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Liked It “The best stories in this collection are "Bounty," "Offloading for Mrs. Schwartz," and "The 400-Pound CEO." Saunders writes mostly for the New Yorker, which is where most of these stories appeared before they were collected into this book. Be prepared for his stories, they are "very literary" (but...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“In this debut collection of seven dystopian fantasies, some of which have appeared in the New Yorker and Harper's, America in the near future is a toxic wasteland overrun by vicious thugs and venal opportunists who prey on the weak and misshapen. Saunders's feverish imagination conjures up images as horrific as any from a Hieronymus Bosch painting: a field full of braying mules toppled over from bone marrow disease; a tourist attraction featuring pickled stillborn babies; and cows with Plexiglas windows in their sides. The black humor and vision of American enterprise and evangelism gone haywire are reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut's early works. In the novella "Bounty," for example, the clawed-foot narrator, who flees slavery under the "Normals" to find his sister, sees a McDonald's that is the headquarters of the Church of Appropriate Humility, aka "the Guilters." "In Guilter epistemology," he observes, "the arches represent the twin human frailties of arrogance and mediocrity." Despite the richness of the vision and the occasionally heart-melting prose, however, there is little difference in voice to distinguish one story from another. Read in one sitting, they blur into a bleak and unsettling vision of the world to come.
North Shore Country Day School English-10 wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. ”“awesome!”
Sigrid G wrote this review Tuesday, November 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The best stories in this collection are "Bounty," "Offloading for Mrs. Schwartz," and "The 400-Pound CEO." Saunders writes mostly for the New Yorker, which is where most of these stories appeared before they were collected into this book. Be prepared for his stories, they are "very literary" (but oh so hilarious).”
Nicole B wrote this review Tuesday, May 20 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Saunders' debut short story collection is a modern classic. I read it in high school when it first came out; less than two years later, I saw it being assigned in lit classes at my university. What makes it unique is the tone of the humor. You will find yourself laughing, but not always directly able to explain why, an odd experience for someone who analyzes humor the way I do. Many of the stories revolve around nontraditional amusement parks, adding a great layer of detached irony to the writing. Saunders has been fortunate, in the sense that he is receiving a lot of recognition for some cutting-edge writing. What can you say: if a broken clock can be right twice a day, sometimes even the critics and public have to get it right! Update: I just reread my review of this and I sound like a jerk.”
Spencer B wrote this review Wednesday, April 23 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“what happens when browning, dunn
mundivagant wrote this review Friday, December 28 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
and orwells’ love children venture
outside of ecotopia for a chevy chase
family vacation harangued by hitmen,
un-barbie, baywatch, pickled baby
boomer lobotomies and robert earl
hughes in crisp office whites”“Sharp satire that is somehow biting and hopeful at the same time. Oh, and mercilessly funny. ”
Leigh A wrote this review Sunday, October 28 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Saunders best collection of fiction. The title story is great. ”
Lee C wrote this review Saturday, October 20 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“George Saunders is the master of perversion.”
Kate L wrote this review Tuesday, October 16 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
