MOO charts new territory for Smiley in terms of plotting, language, setting, characters, and tone. Like The Greenlanders (1988), it differs radically from novels like A Thousand Acres (1991), which form the primary basis of her literary reputation and popularity.

What MOO suggests is that Smiley is unwilling to write fiction that merely replicates her successful writing, that she relishes the challenge of attempting something new. In this she illustrates her multidimensional career as a scholar, teacher, and writer.