Fall is always the time for the “big” books, and Lorrie Moore’s first novel in fifteen years surely qualifies. If you’ve read her haunting short story “People Like That Are the Only People Here,” I suspect you’ll be anticipating this new book as well.
The reviews of The Gate at the Stairs that I’ve read have been raves:
--Washington Post: “But what's so endearing is Moore's ability to tempt us with humor into the surreal boundaries of human experience, those strange decisions that make no sense out of context, the things we can't believe anyone would do. The novel's climax takes us right into the disorienting logic of grief for a scene that's both horrifying and tender, a grotesque violation of taboos that's entirely forgivable and heartbreaking.”
--New York Times Book Review: “Great writers usually present us with mysteries, but the mystery Lorrie Moore presents consists of appearing genial, joshing and earnest at once — unmysterious, in other words, yet still great. She’s a discomfiting, sometimes even rageful writer, lurking in the disguise of an endearing one.”
All this background is leading to this: Lorrie Moore will be reading at Politics & Prose on Thursday, September 24. Mark your calendars, and get there early! This is sure to bring in a crowd.