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cmcrockford's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very, very good with some quibbles: (1) Saunders is doing some really neat sci-fi except literary critics wouldn't quite be plotzing themselves over his work if they, oh, picked up some PKD or LeGuin or any other genre writer they deign too low for them, and (2) some of the stories pull a singular trick with "person in dystopia has eyes opened" and you can only do that so many times before it's just a trick and not a real emotional process.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Confinement, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Gun violence, Blood, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content
scmiller's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Murder, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Colonisation, Physical abuse, and Police brutality
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Abandonment, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
jakemitton's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
George Saunders may be one of the most talented writers I’ve ever read work by. His grip on the English language is so absolute and his prose is at once beautiful and engrossing. The stories in Liberation Day are varied in their subjects but share a similar feeling and themes throughout. The way that Sauders is able to draw you into the world of his stories within a page or two is masterful.
These stories do not have happy or even always satisfying endings. This could be seen as weakening them but I think that the way they are writing the endings feel like the only possible way these tales could possible be left. None of these stories are finished, the part we get to experience has just come to an end.
If you are a fan of somewhat surreal writing and of short stories then I cannot recommend this enough. Similar feeling to some black mirror episodes.
I cannot wait to read more by George Saunders.
If you are a fan of somewhat surreal writing and of short stories then I cannot recommend this enough. Similar feeling to some black mirror episodes.
I cannot wait to read more by George Saunders.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
deedireads's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Liberation Day is just plain short story writing at its best. George has given us a deeply human collection of unforgettable characters and plenty to think about.
For you if: You like slightly weird short stories.
FULL REVIEW:
TY, Random House, for the gifted copy of this book! George Saunders is undoubtedly one of the best short story writers of our day, and so when I saw that he had a new collection coming out, I couldn’t let it pass me by. Thank goodness I didn’t! It’s just as good as we expected it to be (and maybe more).
All nine stories here are deeply human and fun to read, even when the topics are heavy. They’re also imaginative, sometimes dipping a pinky toe into sci-fi in the best way (the title story is about a man, pinned up on a wall and fed lines as entertainment for guests, who falls in love with his “owner’s” wife). They ask us: what is our reality? What is our responsibility inside that reality? What is the true self? Is control over others ever ethical? What does it mean to have hope in defiance of the world around us?
One other thing I loved was that a few of these stories played with multiple narrators, which you so rarely see in short fiction. But George and his incredible character and voice work pulls it off and then some, spinning us to greater depth and unfolding the plot like a puzzle.
Finally, let me implore you to please listen to the audiobook WHILE you read along with the print copy! Like with Lincoln in the Bardo, the cast of narrators is too good to miss (I especially loved Tina Fey’s performance of the second story), but there are some (especially the first and eighth stories) that will be hard to follow on audio alone. BOTH is the way to go, just trust me!
TL;DR REVIEW:
Liberation Day is just plain short story writing at its best. George has given us a deeply human collection of unforgettable characters and plenty to think about.
For you if: You like slightly weird short stories.
FULL REVIEW:
TY, Random House, for the gifted copy of this book! George Saunders is undoubtedly one of the best short story writers of our day, and so when I saw that he had a new collection coming out, I couldn’t let it pass me by. Thank goodness I didn’t! It’s just as good as we expected it to be (and maybe more).
All nine stories here are deeply human and fun to read, even when the topics are heavy. They’re also imaginative, sometimes dipping a pinky toe into sci-fi in the best way (the title story is about a man, pinned up on a wall and fed lines as entertainment for guests, who falls in love with his “owner’s” wife). They ask us: what is our reality? What is our responsibility inside that reality? What is the true self? Is control over others ever ethical? What does it mean to have hope in defiance of the world around us?
One other thing I loved was that a few of these stories played with multiple narrators, which you so rarely see in short fiction. But George and his incredible character and voice work pulls it off and then some, spinning us to greater depth and unfolding the plot like a puzzle.
Finally, let me implore you to please listen to the audiobook WHILE you read along with the print copy! Like with Lincoln in the Bardo, the cast of narrators is too good to miss (I especially loved Tina Fey’s performance of the second story), but there are some (especially the first and eighth stories) that will be hard to follow on audio alone. BOTH is the way to go, just trust me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gun violence
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Police brutality, Fatphobia, and Alcoholism
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