Book Review- George Saunders' Liberation Day

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of George Saunders’ Liberation Day.

In his latest short story collection, Liberation Day, Saunders explores the shocking realities of human nature, making for an often uncomfortable, yet occasionally humorous, bumpy ride for readers. Saunders forces readers to confront ugly aspects of humanity, seeing those aspects of our own personalities reflected in his characters.

The title story, Liberation Day, is set in a near-future where people who are down on their luck are able to sell themselves as entertainment for wealthy members of society. This cringy situation becomes more fraught when protestors try to help, creating a savior situation and further silencing the voices of those in a potentially compromised position. This leads to the question of autonomy and whether or not it is okay to intercede in situations where you feel someone in a position of powerlessness has made a poor decision. Who gets to decide? All of Saunders’ stories are layered with complicated moral and social situations.

His story Ghoul involves groups of people living underground in Colorado. They spend their days rehearsing for a type of amusement park, where they will act out scenes for visitors. They have various themed sets, such as the wild west and a medieval banquet. They have never seen a guests, but are told the guests will come soon and to prepare, they must constantly rehearse. They are not allowed to question their reality and a strict social code keeps them in their place. If they dare speak out or question, their peers will be obligated to kick the offender to death. It’s very surprising. The main character, who plays a gargoyle type of “Ghoul” is a hilarious and self-serving narrator. As horrific as the situation is, the bluntness and wry observations had me laughing. It also makes the reader consider the things that our own society does not allow us to question for fear of repercussions.

Most of Saunders’ characters are not likable in the slightest, yet I had empathy because their situations, however bizarre, felt universal. Saunders has a keen ability to write absurd situations and make them relatable. I enjoyed how his stories felt like putting together pieces of a puzzle. He drops the reader in and allows them to figure out the situation, teasing out information, rather than spelling it all out. I was able to experience those moments of surprise when I understood what was happening and felt like a participant in the stories. While many authors can write a good plot twist, I can’t remember the last time I read something as truly surprising and mentally engaging as this story collection. I highly recommend Liberation Day.

Book Review- Zoe Whittall's The Spectacular

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of Zoe Whittall’s novel, The Spectacular.

Told in a non-linear fashion, The Spectacular, follows three generations of women in the same family who each make difficult decisions regarding motherhood, relationships, and careers. Ruth is in her eighties and she recounts her journey from Turkey to America, a difficult migration made worse by her husband bringing along his mistress to their new country. While Ruth has conservative leanings, her daughter, Carola, forges a different path, including setting up a commune. Carola struggles with her own aspirations versus being a wife and mother, ultimately distancing herself from her family. Her daughter, Missy, becomes a famous rock star who struggles with boundaries and relationships, harboring a deep resentment towards Carola.

The novel starts with Missy’s perspective and her dynamic, intense personality immediately grabbed my attention. I cannot think of a recent read where a character had such a strong personality as Missy. It is so strong that when the chapters shift to Carola or Ruth’s perspectives, it is hard to let go of Missy. She dominates, commanding a readers full attention. I was quite struck by her voice.

Whittall does not shy away from controversial topics. In the first chapter, Missy, in her early 20’s, is seeking a doctor who will perform a tubal ligation surgery. Missy is certain that she will never desire to be a mother, yet no doctor is willing to give her the procedure. Worse than the denial of the operation, is the way Missy is treated, her voice silenced. As a middle-aged reader, I can appreciate the perspective that people can change a lot throughout their lives. I’m certainly not the same person that I was in my early 20’s. We see Missy in middle-age and we can see how she has changed through time and experience. Missy changes and so do her thoughts on becoming a mother, however, I don’t believe that the reader is supposed to conclude that the doctor’s were right to deny Missy her wishes when she was younger. It’s more complex than that; Whittall is writing about societal expectations of women and how these might conflict with individual desires.

I’m forty-five and from my teen years, I knew that I never wanted to be a parent. However, life takes unexpected twists and I married a man with two children and have been a part-time stepmom ( they live in Europe most of the year), and it has been a great joy. I was also raised by a single-mom, having lost my father when I was four. The Spectacular is a story about the unexpected, the seasons of life, and learning to accept your life, including the impact of your decisions and those beyond your control. I related to the over-arching themes and to aspects of each character’s life choices.

I recommend The Spectacular and it would be a great book club pick for lively discussions.

Book Review: Nita Prose's The Maid

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Nita Prose’s novel The Maid.

Molly Gray is proud of her profession as a maid at a top London hotel. She values cleanliness, manners, and discretion, happy to complete her mission of returning every hotel room back to a “state of perfection.” Recently, Molly has suffered a major loss when her beloved gran, the woman who raised her, passed away. Molly, who is just in her early twenties, is now completely alone and struggling to make ends meet.

To add to her troubles, Molly discovers the body of a high-profile hotel guest and is now part of the police investigation. Her situation is amplified by Molly’s trusting nature and inability to recognize social cues, which leads to the wrong people seeking to take advantage of her. Readers quickly learn that this stately London hotel is filled with sordid characters looking to take advantage of Molly.

I throughly enjoyed The Maid. Prose has written a solid mystery with compelling characters and a perfect balance of humor and humanity. I fell in love with sweet Molly and the relationship that she has with her gran. It hurt to see Molly get involved in so many bad situations, including some of her own volition, however, as anyone can imagine, our protagonist prevails in the end and her victory is even more poignant. The story has a lovely theme of finding family in the people around you, not just blood relatives. As I am in a similar situation as Molly, with no living relatives, this theme resonated strongly with me.

Molly’s logic and unintentional sense of humor had me smiling throughout. The Maid is a delightful read and I really hope that Prose is planning a sequel, as I could use more Molly Gray in my life!