The Stager

by Susan Coll

The Stager is a comedy of rabbits and real estate in the D.C. suburbs from Susan Coll, the author of Acceptance and Beach Week Dominique is one very bitter rabbit. His owner, Lars Jorgenson, is a former tennis pro who has blown out both knees, become obese, and is now addicted to a cocktail of prescription drugs containing the letters X and Z, one weird side-effect of which is that he has developed an omniscient point of view. Both Dominique and Lars are going crazy in the affluent Maryland suburbs where their faux Tudor home is up for sale. Idle on the market for months, the home is now being staged : A professional has come in to redecorate and depersonalize the house so that others can imagine themselves living there. Into the messy personal life of Lars and his beautiful wife Bella comes Eve, an unemployed journalist-turned stager who immediately realizes, as she steps into the foyer, that she is in the home of her former best friend. Eve knows way too much about Bella, including the questionable paternity of the meddling young child who lives in this house. Questions of friendship, loyalty, fidelity, sobriety, and sanity are raised to hilarious effect in this dark comedy of how we live now in the age of planned communities, cookie-cutter mansions, and cutthroat careerism.

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published July 8, 2014

About the author

Susan Coll is part of the events team at Politics and Prose bookstore, and the president of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. She is the author of the forthcoming Bookish People (Aug. 2022), as well as The Stager, Beach Week, Acceptance, Rockville Pike, and karlmarx.com. A television adaptation of Acceptance, starring Joan Cusack, aired in 2009.

Reviews

[Mary Kay Zuravleff · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her best novel yet, Susan Coll masterfully turns suburban life inside out. To the stager hired to depersonalize a house, every knickknack tells a story; namely, that Eve is beautifying the home of her former best friend, Bella, whose husband Lars is a top-seeded tennis player gone to seed. Fortunately for us readers, the way Lars downs his X- and Z-named meds renders him omniscient, a brilliant device that allows him to narrate his own struggles as well as his wife's shenanigans. The Stager is a tour de force of imagination, craft, and social satire. Within its chapters, Coll mixes a potent cocktail of marriage, status—and devotion—that will leave you shaken and stirred.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Coll can craft beautiful sentence after beautiful sentence. Her take on the Bethesda D.C. area is laugh-out-loud perfect. Plus she works at Politics and Prose and what's not to love about that? My only complaint is that in the best books, you just need someone to root for and these characters are not admirable at all. Read it for the writing and the situation, but go say hi to the author at P and P if you want to meet a really nice person.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every other chapter is written from a perspective of either the dad, or the daughter or as the book continues on, someone else. I started skipping the father's point of view! Kind of a weird, quirky book...but I got thru it. Don't know if I would recommend it to everyone, but I know a few folks would really get into the weirdness of this one. Don't know if I'll read anything else by Susan Coll. Was kind of hoping to get inside of the head of someone who was a "home stager". Didn't really happen for me...I did, however, really like the last chapter!!!

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It takes roughly four to six minutes for prospective buyers to decide whether or not they like your home. Maybe they don’t like the color of the walls, your taste in decorations or your choice in monthly publications. These are all things that could cause potential buyers not to purchase your home, even though they are all things that can be changed about the house. This is where a stager comes in, or more importantly our stager, Eve Brenner. Eve is a stager working for Amanda, one of DC’s best realtors. As a stager she is employed to stage houses, change decor to make it more appealing to potential buyers and to depersonalize houses; basically all the things potential buyers apparently look for. However when she enters into a house in The Flanders neighborhood outside DC, she realizes it belongs to a long lost friend with whom she has lost touch.

Susan Coll’s newest literary achievement The Stager, stars four different points of view: Elsa, daughter of Bella and Lars, unrequited companion of Eve; Lars, husband to Bella, self obsessed and addicted to his anti-anxiety medications; Eve, former best friend of Bella and current stager of her glamourous Tudor and Dominique the rabbit, who goes missing in the first few pages of the novel. You see in the beginning of this tale Bella has just landed a promotion at her job, requiring her to uproot her husband, daughter and pet rabbit for a move across the narrow sea to England where she will be the V.P. of some important division in a more important large scale bank. Bella and Lars leave to asses the new house she has bought (which needs at least three skylights according to Lars and home decorator Jorek), leaving Elsa, her nanny Nabila and Eve to take care of their DC home. Eve spends the next week while they are in London “depersonalizing” their house to make it seem more homey to potential buyers. She hides their decorations; ones specifically scoured from parts of the globe to which the family has traveled. She paints the front door, cleans up Elsa’s room a dozen and a half times, only to realize after a few days in the house that she’s somehow landed herself in the house of her former best friend. Now it’s a battle against the clock and against 10 year old Elsa’s insistence for friendship for Eve to finish staging the house before Bella gets back from England and realizes she’s the stager.

