A review by iwnbh
The Braindead Megaphone by George Saunders

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.