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In Persuasion Nation
In Persuasion Nation: Stories | George Saunders
17 posts | 27 read | 11 to read
George Saunders has earned enthusiastic acclaim and a devoted cult-following with his first two story collections and the recent novella The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil. With his new book, In Persuasion Nation, Saunders ups the ante in every way, and is poised to break out to a wide new audience. The stories In 'Persuasion Nation' are easily his best work yet. 'The Red Bow',about a town consumed by pet-killing hysteria, won a 2004 National Magazine Award and 'Bohemians', the story of two supposed Eastern European widows trying to fit in in suburban USA, is included in The Best American Short Stories 2005. His new book includes both unpublished work, and stories that first appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, and Esquire. The stories in this volume work together as a whole whose impact far exceeds the simple sum of its parts. Fans of Saunders know and love him for his sharp and hilarious satirical eye. But In 'Persuasion Nation' also includes more personal and poignant pieces that reveal a new kind of emotional conviction in Saunders's writing. Saunders's work in the last six years has come to be recognized as one of the strongest-and most consoling-cries in the wilderness of the millennium's political and cultural malaise. In 'Persuasion Nation's' sophistication and populism should establish Saunders once and for all as this generation's literary voice of wisdom and humor in a time when we need it most.
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monalyisha
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So, my husband isn‘t a big reader but he‘s COMPLETELY devoured George Saunders‘ entire oeuvre. I‘m looking for read-alikes for him — particularly short story collections — for our upcoming vacation. Any thoughts? 🙏🏻

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Redwritinghood He might also like Tom Robbins. Not short stories, but a similar vibe as Saunders. 5y
monalyisha Thanks for the recs, @Kimberlone , @8little_paws & @Redwritinghood 🎉! Can‘t wait to check ‘em out! 5y
mreads He mentor this author and I think the collection won an award, PEN maybe 5y
monalyisha @mreads I remember looking at that one when I saw it on the PEN list! Thanks for reminding me! 💖 5y
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monalyisha
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Pickpick

The stories which make up “In Persuasion Nation” are darkly funny, biting, satirical, bizarre/absurdist tales about the battle for the soul of our nation. They tell of the struggle to stay alert, conscious, mindful, & good in the face of commercialization & commodification.

Everything tells a story: dead bodies, breakfast bars, bags of Doritos, fields of indoor corn. You name it, it speaks — loudly. It‘s hard to turn off the noise & listen.

monalyisha Favorite stories: “My Flamboyant Grandson”, “Jon”, “Brad Carrigan, American”, & “In Persuasion Nation.” I also loved the end of “CommComm” & appreciated the inclusion of “The Bohemians” (which had a different vibe than all the rest). 5y
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monalyisha
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😅💩😅

Redwritinghood 😂😂 5y
sprainedbrain 😂😂😂 5y
51 likes2 comments
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monalyisha
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0/2 book club books read on-time this year... but I‘ve convinced myself that as long as I *do* finish them, I won‘t have completely broken my resolution to read ALL of the book club books in 2019. 🙈 I know, I know. It‘s kind-of bullshit reasoning. So it goes. 🤷‍♀️

This is my third George Saunders. I love how utterly absurd his work is. This passage, satirizing commercials, is pretty (hilariously) representative of his writing as a whole.

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monalyisha
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My friend, Dave, proposed taking this picture at book club & I was so there for it. I don‘t think he even knows that it‘s a classic Babysitter‘s Club reference. 🤷‍♀️😅

Also, I‘ve been friends with these folks for almost 20 years! 😱

greenhairdontcare Amazing! 🙌🏻 5y
kspenmoll Fabulous!!!!🙌🏻 5y
BeansPage So cute ❤️ 5y
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Soubhiville Fun! 5y
Crazeedi That's so very special!!! 5y
jenreads7 Love it! 5y
Purrfectpages Great pic! 5y
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monalyisha
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Me, to my husband: “Adam! C‘mere! Lemme take a picture of you!” 😆📸

slategreyskies 😂!! 5y
coffeenebula 😂😂😂 5y
LeahBergen 😆😆 5y
90 likes3 comments
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monalyisha
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Libby1 ❤️ 5y
Carolhreads Awe cute bunny !!!! 5y
rabbitprincess Bun is also #CurrentlyBeingAdorable ♥️♥️🐰 Love the little face!! 5y
shanaqui Ah. Shedding time. Hulk just had a major one! 5y
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smccallum
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Very excited to have some Saunders back in my life. I‘ve been trying to save him books and not plough through them but I have a feeling this year I‘ll break that rule.