The Stager is brilliantly written; Coll’s prose is the most readable thing I’ve read so far in 2014. It flows freely, akin to that of a literary thriller, but much more intelligently. Her varied perspective fits this story perfectly. About a third of the story comes from each Elsa, Lars and Eve, leaving only Bella’s perspective really a mystery, but she seems like a flat, bland character anyways. The beauty of The Stager at times can be just Dominique, the family’s pet rabbit. Although he has very little to do with the story, other than causing some of the problems that Eve has to clean up and Elsa obsessing over him, he’s the veritable hidden tapping foot that moves the story along. Amidst all the familial problems and issues with color coordination in the house, the reader will probably think: “I wonder what sort of trouble Dominique is getting into. Really, I wonder if he’s actually dead.” The Stager is quick and to the point making it one of the best novels of 2014.

Rating: 9/10 – The Stager is an absolutely wonderful piece of literature. Susan Coll does wonders in small form with a 270 page novel, taking us from Washington D.C. to Jakarta to London, telling a story about familial spats, friendship woes and a pet rabbit. This novel should be on everyone’s 2014 radar.

Originally posted on: astheplotthins.com

[Leila · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read my full review here: http://leilarice.blogspot.com/2014/07...

Susan Coll’s The Stager is a wry and witty dark comedy about real estate, marriage, friendship, and modern life in upper middle class suburbia. Coll sets her tale in affluent Bethesda, Maryland, where a professional “stager” has been hired to help prepare a house for sale. The stager realizes that she has a tangled personal history with the owner of the house—a hot shot banker named Bella. Bella lives in the home with her husband Lars, a former tennis star turned emotional basket case, and their daughter Elsa . . . who may or may not be the biological daughter of Lars, given Bella’s rather loose definition of marital fidelity. The stager, although she knows she should refuse the job on the grounds of her complicated past with Bella, finds herself unable to walk away. Meanwhile, the house itself is emitting a terrible, unexplainable smell . . .

The Stager is an amusing and often delicious read. The novel is well-written, inventive, and clever…. Very, very clever. In fact, in some ways, it is a touch TOO clever. Coll lost me a bit when Lars—the washed-up former tennis star--develops an omniscient point of view and then proceeds to hold long, meandering conversations with his daughter’s pet rabbit. Some of that, for me, felt a little too gimmicky. The main plot lines about Bella and her dysfunctional relationships with her husband and her former best friend would have been enough for me . . . I would have preferred those to be explored more deeply without all of the antics about the talking rabbit.

Nevertheless, I found The Stager to be quite entertaining. I haven’t read a Susan Coll novel before, and I’d like to read some of her other books; The Stager is her fifth novel.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Farrar Strauss Giroux, in return for an honest review.

[Bari Lynn Hein · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I were to rate this book as a comedy, it would get a very high score. I can envision some of the scenes from this novel on a movie screen, and can guess where the audience would laugh. If I were to rate The Stager for cleverness and originality: more high scores. The first page surprised me – I love books that open with a surprise – and compelled me to read on. An early scene of a girl following a rabbit and encountering cakes and twins struck me as a well-written homage to Alice in Wonderland. A much later scene of dialogue between a man and a rabbit was impeccably done.

If you don't see me giving low scores on Goodreads, it’s because if I don’t enjoy a book, I close it – sometimes more than halfway in – and don’t bother finishing it. I never felt that way about The Stager. But at the same time, I never felt the sort of connection that I wanted to feel, the sort of connection I felt in Coll’s Rockville Pike. The characters are complex and flawed but disconnected from each other. Maybe that’s the problem. The only character I identified with was a ten-year-old girl. The two women in the novel never really reached me. One never gave her point of view, and the other gave hers in drawn-out backstory.

I have a feeling my rating would’ve been higher if I hadn’t read Rockville Pike. When I opened The Stager, I had high expectations for engagement, entertainment and good writing. On engagement, I felt that this novel fell short. But its delivery of entertainment and well-crafted writing were enough to keep me turning the pages. And they were enough to pique my curiosity about the rest of Susan Coll’s work.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Stager” is a sophisticated, clever and laugh-out-loud funny social satire. It’s full of well-observed details about suburban life, wealth and privilege, snobbishness, political correctness, class difference, finance and economics, travel, infertility, infidelity, middle age, celebrity, and, of course, shelter magazines, real estate and home staging.

