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gillianhagenus's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 - Saunders is the only one who can get me to read a collection of essays start to finish and genuinely enjoy each one. His self-aware humour is marvellous and of course I will always enjoy his literary criticism. A delight.
iwnbh's review against another edition
3.0
I had high expectations for this one because Fox8 and Tenth of December are some of the best, most moving short stories I've read ever - but this was pretty much a mixed bag. It starts off with an essay on TV and mass/social media and how it is contributing to the rot of American national psyche, which, okay, it was written in 2007 so I see how it could've been a relatively nascent discussion then. But it definitely didn't hook me in. Like a lot of other people who've reviewed this, I much preferred the chapters about writing and literature, and I liked the GQ travel essays, but some chapters just felt like filler to me. Saunders has a distinct voice that can either cut straight to the essence of something in a simple yet heartbreaking way, or it can grate on you as he takes you through unsteady metaphors and allegories stretched thin over one too many concepts.
pollardgreens's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Enjoyed a lot of the pieces but found several pretty smug and annoying in a way that made me go "oh This is what people who don't like George Saunders don't like about him," so at least it was an edifying reading experience overall
jcoker10's review against another edition
5.0
Impeccable and important like everything Saunders writes. The essays about Slaughterhouse Five and Huck Finn are especially noteworthy.
skmiles's review against another edition
3.0
Saunders is always a fascinatingly strange thinker: creative, surprising, striking. This collection worked less well for me than some of his others, it seemed a little less polished, less cohesive than his later works. Nevertheless, the title essay was thought provoking, you can see the development of his thoughts on writing, and he's a great author to think alongside.
matthew_whiteman's review against another edition
3.75
getting the sense tht saunders might b becoming a bit of a comfort writer for me? idk if this is just bc i’m mostly reading him by audiobook, which is read by the author with little guitar ditties between, but i just found this to be good times all round. the essays on reading and writing are the best for me (on vonnegut, forbes, barthelme, and twain). that’s a good sign bc i did already spend like $30 on a swim in a pond in the rain which should be like those x 7
trin's review against another edition
4.0
The political/cultural essays are great and feel ahead of their time; the travelogues are rich and strange and wonderful; the pieces about literature hint at why Saunders is clearly a good teacher. Meanwhile, the satirical writing is cringey and awful. (It's official: I don't like David Sedaris doing overly obvious and cynical fiction, and I don't like George Saunders' subtle-as-an-anvil "nonfiction" satire.) So: skip those or hurry through them, and this is a really strong collection.
blurstoftimes's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
geoffdgeorge's review against another edition
George Saunders made me laugh out loud, but then he would sober me up right quick. Let him do the same for you.
maisiegw's review against another edition
2.0
At first I was like, "Wow, this was written in 2007?!" And then I was like, "Wow, this was written in 2007..."