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A true Saunders book. It's uncomfortable, it makes us feel uneasy and the characters are mostly unlikable. But it's exactly that what makes those stories outstanding. They challenge us, make us see how we really are. We all have to face our own demons and fears, Saunders simply forms them into stories. We are just thrown into the world of the characters, we take a glimpse at their lives, and then we're gone again. Thinking about our own realities.

Crazy, sad, depressing, off-the-wall funny stories featuring pathetic white American men resentful towards the world and women, spinning their gears in the American society and economy. Glad to read some short stories from Saunders.

Diving into this.

I might have gone a little crazy at my neighborhood used book store today. I am just so happy they are open again! So important to support indie bookstores right now. They still had to pay rent all through the closure.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to read George Saunders : I wasn't sure I'd like him based on what I'd heard. I was very wrong: each of these stories cracked me up--the dialogue was hilarious. They were also touching in spots. I enjoyed how he dramatized the imaginations of his characters: it gave you insight into what they desired and how they saw themselves. Pastoralia and Sea Oak were my favorites.

Pastoralia is another great short story collection. Saunders has so much compassion for his characters, but never lets them off the hook of their own flaws or the anguish of a world overrun by capitalism.

Saunders excels at the short story. He can create a whole world, similar to our own, and portray a lifetime in a few pages. So, it may sound weird to say my impression of this collection is one of distaste. These stories are so well-written that the despair and resentment of the narrators permeated the reading experience and colored how I felt about the work as a whole.

3.5 🌟 #1001books, #reading1001

My #bookhaul from the #halfpricebooks sale included two short story collections and a book I‘ve been meaning to read for awhile. Not pictured: about 6 more books for my 7 year old!

As wild and strange as some of these short stories are, I completely enjoyed the ride. The author‘s ability to get inside the crazy, mixed-up, upside down world that exists inside the human mind as we simultaneously talk ourselves into and out of things all day long, that running inner dialog behind every face, set down on paper is a wonder to behold.

#Reading1001

Somewhat weird short stories, most are dystopian-ish. The first (Pastoralia) was my fave—about a man who works as a caveman in a museum exhibit. #1001books

When my husband and I first met, we would read each other one of these stories each night. After four years, we're restarting the book and it's just as awesome as I remembered. :)

This book>>>getting work done early

I'm not procrastinating at work, *you're* procrastinating at work.

In Pastoralia, Saunders gets to the heart of the despair that plagues modern Americans. These stories exist in a world whose familiarity makes the uncanniness that much more jarring and disturbing. At once bleak and hilarious, he makes us feel deep sympathy for characters that yearn for something more, leaving us with faint glimmers of hope even as they appear doomed to struggle.

Here's the older cover. This cover is from 2001. #retrocovers #riotgrams #day27 #daylate

Literally the only animal cover book I have. #animalcovers #riotgrams #day21 #daylate

This collection was totally up my alley. Saunders' writing kind of reminds me of Vonnegut, who I later realized is one of his inspirations. I was not a fan of Lincoln in the Bardo, but I'm so happy I gave his short stories a chance. Can't wait to read more of his work!

I'm really enjoying this collection so far. It's much more up my alley than Lincoln in the Bardo (my introduction to Saunders). 🍺🍉 #booksandbrews

So true, but mostly fun .... yet completely exhausting. 💚💚

Not only did they purchase it, it's mine! I 💚💚💚 Overdrive!

I have to work at 10:30 today which should be interesting considering my leg is fractured and I have crutches. But for now I'm going to lie in bed and read with my sweet Alastor. 😊😻📖

#ReadJanuary Day 17 - Recommended by...

I had apparently been living under a rock for some time, because I had never heard of George Saunders until I heard @Liberty talk about him on a podcast. Now I can't get enough, and am on my library's hold list for Lincoln in the Bardo!

#photoadaynov16 @RealLifeReading All the #onewordtitles I could find in my library. I haven't done many of these photo challenges, but I like the excuse to look though my books and remember titles I forgot I had and/or haven't read yet.

Good God, but life could be less than easy,not that he was unaware that it could certainly be a lot worse, but to go about in such a state, pulse high,face red, worried sick that someone would notice how nervous one was, was certainly less than ideal, and he felt sure that his body was secreting all kinds of harmful chemicals and that the more he worried about the harmful chemicals the faster they were pouring out of wherever it was they came from

I enjoyed about half the stories.

Excited for these short stories!

So awesome! It's a nice break from typical prose. Plus, Saunders really knows how to write a sentence.

"thinking positively about problems also doesn't solve them. But at least then you feel positive, which is, or should be, you know, empowering."

I'm not really sure how this got to be on a list of books that must be read. It's odd, disturbing and boring all at once for me. I'll be interested to hear what the others think of this book.

Four stories by George Saunders performed at the library. "The End of FIRPO in the World" chased one person away, but the rest cackled with joy.