jbmorgan86's review against another edition
4.0
Pastoralia is the second book in my (chronological) George Saunders journey. I read this short collection (six stories) in less than a 24 hour period. I feel like I’m starting to get Saunders’ tone and sardonic humor.
In all of his stories that I’ve read so far, he writes from a first person perspective in a world that kind of resembles 21st century United States, but is much more dystopian. By doing so, he lampoons the absurdities of modern America.
This collection features a story about a man who must work as an “authentic” caveman for spectators, a bizarre little story about a clueless self-help guru, and a story about a woman who comes back from the dead to save her Chip n Dale nephew and high school dropout nieces from themselves. I find these stories clever and darkly funny, but I’m not quite sure I’d call them enjoyable.
In all of his stories that I’ve read so far, he writes from a first person perspective in a world that kind of resembles 21st century United States, but is much more dystopian. By doing so, he lampoons the absurdities of modern America.
This collection features a story about a man who must work as an “authentic” caveman for spectators, a bizarre little story about a clueless self-help guru, and a story about a woman who comes back from the dead to save her Chip n Dale nephew and high school dropout nieces from themselves. I find these stories clever and darkly funny, but I’m not quite sure I’d call them enjoyable.
gorecki's review against another edition
3.0
Saunders is a master of exaggeration. Take Pastoralia for example with its mundane, everyday, boring things turned 180° and magnified until they seem crazy. There is a man with a dead-end job in a Stone-Age themed amusement park where people pretend to be cavemen and cavewomen. There is another one leading the uneventful life of a male exotic dancer forced by the ghost of his aunt to show his boy parts to women frequenting his bar. And there are also klutzes, scatterbrains and people trying to figure out “who’s been crapping in their oatmeal”. Add a pinch of Saunders to any of these and there you have it - the boring and everyday parts of our world turned upside down into outrageous, nonsensical absurd stories. Dead-end jobs, monotonous lives, people stuck between, all start sparkling with a coat of uncomfortable mix of laughter and pity. Anyway, you get the idea!
I don’t generally like satire. There is usually something about it that just seems to float by me and leave me detached. I’m there, I’m present and smiling, but it’s an absent kind of smile. Not because I don’t get the joke, more because it doesn’t really evoke too many emotions in me. That said, though, Saunders is the only author I keep going back to for more of it. Good man, George!
I don’t generally like satire. There is usually something about it that just seems to float by me and leave me detached. I’m there, I’m present and smiling, but it’s an absent kind of smile. Not because I don’t get the joke, more because it doesn’t really evoke too many emotions in me. That said, though, Saunders is the only author I keep going back to for more of it. Good man, George!
palomapepper's review against another edition
4.0
Wacky, melancholic satire with exaggerated absurdity. Topics include capitalism, poverty, demeaning service jobs, miserable office politics and required niceties, classism and social status worries, misplaced hope, and other mundane ills. Often, there’s an interesting blur between a character’s (complex, bizarre, anxiety-ridden) internal life and his external life.
Huh. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. I can definitely see why Karen Russell lists Saunders as one of her influences.
Related links:
The Art of the Sentence: George Saunders (Tin House) - Interesting dissection of the central character’s continually-imperfect fantasies in “The Barber’s Unhappiness”.
Huh. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. I can definitely see why Karen Russell lists Saunders as one of her influences.
Related links:
The Art of the Sentence: George Saunders (Tin House) - Interesting dissection of the central character’s continually-imperfect fantasies in “The Barber’s Unhappiness”.
nickdleblanc's review against another edition
4.0
This is closer to a 3.5 star review for me, but I found it harder to give 4 stars than 2 stars, so here we are. Saunders is a heavy stylist and his prose can beat you down. Clearly the man knows how to wield a pen, but at a few points through the book I found myself looking for a break from the continual psychological battering. Granted, this is probably my fault for reading the book straight through like a novel rather than taking my time and reading in pieces as a short story collection is sort of set up for. THE BARBER’S UNHAPPINESS was my favorite story. SEA OAK and THE END OF FIRPO... were my least favorite. THE FALLS is an incredible portrait of an overthinker and I found myself laughing out loud at how Saunders was somehow able to transmit some of my unhealthiest thought patterns into his story. Saunders understands people and psychology. He also knows how to break your heart. I enjoyed CIVILWARLAND more than this collection even though these stories may be more technically well constructed and written. This collection just beat me up emotionally and psychologically. But, maybe that’s a good thing. On second thought...I take back what I said. This was a 4 star book.
bear_paw's review against another edition
3.25
Avg: 6.5/10
Favorite: Sea Oak
Others I Liked: Winky, The Barber's Unhappiness
Favorite: Sea Oak
Others I Liked: Winky, The Barber's Unhappiness
Funny and insightful. Saunders has a unique voice and dark sense of humor. Lots to enjoy in this collection.
aclamadoautor's review against another edition
3.0
A minha primeira leitura de Saunders. Este livro inclui seis contos, dos quais apenas gostei verdadeiramente de dois. Os outros quatro têm alguns momentos interessantes, com reflexões e tiradas com que nos identificamos enquanto humanos - quer pelo elemento cómico, quer pelo trágico - mas, em termos de ciclo de história e conclusão, desiludem um pouco. Percebe-se o intuito, mas fica-se a desejar mais.
Gostei bastante do primeiro conto, que dá o título ao livro, «Pastoralia», e também - embora com alguma distância do anterior - do «A Infelicidade do Barbeiro».
De salientar a excelente capa desta edição da Antígona.
Gostei bastante do primeiro conto, que dá o título ao livro, «Pastoralia», e também - embora com alguma distância do anterior - do «A Infelicidade do Barbeiro».
De salientar a excelente capa desta edição da Antígona.
joejoh's review
4.0
An interesting collection of short stories. Not the best from Saunders, but certainly worth the time it took ton read them
yc0210's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5