Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Liberation Day by George Saunders

4 reviews

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.

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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

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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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

jeanbpdx's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Slavery