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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Not Saunders’ best. Might be his worst. Not terrible. Just a dud. But him being my favorite, a dud still shines in this case. I’d give it a read still. 3.5 I guess *shrug*
Also, it was nice to see a familiar face—Elliot Spencer from the New Yorker was in just past the middle. On that note, I think the structure would have definitely benefitted if he led with that story first, giving that usual ole Saunders weirdness without losing his touch then have Liberation Day in the middle as a nice cushion, being near novella length. He does this with Pastoralia having bounty near the middle. I think a structural or developmental editor should have spoke up about that IMHO.
Also, it was nice to see a familiar face—Elliot Spencer from the New Yorker was in just past the middle. On that note, I think the structure would have definitely benefitted if he led with that story first, giving that usual ole Saunders weirdness without losing his touch then have Liberation Day in the middle as a nice cushion, being near novella length. He does this with Pastoralia having bounty near the middle. I think a structural or developmental editor should have spoke up about that IMHO.
An apt name for this collection would be “Lessons in Empathy.” That’s the through line across most of the stories, especially the ones I liked and remembered the details of. My favorites in descending order: A Thing at Work, Mother’s Day, Love Letter.
Overall though, the weird syntax and creative writing was distracting for me and I liked it less than I thought I would.
Overall though, the weird syntax and creative writing was distracting for me and I liked it less than I thought I would.
Troubled times, troubling book. George Saunders can sure put words together.
Saunders' latest short stories continue to unveil unsettling places and situations and characters who think of themselves highly—consider themselves good people—while full of the petty selfishness and flaws we all have. Saunders’ writing reminds me of Wes Anderson’s filmmaking—so particularly crafted with an unmistakeable voice. The hyper-stylized storytelling never lets me forget who the creator of this piece is / I’m never swept into the story itself but watch the craft of it unfold. And I do admire the craft. There were a few stories that felt, at first, a little preachy, like I knew where this story was headed, but then he veers from that expectation, leaving us with people just grappling with their next move when their beliefs get messy in contact with the actual world.
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
"Liberation Day" contains several short stories that I feel are masterful, perhaps even masterpieces. Saunders continues to astonish. These stories are all set in alternate futures, in varied formats, which I feel kept them fresh. Moreover, I particularly appreciated that Saunders paid special attention to writing multiple short stories from the viewpoints of elderly individuals, who had different voices and POVs than their younger counterparts. Memory erasure and political tensions are common themes across these stories as well. The titular "Liberation Day" describes a world wherein people have their memory erased to serve as performers for other rich individuals; the narrator (an erased Speaker) enjoys his life until rebellious individuals looking to free the Speakers and Singers trigger the memory of his former life, and his rebellious love affair with the rich mistress of the house is quashed (he is left bereft and hopeless. In "The Mom of Bold Action," Saunders considers what it means to be a good person, and a good parent, through the eyes of a mother who wants to protect her husband and son from the small ways which guilt intrudes upon your consciousness, as hard as you try to do good. In "Love Letter," Saunders writes a letter from grandfather to grandson about how he tried to prevent the new government from rising, but failed, and now advises him to accept the status quo for his own safety, even as he struggles with his desire to rebel. (This, to me, was the least interesting premise, but I also loved the general conceit of the story.) In "A Thing At Work," Saunders touches upon class politics through the lens of water-cooler culture. (Class politics are another theme of these works.) "Sparrow" is about love, though an entirely unremarkable sort, while "Ghoul" was an entirely different surreal love story. "Ghoul" imagined a world in which individuals were relegated to their various "positions" in Hell, acting the part of demon or "spearer," and performing for endless Visitors, all while simultaneously living in dark and decrepit conditions underground. Yet these conditions can not be acknowledged; if someone dares acknowledge them, they are beaten to death by their comrades. However, our narrator reveals that Visitors never truly come, and through the deaths of his friends comes to understand that the place has no "Egress Spout" through which Visitors will suddenly emerge... but nobody knows that but him. Knowing his death is soon to come, he prints out evidence that the Spout does not exist and leaves it everywhere around "Hell..." and the story leaves us waiting for his fate. I really enjoyed this one. It was terribly surreal but also amazingly immersive. "Mother's Day" focused on the lives of two aging mothers with their own sets of issues (I didn't love this one, to be honest). "Elliot Spencer," however, was my favorite. It follows a man Greg, 89, who wakes up with no memory and is taught sets of very simple words ("idiot") to hurl at others when commanded to do so by his singular "friend," Jet. As the story progresses, Greg remembers that he is actually Elliot Spencer, and though he lived most of his life as an alcoholic, he loved his mom and his childhood friends. He was brainwashed to serve as a political pawn in protests. Understanding that he is a new man, he escapes (undramatically, he wanders into the woods) from Jet and his former "friends," hoping to make a life of his own, all while understanding that he is old and must die soon. This story was heartbreaking - particularly when Elliot learns what "death" is from Jet, and understands that his mom is dead. The book concludes with "My House," a moving mediation on age, values, and money.
Fabulous. I mostly don’t like short stories, but there are exceptions. Lauren Groff, Anthony Doerr, Stephen King and George Saunders are the exceptions. I’ll read anything Saunders writes.
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Laughed. A lot. And was deeply moved at moments. Saunders continues to blow my mind with his imagination, his irreverence and his ability to touch our profound humanity.
This is, obviously, well written. My second attempt at Saunders... he's just not for me.