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Tonton
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Pickpick

Enjoyed Lincoln in the Bardo and was excited to find this short story collection. So skewed, off-kilter, surreal, darkly comic; uneasy chuckles while a bit scary: the desperation of the unmoored. So on point on the importance of having a moral compass. Some stories on overreaching consumerism and social control resonated; used to work for a big ad agency where I was told “we don‘t sell products, we sell dreams.” He shows what can happen.

RohitSawant Great review! 6y
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monalyisha
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My husband just sent me this glamour shot from abroad. Excuse me while I swoon.

😍📖😍

CouronneDhiver 😍 very sweet 6y
Craftylikefox There should be a calendar of men reading books! 6y
monalyisha @Craftylikefox There‘s definitely an Instagram account! I used to follow it but then I got a little weirded out because it seemed intrusive & voyeuristic. I don‘t think the guys always knew they were being photographed. If the shoe were on the other foot (or the lens on the other gender), I‘d be appalled. So I unfollowed them, much as it pained me. 😅 A calendar (with permission granted by the models) would be fab! 😉 6y
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Palimpsest @monalyisha I felt exactly the same as you about the instagram page. I think it was actually called something like hot guys reading or something. It felt voyeuristic and I thought if my husband followed a page like that with ladies reading or whatever, even fully clothed and such I probably would find it somewhat odd so I unfollowed it for those reasons. Plus a lot of those guys are young and I‘m not, but I appreciate that people still read! 6y
Clare-Dragonfly I follow the Instagram. I tell myself that the photographer requests permission and deletes the photo if the guy says no, but I don‘t know for sure. This picture is better because you have permission… right? 😉 6y
ephemeralwaltz @Craftylikefox @Clare-Dragonfly @monalyisha I knew HotDudesReading made a calendar 😂😂 here you go --> https://www.amazon.com/Dudes-Reading-2018-Wall-Calendar/dp/1452153116 6y
Craftylikefox @monalyisha I would probably feel weird following it and I would really hope they would ask permission. I know I wouldn‘t want someone take big pictures of me reading and posting it without my knowledge 😳 6y
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mauveandrosysky
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Pickpick

I didn't love all of the stories in this collection but I still felt lucky to be reading them, if that makes any sense. This is satire with a lot of heart—genre-bending fiction that can best be described as speculative, with a distinct dystopian bent. Themes of totalitarianism, capitalism, consumerism and entertainment are prevalent throughout, as is the underlying despair of being trapped in a system from which there is no escape.

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mauveandrosysky
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Notafraidofwords Oh god. This is amazing. Is this a short story collection ? 6y
mauveandrosysky @Notafraidofwords it is, yeah. His style is seriously so bizarre it's almost jarring, so you need to be ready for it, but I love it! 6y
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TheEscapist
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Pickpick

This is the first book I have loved in 2017. "Jon" and "The Red Bow" will floor you; "Commcomm" is ferociously compassionate. How can writing be so hilarious and terribly sad and uplifting at the same time? I was nonplussed by Tenth of December a few years ago, but I may need to give it another try. George Saunders is incredible!

mauveandrosysky I just started getting into him recently. Sounds like I need to read this! Great review. 7y
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Kristalkitap
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George Saunders, İkna Ulusu öyküsünde insan doğasına o kadar güzel değiniyor ki dehşete düşürüyor okuyucu neredeyse her satırda.

Tüketim toplumunun görünen yüzündeki masumiyetinin aslında arkasında ne kadar kokuşmuşluk barındırdığına değiniyor her öyküsünde.

Uyarmadan geçmeyeyim ama aman. Sarsıcı gerçekleri kara mizah ile aktaran ve sözünü sakınmayan bir yazar George Saunders.

#kitap #book #read

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katedensen
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For #day11 of the #augustphotochallenge, here are three 20th century classics and one brilliant collection of hysterical realism. #politicsandbooks #augustofpages

TheSpinecrackersBookClub Some great pics here and an awesome pic! 8y
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Improperlycookedblowfish
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My first Saunders. So far, I'm enjoying it. 😀