Another Saunders home run

[delphipsmith]

Another five-star collection from George Saunders. These are less fantastic (in the sense of having elements of fantasy or science fiction) than some of his earlier ones, but no less intriguing and powerful for that. "Home" in particular is wrenching; you never get out of the narrator's head, which creates in the reader the same sensation of being unable to escape that the character is feeling. The closing lines are enough to make you weep, and really bring home the way in which the US has failed its veterans. Many of the stories circle around ethical dilemmas, either openly or subtly; for me, this raises them above the level of just "good story" to "good story that makes you think." How would I have chosen? What would I have done? This is the kind of writing that doesn't just distract you, it affects you. "Escape from Spiderhead" in particular stuck with me, wherein the main character, a convicted criminal, makes a choice that shows him to be far more of a human being than those in charge of him. Very powerful. You can see why this guy won a MacArthur Genius Grant.

Comments

[aalia7.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, I'm going to have to check this out, then. I read "Escape from Spiderhead" when The New Yorker published it a while back and became obsessed with Darkenfloxx for a bit there. Glad to hear the rest of the collection is as engaging...sounds good.