A review by wdudley89
CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders

4.0

I knew that the title story in this collection is set in a twisted theme park but didn't realize that all of the stories have similar settings. Reading the stories in quick succession (because they are enjoyable to read and hard to put down despite their dark and often twisted subject matter -- reminiscent of Flannery O'Connor in that respect), I found myself wanting more variation (wondering what an author as talented as Saunders could do without the fantastically constructed environments in which these tales take place). The "author's note" (a delightful twenty page essay) at the end of the book helped me understand and appreciate the approach he took during the long period (7 years) when he wrote these 6 stories. I am left wanting to read more of Saunders' work.