Rating: 5/10
As
an avid radio listener throughout my teens, I first came across Lorrie
Moore by accident when I heard a live reading of her famous short story
"How to Become a Writer." Normally, especially at that age, I would
quickly seek out other works of newly-discovered writers I enjoyed, but
in the case of Moore, though I continued to stumble upon the story
throughout the years, along with one or two others, I never actively
searched for more of her work. About a year ago I came across a bent
copy of
Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?, and finally read the book last week.
Moore's second novel, currently bookended by
Anagrams (1986) and
A Gate at the Stairs (2009),
is a short work that reads like a memoir, a narrator's personal guide
through a specific time in her life. (Memoir, however, is simply another
kind of fiction, another kind of fabrication; while there are certainly
elements from Moore's own life present in the work, it does not read
like autobiography.) The narrator is on vacation in Paris in the midst
of a seemingly failed marriage, and interspersed with brief
conversations with and thoughts of her husband, hearkens back to a
summer in the 1970s during which she was obsessed with popular best
friend Sils.
The work focuses on the relationship, the narrator's insecurities and
very much on the decade. Though it is well written (very well written),
it is lacking. The plot is incidental and awakens late in the work,
which generates an uneven read. (Ironically, this is one of the threads
running through Moore's "How to Become a Writer," as protagonist Francie
is being criticized for her lack of plot.) The ending is rushed
through, acts as an epilogue and is unnecessary. I would have liked to
have been left in the uncertainty of the past as mirrored by the
uncertainty of the present, as the two narratives should coincide. Or
perhaps the present should have also had its own epilogue? But not
really.
While I did not care much for the work as a novel, it is a fast read and
worthy of a read for Ms. Moore's writing skills are impressive. The
characters are solid and real, and the small town universe they live in
is constructed with great care.
Now to seek out more of those fine short stories...
Blog note: Moore has continued to produce fine work.
