George Saunders' name, as an author came to my notice upon his winning the Pulitzer for fiction, for the amazing "Lincoln in the Bardo". But googling a little I found that Saunders had quite a reputation for his short stories. I decided to include one his short story collection when forming the reading plan for 2025.
The short story collection has six stories, with the title story running to novella length. In that we see a man and a woman, both having challenges in their personal lives ( a sick son and a son with an addiction), working as a caveman and a cave woman in a theme park. The state that they let themselves down to, is an indication of what employees bear, to adhere to the needs of the corporate world. Although the story goes along at a dogged rate with only an occasional incident ( reminded me of 'waiting for Godot' at times), it is not difficult to understand that the doggedness of the story is what makes the situation feel real for the reader. Just like with 'waiting for Godot', the reader has to feel the difficulty of the situation through the slow pace and repetitiveness of the incidents in the story.
In "Winky", our protagonist Neil comes home determined to put an end to the cause which sees his life going to waste - that of his sister, Winky, slow, clumsy, and aging,
".., but like it said in the book, a person couldn't throw himself across someone else's funeral pyre without getting pretty goddamned hot."
Neil is returning from a seminar by Tom Rodgers, a self-help guru, who encourages to remove all obstacles which cling to one, which hinder one's progress in life, despite the level of attachment, or the helplessness of the party concerned.
In 'Sea Oak', the circumstances are a mix Pastoralia and Winky, as our protagonist works as a waiter (and then some, for women ). Again, the theme broadly is the sacrifices one has to make a passable life to those close to you, and yourself. The difference here is that a dead aunt comes back from the dead to read her relations, the ultimatum - for she realises how she hadn't lived a single day of her life for herself.
"Maybe you kids don't know this but I died a freaking virgin. No babies, no lovers. Nothing went in, nothing came out. Ha ha! Dry as a bone, completely wasted, this pretty little thing God gave me between my legs. Well I am going to have lovers now, you fucks! Like in the movies, big shoulders and all, and a summer house, and nice trips, and in the morning in my room a big vase of flowers, and I'm going to get my nipples hard standing in the breeze from the ocean, eating shrimp from a cup, you sons of bitches, while my lover watches me from the veranda, his big shoulders shining, all hard for me, that's one damn thing I will guarantee you kids! Ha ha! You think I'm joking? I ain't freaking joking. I never got nothing! My life was shit! I was never even up in a freaking plane. But that was that life and this is this life. My new life. Cover me up now! With a blanket. I need my beauty rest. Tell anyone I'm here, you all die."
"The End of FIRPO IN THE WORLD", is a sad, sad story, of a kid unloved by his mum, unwanted by her mum's latest lover, who tries to show the world that he too is something, in his brief life.
The Barber in "The Barber's Unhappiness" has to wade off a minor disability, his insistent mum, and his own age as he tries to make a life out of his lot. Broadly similar in the other themes in this anthology, for the barber too, finds every step of his way, a challenge.
Morse fights his insecurity and his lack of success, while taking a day at a time.
"His childhood dreams had been so bright, he had hoped for so much, it couldn't be true that he was a nobody, although, on the other hand, what kind of somebody spends the best years of his life swearing at a photocopier?"
Yet, for all his troubles, and the fact that he was needed at home, when the need comes up when he sees a couple of girls being swept down the river, all his logic goes out the window. Maybe we should imagine Morse happy in that one moment in life where he proves himself. (The Falls)
This anthology is an excellent one, albeit not one to make one's spirits rise as the author takes up the account of six protagonists, and their lots as they fight each day out - even if it means they end up dead, fighting.
Rating : ****1/2
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