Book Review: CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders

If there is a place where the despicable human nature goes, it goes between the covers of CivilWarLand in Bad Decline. This collection of short stories shows how twisted we and life (mostly life) can be and how easily we shrug off the bad, the ugly, and the criminally insane. I think the collection is a warning if things keep going on as they are now we will end up in the bizarre world of George Saunders. Our obsession with money, fame, and our self combined with the times which doesn’t give a crit about misfortune and us can only be a slippery slope to this world where only the bad is brought up. All I can hope we don’t end up like this melancholic madness where nothing makes sense, where stealing a candy bar gets you killed, and where ridicule is the norm. Hey, wait? Oh, crit.

I’m not sure if I liked the book. There were three stories that stuck with me and only one of them I was intrigued with. The collection isn’t bad, but I think I would have liked more tuning. I don’t mind it was dark, odd, and boring at times, but what I would have liked was clarity and reason to get attached with the characters.

The book is a muddy blue and suitable for those days when getting out of bed is hard. When a hint of pessimism is what cheers you up.

Thank you for reading!