CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders

5/5 stars

What's it about? George Saunders mines the human condition in a witty collection with sprinklings of the dark consumerism and theme park background of Westworld. A masterfully executed first book.

How’d I find it? A friend who loves George Saunders gave my spouse this copy. I got to it first.

Who will enjoy this book? What are you waiting for? Saunders is an American treasure that always deserves a read. But, in the interest of following my self-imposed formula, fans of Nana Adjei-Brenyah, who studied under Saunders, will find inspirations for both Friday Black and Chain-Gang All-Stars in CivilWarLand in Bad Decline. Watchers of Black Mirror and Neil Gaiman should enjoy the book’s themes and humor.

What stood out? The writing is impeccable: irreverent, funny, and joyfully spot-on. You’ll be laughing out loud and thinking to yourself, “Man, he nailed it.” Saunders intuitively understands when to tickle the brain or strum a heartstring; the turns surprise and delight. The title story and the novella “Bounty” are particular standouts.

Which line made me feel something? The last paragraph of the story “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline” is perfection, but it would be unfair to spoil it. Here’s an excellent tidbit from “Bounty:” “Discipline and other forms of negativity are shunned. Bedtimes don’t exist. Face wiping is discouraged. At night the children charge around nude and screaming until they drop in their tracks, ostensibly feeling good about themselves. ‘We ran the last true farm,’ one of the kids screams at me. ‘Until the government put us out,’ the wife says softly. She’s pretty the way a simple white house in a field is pretty. ‘Now we’re on the fucking lam,’ says a toddler. Both parents smile fondly.”

Emergency by Kathleen Alcott

3/5 stars

What's it about? In these seven stories, women face turning points in their lives and seek exits. A powerful collection about reckoning with the self and embracing the fallout.

How’d I find it? I read “Temporary Housing” in Harper’s, and my socks? Blown off. I swiftly ordered Emergency from Lost City Books.

Who will enjoy this book? If you want to hang out in a long Lana Del Rey song, this read is for you.

What stood out? As a lover of Lana and sad girl ennui in general, this book felt written for me. Yes, the stories are California even when set in New York. Yes, the female friendships are overwhelming. Yes, Alcott’s work pairs well with a drink. The stories sag in certain places, and another round of editing might have cleared out distracting details (i.e. Helen’s jeans in “Emergency” — are they on or off?) to let narrative shine. Either way, “Temporary Housing” is a knockout and worthy of any reader’s eyes.

Which line made me feel something? Because many of my favorite excerpts appear at the end of these stories and I wouldn’t dare spoil one, here’s a tidbit from “Part of the Country”: “This was something my mother had warned me about, the spring I met him, but by then I saw her advice like something in the back of a fridge, likely past its expiry and suspect anyway for how rarely one had reached for it.”

A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley

4/5 stars

What’s it about? Jamel Brinkley’s smartly written debut offers nine snapshots of young people grappling with sexuality, masculinity, race, and family. Set mostly in New York City and its environs, A Lucky Man confronts pain while stoking hope.

How’d I find it? I chanced upon this copy at a book sale at the Chevy Chase Neighborhood Library.

Who will enjoy this book? If you liked Edward P. Jones’ Lost in the City, which centers on DC, and Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires, pick up A Lucky Man.

What stood out? I wanted Brinkley’s characters to talk to each other, to hold each other close, to say what they mean. The brothers in “J’ouvert, 1996.” Wolf and his father. But A Lucky Man isn’t about tidy endings. These stories gesture towards beginnings, the moments that define our lives later. Brinkley possesses a delicate ear for storytelling. With rare exceptions (certain moments in “Everything the Mouth Eats” come to mind), he knows exactly when to pull back and when to feed the reader more.

Which line made me feel something? From “Infinite Happiness:” “When you boiled it down, his language had just a handful of words, and few of them made any sense. They evaporated as soon as they left his mouth. He was so confident when he said them, even though his entire store of knowledge and wisdom was suspect. It didn’t matter in the end, because of the way he made you feel.”

Machines in the Head by Anna Kavan

3/5 stars

What's it about? Mental illness, addiction, and ennui haunt this selection of short stories by Anna Kavan. A sinister and strange moan of a book.

How’d I find it? I have heard twitterings among booksellers about Anna Kavan before and was intrigued to find this copy among the offerings at Lost City Books.

Who will enjoy this book? Admirers of Lucia Berlin and The Bell Jar should enjoy, as well as those who seek speculative elements in their literary fiction, such as Kavan’s ever-morphing city that recalls Italo Calvino.

What stood out? The selections from Asylum Piece open the book grimly, salvaged by the strength of later standouts like “A Bright Green Field” and “Face of My People.” The stories benefit from an illuminating forward by editor Victoria Walker about Kavan’s life and influence.

Which line made me feel something? From “Ice Storm:” “The big unbroken trees sprayed like unclear fountains towards the mist. Through the centre of each jet of clouded crystal the black branch was threaded. The trees were lovely and frightening to look at. I tried not to feel afraid of the trees. Dear God, let me not start being afraid of things in the natural world.”

Skinship by Yoon Choi

4/5 stars

What's it about? In this debut collection of short stories, Yoon Choi delves into the joys, disappointments, and secrets within relationships. Each of the eight stories is a tender and intimate portrait of family, the Korean diaspora, and the American experience.

How’d I find it? I obtained this copy from Politics & Prose, a happy purchase with a gift card. Is there any better gift card than a bookstore gift card?

Who will enjoy this book? Literary short story lovers (think The Best American Short Stories) and readers who enjoy Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice Munro, and Karen Tei Yamashita's Sansei and Sensibility

What stood out? Choi's writing is elegantly restrained, clever, and absorbing. You will root for her characters and wish you had more time with them as each story comes to a (sometimes abrupt) close. I found myself enveloped by Skinship's microcosms. "A Map of the Simplified World" and "The Loved Ones" were particular bright points. As a nurse, I chuckled at how perfectly Geneva, the hospice nurse in "The Loved Ones," was written. Of course she has two tuna sandwiches. Of course.

Which line made me feel something? From "Solo Works for Piano" (which reminded me of Kazuo Ishiguro's Nocturnes), when Albert is questioned about his happiness: "She demanded evidence. What evidence? Here is his life. It wakes in the morning and sleeps in the night. It has its routines: the appointments it keeps, the paths it travels. It has meaning, whether or not that meaning can be articulated. It does. It has."

I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van den Berg

2/5 stars

How’d I find it? After seeing this book on Electric Literature’s list of favorite short story collections of 2020, I bought a copy at Politics & Prose.

Why not 3 or more stars? It takes me a long time to pinpoint why I don't like a particular work, especially because I feel a critique should transcend the reviewer's peculiar tastes and preferences. For that reason, I read everything I start until the end. To make an informed judgment. I knew during the first story that I Hold a Wolf by the Ears wasn't my taste and found no other flaw, so that's all the "why" I have to offer here: good story nuggets, but lacking conviction and innovation in form.