Emily's review
Birds of America: Stories by Lorrie Moore
Emily's review
rating:
recommended for: anyone who likes short stories
status: Read in October, 2007
rating:
recommended for: anyone who likes short stories
status: Read in October, 2007
As in her other books, in "Birds of America" Moore has moments where she makes you feel squeezed all over, in mind and heart and gut. (The part in "Charades" where she writes about the main character's affair being an insignificant act like "taking off your gloves, clapping your hands together a few times, and putting the gloves back on" (I paraphrase badly) struck me as one.) I didn't find this book as funny as "Self-Help," thus the 4 stars, but I continue to believe that, at least in terms of short stories, Moore is one of the most important and talented living American writers. My favorites were "Terrific Mother," which I'd read before in an anthology somewhere, and "People Like That are the Only People here," which is absolutely sick in its verisimilitude. Also, "Beautiful Grade" which did a damn good job at a male POV.
