Roddy's review
Pastoralia
by George Saunders
Roddy's review
Pastoralia by George Saunders
Roddy's review
rating:
bookshelves:
literature
recommended for: People who like short stories
This is another George Saunders book - a collection of short stories and perhaps a novella in there. You'll like this book if you like the following themes: the absurdity of theme parks, people hiding a physical feature they're ashamed of, people trying to combat loneliness.
This has a good smattering of all three and then some. Its been a bit since I read it, but this whole book is full of people who take their lives and jobs too seriously, and then pay for it. Its also full of people who are to be pitied, who pity themselves and then come out of their shells. Often in those same stories, we see everyone fighting crushing loneliness in pitiably ill-conceived ways. The characters are all unique but seem to have in common that they are ashamed of some part of themselves. Whether they address it and rise above, or don't and burrow in. Saunders's greatest talent, I think, resides in his ability to get you to empathize with the characters, regardless of their deformity or unbelievable re...more
This has a good smattering of all three and then some. Its been a bit since I read it, but this whole book is full of people who take their lives and jobs too seriously, and then pay for it. Its also full of people who are to be pitied, who pity themselves and then come out of their shells. Often in those same stories, we see everyone fighting crushing loneliness in pitiably ill-conceived ways. The characters are all unique but seem to have in common that they are ashamed of some part of themselves. Whether they address it and rise above, or don't and burrow in. Saunders's greatest talent, I think, resides in his ability to get you to empathize with the characters, regardless of their deformity or unbelievable re...more
