Has anyone read George Saunders, particularly pic related? I've

I'm a big fan of his stories. Tenth of December and Patoralia are fantastic. Lincoln was alright. Occasionally great. I probably went into it a bit too hyped. Read one of his collections at least.

The structure seems irritating. I haven't read any Saunders but I've heard mostly bad, but it's been from genre fic normies.

>>9925409
>>9925564
I loved the book. The structure is somewhat jarring but after the first two chapters it flows beautifully. I found it to be one of the most profound books I've read this year. Sad yet hopeful, with a haunting story and elegant prose. It's also, to me, a stab at not the 'Great American Novel,' but a 'Great Novel about America.' Lincoln, obviously, plays a central role, and Saunders tackles some pretty fundamental American notions and propositions about democracy, equality, spirituality, and the love and hate we have in our hearts.
I hope you both give it a chance.

Like most of the anons here, I found it was a pretty competent work overall. What was most interesting to me conceptually was the idea of historical account, total historical revisionism and fiction blending into one work, where the lines become blurred as to what is true or reliable. The Reverend Everly Thomas' story is the most compelling to me, as well as the more simple account from Manders, who serves as the cemetery's nightly caretaker. Willie's chapters remind me too much of Beloved's, I would almost call it derivative. The kind of brief hashing in of some black ghosts at the end felt forced and almost edgy (with the one girl who cannot speak) as to be ineffective, but I thought the final chapter was a really strong close in light of that.

It's a solidly four-star effort. Not great, maybe not even worth remembering in the long term, but very competent and likely to win an award this year if meritocracy plays in to that process anymore.

>>9925409
I haven't read that one, but I've read CivilWarLand in Bad Decline and Tenth of December, both of which were amazing.

Civilwarland is probably my favorite short story collection besides Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson

>>9925799
I read Jesus' Son somewhat recently. What did you like about it so much?

This is some barely-conscious discussion. Don't you have anything interesting to say about the book?

>>9925753
Totally agree. Really good. It wasn't nearly the masterpiece I was expecting.

On a side note, I don't really get the outright acclaim saunders is receiving. He is good and the surreal nature of his writing has a wonderful effect but the professional literati have elevated him to almost greatest living writer level. He disappoints in that regard. I don't think he has written anything nearly as good as Stephen Wright's Going Native.

>>9925844
I thought it was pretty good for /lit/

Thanks anons!

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>>9925409
Both CivilWarLand in Bad Decline and The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip are great.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28814892-civilwarland-in-bad-decline

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25893679-the-very-persistent-gappers-of-frip

its absolutely worth picking up. Maybe the only good book this year desu.
there's also a reprint of Franzen's first novel, The Twenty-Seventh City worth picking up, otherwise its been a pretty meh year so far

>>9925564
I'll agree with >>9925705
The format is annoying and hard to follow at first but after the first couple chapters with the ghost boys you get used to it and get to really enjoy the dialogue and story.

>>9925409
If you haven't read any Saunders just start with Tenth of December. great short stories.

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Is The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil good?

>>9925844
Oh, the irony!

It is bizarre to me that people like Lincoln in the Bardo. All of its problems have nothing to do with the structure, unless we feel the need to find the promise of the structure and the failure to keep that promise a failure. Saunders really didn't have the skill to pull this off.