Told mostly from two points of view – a 10-year-old field-hockey playing private school girl, Elsa, and her has-been former tennis pro father, Lars. The premise sets up an intriguing conflict: a home stager hired by a successful real estate agent realizes upon first entry that she was once friends with the woman of the house, Bella. The ethical thing would be to resign the job, but Eve stays. She is eventually given her own point of view so she can tell us the story of their estrangement.

The fourth main character, Bella, is seen only through other characters’ eyes, an interesting choice that sets up limitations that Coll transcends through an inventive device that will delight literary readers. Finally, Bella returns home from a business trip and all is revealed. Both Big Pharma and hippy magic contribute to the delicious absurdities of the ending.

[Marissa Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this so appealing?

Quirky storytelling methods: A character may or may not be omnisciently experiencing action through the eyes of another character. Also, he may be at a tea party with a pet rabbit.

The three characters who tell this story are likeable sorts. There's the self-conscious, precocious and emotionally vulnerable 10-year-old who tries her best to enjoy the company of the adults around her while taking everything they tell her at face value. There's also a once-handsome, once-strong man who has undergone great decline but maintains his capacity to love and is a doting father. Finally, there's an anxious yet dependable professional who has experienced setbacks in her marriage and her career but does not let personal grievances stop her from caring for the well-being of an innocent girl.

[Lisa Beaulieu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up after reading a favorable review that called it a comedy. My worry was that it was going to be fluff ... ummm, no. I did not laugh once, although it was clever. It was an amazing portrait of a narcissist, from the differing viewpoints of those around her. Having put in my own time with a narcissist, I was not amused, but I was incredibly impressed with the insight and description. The ending is so satisfying, true to life, hopeful but with no big bow tying it all up. Upon finishing I went back to see which chapters were written from the narcissist pov ... and none of them were! It's exactly true, everything revolved around her, even when she wasn't ever really there! Stunningly done.

[Michelle Brafman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stager grabbed me by the throat. The writing is phenomenal, and while the humor is dark and wicked, at the core of this novel lies Susan Coll's huge beating heart. She writes beautifully about the secrets and friendships that define us, and there is so much wisdom in these pages that about a third of the way through I started reading with a pad of post-it notes.

The novel moves seamlessly between three narrators, each of whom have been damaged by the same woman. I don't think I've ever cheered so hard for one character, much less three.

I read this as a book about redemption, one that gives us all hope that we can find our way out of the "wrong stories" we've crafted for ourselves, and in so doing, we can reclaim our lives.

[Eileen · Rating 1 out of 5]

She started off well with an interesting situation, but then the author couldn't figure out how to do exposition without having the husband read the wife's mind from 3000 miles away. I don't know of any psycho-drug that has long-distance mind-melding as a side effect. Then we get into the conversation with the stoner runaway rabbit, who is trying to do marriage counseling. Not to mention the missing spleen. And then we have the stoned stager, who passes out from the "tea" but still manages to get everything done in time for the open house next morning. And the woman who somehow manages to live undetected, with two kids, in the model home. Sorry, Susan Coll, you are off my list.

[Caroline Bock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Stager and The Rockville Pike back-to-back. These novel are peopled with characters who have more "first world" issues than most but done with such intricate language, distinctive voices, I enjoyed them immensely— admittedly, almost as a social study at times— perhaps, akin to the way I read Updike these days (on the rare times I read Updike). But in my world, Susan Coll is a writer worth reading. I'll be watching for her next book!

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny and touching. Coll indulges in some meta-fiction; at one point a man and a rabbit have a lengthy argument about how to tell his story, but somehow it all works. The rabbit even has the last word! Satire of upscale real estate enclaves, kids raised by nannies, and more themes of modern life is spot on. A very enjoyable read!

[Uwe Hook · Rating 2 out of 5]

This *could* have been funny, but wasn't. I kept hoping things would improve, but alas the end was even worse. No resolution between The Stager and Bella; no fix for Lars; no idea how the move to London went -- very disappointing. It felt a terrible waste of time. Should have washed my hair instead.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not into this book. I had to skip the parts written by Lars. Drug addicts don't get much sympathy from me. I also didn't care about how the Stager knew the homeowner. And the kid was annoying with her misbehavior. It got very strange with all the talking rabbit business at the end. Would not recommend this book. I didn't see the point of it.

[Julie Langsdorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Coll's latest is a whimsical romp through through affluent suburban Maryland, London and the drug-induced workings of one former tennis player's mind. Her sharp wit and brilliance combine with a magical realism that is entertaining and unexpected. Her best yet.

