Miracles every day
This newish George Saunders piece didn't do anything for me. It seems slight, fluffy, like a trite humor piece slapped into one of those middlebrow magazines like the New Yorker. That's exactly what it is though, isn't it? His first two short story collections had moments that were genuinely unsettling, but some of the same tics that helped create that tone now seem silly. Saunders riffs a lot on the banality of American culture, but this is almost indistinguishable from real letters that i read in my local paper, with just some smug winking to set it apart.
2 comments:
Have you read In Persuasion Nation, his newest story collection? It's incredibly awesome. I loved Saunders' first two story collections, too, and I was scared that the next one wouldn't hold up--but it really does. Commcomm is one of the best stories ever written. You should check it out. Also, I hear he has a new book--of nonfiction--coming out in a few weeks.
Sorry to be so slow to respond.
Yes, i've read it. I was still working in the bookstore, and eagerly awaited the release date. It's pretty strong, but i still found the first two better. You're not the first to recommend CommComm to me, which i've already read, but perhaps i need to read it again soon.
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