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theabee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship
cmcrockford's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very, very good with some quibbles: (1) Saunders is doing some really neat sci-fi except literary critics wouldn't quite be plotzing themselves over his work if they, oh, picked up some PKD or LeGuin or any other genre writer they deign too low for them, and (2) some of the stories pull a singular trick with "person in dystopia has eyes opened" and you can only do that so many times before it's just a trick and not a real emotional process.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
rorikae's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
'Liberation Day' by George Saunders is a thought-provoking short story collection that delves into topics such as how we participate in systems, political propaganda, how we view others, and more. The collection spans from longer pieces to shorter pieces that intersperse the longer ones. I personally found that the longer pieces were my favorites because Saunders was allowed the time to more fully explore worlds and in the process convey more commentary. My two personal favorite stories in the collection are the titular Liberation Day, which comments on participation in systems, classism, and personal autonomy. My other favorite is Elliott Spencer, which discusses political propaganda, bodily autonomy, and the lengths people will go to to make a point. I found the shorter stories less affecting, especially those that were more realistic. Where Saunders blends speculative elements with commentary are where I feel that his writing shines. If you have been a fan of Saunders work in the past, I definitely recommend this collection. It has a lot of meaty ideas to chew on and I'll be thinking about them for quite some time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent