Book Review
Liberation Day: Short story collection reaches for the absurd in a post-truth, paranoid US
The latest collection of stories by George Saunders is more memorable for its emotional honesty than its experiments in style
Capturing contemporary America – disgruntled America – in fiction is a mammoth task. The realist mode can feel too on-the-nose for these post-truth, paranoid times. But the slanted stylistics of a George Saunders short story collection might just be apt for the task.
In the title story of his latest collection, Liberation Day, “Pinioned” beings have had their memories eradicated via “the Morley Procedure”, and must perform theatrical recitals for “the Company”. Mounted upon a ...