[Miriam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed like it could use a few revisions, or some additional chapters. Intriguing premise, but not a lot of depth.

[Laura Sturza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sensational read. In the voices of just four characters, a father, a daughter, their rabbit and their home stager, we learn the intimate details of their lives and the lives of the realtor and the wife of the home that must be sold. Part of what makes it such an interesting read is that these wise narrators are hyper-aware of the impact exacted by the people they describe, and we learn about each person through the different narrators' voices. The effect of this unusual and highly successful means of storytelling is that it creates a kind of mystery, with dribs and drabs of character revealed along the way.

Often, I want to read books with characters I can love or like, at least on some level. These characters are complex, rarely lovable, full of faults with glimmers of possibility they may turn themselves into better people at some point. And yet, my like or dislike of their behaviors never kept me from remaining fascinated in what would take place next.

This is largely due to the fact that Coll is an author with a dark, dry wit, and a stunning facility for language and ideas. I dog-eared multiple pages featuring images I didn’t want to forget. On page 134 the Stager (a former news writer) says, “Although it ought to be obvious that foyers set the tone, most people give their entryways little thought, even though these are pretty easy to design. All you really need is a mirror so people can check for food in their teeth on the way out the door, and a small table on which to toss mail and keys. A dim, lousy foyer, or one without functionality, is like a flaccid run of words in the lede of the story, and just as you lose your reader, you’ve already doomed the sale.”

It was a book I wanted to sit with for as long as possible, and was sad as it got closer to ending. I was heartened however, in knowing Coll has written other books. I look forward to reading them.

[Cornish Maid · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. The story is told in turns by three of the main characters, plus the pet rabbit. The author’s style of writing is very long-winded. I found it rambled on and on in sections with way too much needless detail. Having said that, I’ll give the author credit for trying a totally different style of storytelling than your average book. The rabbit’s part at the end was quite witty. I’m not sure I’d recommend this book, but if you’re looking for something different, give it a go.

[Priscilla Nemeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the approach to this novel—each chapter from a different point of view, which allowed for fantasy, childishness and adult disbelief. What a great formula for drawing characters together— a woman who stages houses for sale (so familiar to us now thanks to HGTV) coming upon a house belonging to someone from her past. Don’t want to be a spoiler, but how Coll presents the drug befuddled interior of the husband is terriific.

[Enid · Rating 3 out of 5]

forgettable

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

ehhhhh

[Malachi Antal · Rating 3 out of 5]

fengshui & mocking rabbit

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky, quick read, with some smart commentary on marriage, childhood, and aspirational real estate.

[T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Vibe: This tried way too hard to be clever and funny with the result that it was neither clever nor funny. Oh, a talking stoner rabbit, I'm clutching my sides laugh- not.

[Lorraine Ranchod]

Quirky, but good.

[Shane Valle · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF'ed. Idk why.

[Artie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, right up to the end, and then thought, what the hell just happened?

[Evva Starr · Rating 1 out of 5]

All unlikeable characters. Chapter narrated by rabbit on opium tea. Ugh.

[Chana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Modern day wanna-be Alice in Wonderland. For me, it was a miss in nearly every way. I didn't like the drug use, the character's personalities, the rabbit, the neighborhoods, the house, the Stager, her staging, the memories, the adultery, the house. I said "house" twice, and there are two houses. #1 house in a rich neighborhood of Maryland, victim of destruction wrought by rabbit and child, and a place of terrible smells. Man of the House, Lars, only destroyed the #2 house, the posh LONDON house. The house being staged for sale is the MARYLAND house. La-de-da.
It is possible if I read Alice in Wonderland today I wouldn't like it either. I prefer my reality un-drugged.
I suppose it all is supposed to mean something; like let in the truth and the light will shine, let's get the skeletons out of the closet and dissipate that smell of secrets, let's stop trying to be someone else and find our own identity. Here is a lesson to take from the acting father, drug addict, cuckholded Lars, as repeated by his brat of a daughter Elsa, and given as advice to Lars by the bitter, sarcastic, spleen-stealing male rabbit Dominique: RE-CALIBRATE. And not while you are under the influence as your calibrations are going to be off. That part is my advice.
And you might want to be sure of your Stager. This one paints her nails with the child's nail polish, paints a giant rabbit on the wall, and walks off with a tchotchkis. There is a good reason though, sort of. And she did walk through the looking glass when she walked into this house.
I have to give the book credit for the clever analogies, the tongue in cheek statements and the black humor.