the full depressing review.
The protagonist of the novel is Tassie Keltjin, a 20 year old college student who takes on a job as the nanny for an older couple who have [illegally:] adopted a bi-racial girl.
I should note that the book is set in the months after 9/11, something noted in every review I read before purchasing the book and, as far as I can tell, almost wholly irrelevant to the book. I really can't figure out why this gets mentioned - because the two relevant aspects - a man Tassie dates and her brother enlisting the army - are either not flushed out nearly enough or so patently obvious in their conclusions that they made me feel sure I was missing the bigger point.
Moore goes to great lengths to show Tassie's sassiness (she rides a scooter! She plays the bass! She's totally disaffected!) as well as mock the politically uber-correct -- notably when Tassie eavesdrops on a parents group she's enlisted to babysit for. Parents of bi-racial children get together and their conversations are just slapped together since Tassie is listening in. The conversations are maddening, and way too clever, and of course that's the point.
But ... there is just about NOBODY to like here. Not even Tassie, who suffers through some predictable disappointments. Certainly not the parents she nannies for who are particularly loathsome, and not her barely present boyfriend whose secret seems relevant and shocking - and then after being revealed halfway through the book never returns again. Moore seems intent on making commentary about politics, Starbucks and war - all of which I probably agree with, but they don't advance the story a whit.
It would be fine if nobody was likeable, I've read and enjoyed plenty of those books - but there isn't really much of a plot here. It's a tale about a part of a young woman's life where she goes through what can only be called some bad shit. It's certainly not intolerable - I finished it, there are many clever sentences along the way - but it falls so short of expectations, of fulfilling the promise the book sets up for itself, that any way you slice it, The Gate at the Stairs is a true disappointment.
Yep, it's that bad. Click the link below to read the full depressing review.
The protagonist of the novel is Tassie Keltjin, a 20 year old college student who takes on a job as the nanny for an older couple who have [illegally:] adopted a bi-racial girl.
I should note that the book is set in the months after 9/11, something noted in every review I read before purchasing the book and, as far as I can tell, almost wholly irrelevant to the book. I really can't figure out why this gets mentioned - because the two relevant aspects - a man Tassie dates and her brother enlisting the army - are either not flushed out nearly enough or so patently obvious in their conclusions that they made me feel sure I was missing the bigger point.
Moore goes to great lengths to show Tassie's sassiness (she rides a scooter! She plays the bass! She's totally disaffected!) as well as mock the politically uber-correct -- notably when Tassie eavesdrops on a parents group she's enlisted to babysit for. Parents of bi-racial children get together and their conversations are just slapped together since Tassie is listening in. The conversations are maddening, and way too clever, and of course that's the point.
But ... there is just about NOBODY to like here. Not even Tassie, who suffers through some predictable disappointments. Certainly not the parents she nannies for who are particularly loathsome, and not her barely present boyfriend whose secret seems relevant and shocking - and then after being revealed halfway through the book never returns again. Moore seems intent on making commentary about politics, Starbucks and war - all of which I probably agree with, but they don't advance the story a whit.
It would be fine if nobody was likeable, I've read and enjoyed plenty of those books - but there isn't really much of a plot here. It's a tale about a part of a young woman's life where she goes through what can only be called some bad shit. It's certainly not intolerable - I finished it, there are many clever sentences along the way - but it falls so short of expectations, of fulfilling the promise the book sets up for itself, that any way you slice it, The Gate at the Stairs is a true disappointment.
lnb's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
well, i love the way lorrie moore uses language, but this novel wasn't terribly successful to me plot-wise... a weird little (big) book
smbla's review against another edition
4.0
I am not a huge fan of post 9/11 specific literature-I did ,however,love the smallness of this story and the eloquent prose Lorrie Moore employed. We have all been Tassie and regretted an act or an inaction.
The story takes place in a small Midwestern college town. Tassie is from a small farming community her Father farms designer produce, much sought after in Chicago and larger cities highly unusual in their town. Moore draws on several stereotypes and prejudices but does not let the plot get mired in them.
Tassie is hired by Sarah as a nanny in advance of Sarah and Charles' planned adoption. The story evolves into lies, loss, fear in the most normal of progressions. Although not a warm story it is a thought provoking and ultimately a haunting tale that is worth the read.
The story takes place in a small Midwestern college town. Tassie is from a small farming community her Father farms designer produce, much sought after in Chicago and larger cities highly unusual in their town. Moore draws on several stereotypes and prejudices but does not let the plot get mired in them.
Tassie is hired by Sarah as a nanny in advance of Sarah and Charles' planned adoption. The story evolves into lies, loss, fear in the most normal of progressions. Although not a warm story it is a thought provoking and ultimately a haunting tale that is worth the read.
christiek's review against another edition
I am sometimes dismayed by how often it seems I am abandoning books. Oh well. I have a large to be read stack and the library lets me have them for only so long.
In 6 days I got only 73 pages into this book. I was not drawn to pick it up at all. It takes meandering turns to tell slightly amusing stories or witty observations, but it takes so many and they aren't all that funny, that the story has no chance to build a head of steam.
In 6 days I got only 73 pages into this book. I was not drawn to pick it up at all. It takes meandering turns to tell slightly amusing stories or witty observations, but it takes so many and they aren't all that funny, that the story has no chance to build a head of steam.
katdid's review against another edition
4.0
On a technical level this is probably a five star book, in that Moore is crazy talented. There were many things I liked about it but at the same time I couldn’t entirely connect with it. It was unsatisfying, in the way that real life can be unsatisfying. Weirdly though for me the ending was a knockout! and I don’t even know why, because it shouldn’t have been. I have the feeling that this book will probably stay with me for a while.
julieacf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0