In one of the eight short
stories that make up the collection Bark, a woman comes to realize that,
“Living did not mean one joy piled upon another. It was merely the hope for
less pain…” Here, in one thought, is the theme of this collection by Lorrie
Moore. Middle-aged men and women separate, divorce and try (without much
success) to connect with new partners. Career choices and financial decisions
have turned out to be mistakes. Children shock and disappoint. Illness looms in
the future. Anxiety caused by financial collapse and a distant war hangs over
society. But this book is not as grim as it sounds. The
characters in these stories are stoic. And, because Moore is an acclaimed
wordsmith with a mischievous sense of humor, they deal with their problems by
joking and wisecracking and punning. Moore also creates improbable scenarios
that are gently humorous. A woman accidentally cooks a pan of chicken on the
CLEAN setting of her oven but takes it to the party anyway. After a motorcycle
gang realizes it is terrorizing the wrong outdoor wedding, they apologize and
meekly drive away. The stories in Bark are about early 21st
century American life. They are sad, ironic and quirky, just like real life.
