Reviews

The Braindead Megaphone by George Saunders

jstrahan's review against another edition

4.0

Really enjoyed this! Worried it would be a bit too smug ‘opinion columny’, but only felt that sort of ‘person who would be described as a humorist’ energy a couple of times. Loved the travelogue/investigation bits the most. Made me both well up and also chuckle so all round very good

aholeistodig's review

5.0

I would probably let George Saunders cut off one of my fingers, just to say I'd interacted with him.

Braindead Megaphone is all kinds of funny and sad and mordant and just plain fantastic writing--and don't take my word for it: Jonathan Franzen, Sarah Vowell, Zadie Smith, Thomas Pynchon, and Michiko Kakutani all loved it, too.

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patkohn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

rpmahnke's review

3.0

I saw George Saunders a few nights ago and picked this up at the table out front, since I think I have most of his fiction that was for sale. Uncharacteristically, I stopped reading this after 100+ pages. Maybe I’m just not in the right mood and I’ll come back to it. The writing is adroit, but it’s too cute.

jamesthesnake's review

3.0

This is shocking that it was written before social media was omni present lots of how society continues to function

elizala's review

2.0

Some of this is so good ("Nostalgia," "A Manifesto"), and some of it (the Dubai essay, etc.) has aged SO poorly.

makamano's review

dark funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

I really appreciated the narrative theory in particular (an essay on what makes a good sentence? Give me more!) Some of the pieces lost my attention at times but overall a great read. 

pfaze's review

3.0

This collection of essays is both funny and quirky in an entertaining way.

stuart78's review

3.0

A couple of excellent entries, particularly the border patrol story and introduction to Huck Finn.

rocketiza's review

5.0

Containing perhaps the funniest essay I have ever read to one of the most humanizing articles with a 360 perspective on immigration, what I really took away most from this collection was an insightful commentary into how Saunders approaches the world and translates into his writing. The articles are ordered in a way to build off each other despite being on a range of topics, and gave me a new appreciation for his other books that I've read. His ability to entertain while at the same making the reader think about very big issues is superb, and as always I find myself thinking back to his points and central ideas well after finishing the book.