A Gate at the Stairs

I've had a bad week. We were broken into and robbed again. This time during the night while we slept. Its an awful disturbing and frightening feeling - and also has made me feel a bit down and angry. Fortunately no-one was hurt and nothing of significant value was taken but it has left a bad taste in my mouth (and resulted in very light sleep!).

The events of the week coincided with me starting A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore. I often wonder about how much your mood or current situation impacts on your experience of a book (or movie or event) - do you think this too?

I found the book odd, maudlin, depressing and unsatisfying whilst admittedly beautifully written - the book was however, shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2010 and also voted by the New York Times Book Review as Book of the Year - so what would I know!

With America quietly gearing up for war in the Middle East, twenty-year-old Tassie Keltjin, a 'half-Jewish' farmer's daughter from the plains of the Midwest, has come to university - escaping her provincial home to encounter the complex world of culture and politics. When she takes a job as a part-time nanny to a couple who seem at once mysterious and glamorous, Tassie is drawn into the life of their newly-adopted child and increasingly complicated household. As her past becomes increasingly alien to her - her parents seem older when she visits; her disillusioned brother ever more fixed on joining the military - Tassie finds herself becoming a stranger to herself. As the year unfolds, love leads her to new and formative experiences - but it is then that the past and the future burst forth in dramatic and shocking ways.


The story is narrated by twenty year old Tassie which I found difficult to believe. The language and thoughts used by Tassie just seem to me far too mature, intelligent and philosophical to make me really feel like she was truly a twenty year old and I found this an enormous distraction to me while trying to follow her story. Perhaps, this is once again a reflection of my shallowness, lack of intelligence and education at the age of twenty - I'm pretty sure I was just at university, drinking at the pub and hanging out with friends! Perhaps I am just being cynical and there really are twenty year olds that think and speak like this, I just don't know any.....


I found the story a bit weird and as I said before, a bit unsatisfying and I am struggling to think of an audience to recommend this to. Would love to hear anybody else's thoughts on this book if they have read it - particularly if you loved it and I have completely missed the point. Until then, save your money and I will continue to find another un-put-downable read.