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A review by canadiantiquarian
The Oasis by Mary McCarthy
4.0
In The Oasis, a group of intellectuals flee the dramas of modern society to live happily in "Utopia." It is a grass-is-greener novella satirizing the desire to flee dark reality for a pristine utopia, and the slow realization that this oasis is actually a mirage.
As much as this is Mary McCarthy satirizing the people and dramas of her era, The Oasis is just as thoughtful and stirring today -- not just for how it challenges flights of fancy and superficial desires to expatriate, but also for its treatment of the endless variants of desire. Many of McCarthy's lines feel like they were written today -- her satire deftly pulling the veil from the way one shared desire can be achieved by many different and clashing rationales.
As much as this is Mary McCarthy satirizing the people and dramas of her era, The Oasis is just as thoughtful and stirring today -- not just for how it challenges flights of fancy and superficial desires to expatriate, but also for its treatment of the endless variants of desire. Many of McCarthy's lines feel like they were written today -- her satire deftly pulling the veil from the way one shared desire can be achieved by many different and clashing rationales.