Saunders fans will eat this one up! Another solid book from one of our absolute best short story writers. Will recommend to patrons.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this short story collection.

There's no question that George Saunders is working at a level of creativity and skill that is somewhat rare. I was one of the many people who loved Lincoln in the Bardo and couldn't stop thinking about it after I read it. But this short story collection mostly ended up annoying me. I loved the final story in the collection, "My House," but the rest of them felt like they were too unique for their own good. Perhaps I'm just not in the mood for this sort of writing these days. I can't really think of anyone I would recommend this collection to.

I honestly do not feel anywhere near qualified to critique a book written by George Saunders.  He is, without a doubt, one of the greatest writers of our generation and this latest does not disappoint.

I don't think I need to say much to convince readers of George Sauders' brilliance. Amazing collection with unique, weird, and slightly absurd stories. I enjoyed every second of it!

I just love George Saunders. I was first introduced to his writing through Lincoln in the Bardo, but have come to love his short stories. This latest collection is as witty and contemplative as those I've read before (Tenth of a December and Fox 8) and there's not a single story I didn't enjoy. I love the way he blends humor and absurdity and even discomfort as he explores the many facets of human nature, and I think the titular story in particular will stay with me for a long time.

Liberation Day, both the story and the collection of stories, revolve around the idea of liberation (from body, mind, etc.). Overall, I enjoyed most of these stories but they sometimes required patience; the writing was always beautiful, but it took me a bit of time to acclimate to some of the stories. 

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Random House for e-galley access in exchange for a review.

Saunders is the master of short stories, and this collection was further evidence. While the book carries the same title as the first story, the whole collection revolves around the theme of liberation. Some are liberated in their minds, some in death, and some in forgiveness, but each story has a form of liberation that ties this collection together perfectly. There wasn’t a single story in the collection I didn’t like.

These series of short stories will haunt you. So.e are fantastical where you question what is life and what is real. Do you stand up for your friends, or succumb to the outside forces? While these stories varied in impact, all grabbed me and stayed with me long after I was finished reading them.

What a great collection! This was my first time reading George Saunders and I'm impressed by these memorable and wonderful stories, many of which are both thought-provoking and insightful. A page turner for sure.

I adore this book! there are nine stories, about everything important and personal. While I may not love each story, the writing I adore. I've reread several and this is such a wonderful and valuable addition to my Saunders collection.

I didn't love this as much as his other collections, but he's an extremely unique and welcome voice to have on the shelves.

I am not a huge fan of short stories, but I loved “Lincoln in the Bardo” so much that I have tried some of the author’s  short stories. One of my problems with short story collections is the unevenness of the selection. This book is no exception. 

“Liberation Day” was one of my favorites, a long, strange dystopian story featuring erased memories (this also comes up in “Elliott Spencer”, my least favorite story). For a long time I thought the characters were androids. I also liked “Love Letter”, written in the form of a letter from a grandfather to his grandson. This is the most overtly political of the stories. Some people think that this is also dystopian. I think it is very much of the moment as it describes the present day normalization of the abhorrent.”Sparrow” and “My House” were very slight and felt like filler. 

I really hopes the author writes another novel, because I definitely don’t feel the same magic from his short stories. 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

George Saunders is TGE master of the short story, so a new collection is always a treat. This collection is no exception. Razor-sharp, wickedly funny, and always a joy. Simply exquisite.

George Saunders' Liberation Day is a collection of nine short stories with complex world building and beautiful writing. Each word, each sentence is orchestrated with intention, and atmosphere and feeling seep through the pages. 

There is no shortage of short story collections, but Saunders sets himself apart with brilliant prose and unique frameworks. In short order he conveys key details of the settings, and there are few authors out there at such a level. Fans of Ted Chiang will find George Saunders an equally excellent author operating at a level few others can achieve. I'm in awe of the creativity time and again., both apparent in this collection and his earlier works.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

I always love to read George Saunders. Liberation Day: Stories is a great collection with varying themes. I liked the dystopian element to some of the stories, and how they reflect the anxiety about our modern-day world.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I have always been a George Saunders fan and this collection is no exception. I will say that I think it went in directions that I did not expect, but with classic George flair, the language and plotting had me lost in each one. The stories range in style and substance but the themes are intense and clear and I think that it's a great collection for today's times. 

5 stars.

George Saunders is a brilliant writer with an incredible ability to depict a variety of situations (particularly very strange and disturbing ones in this collection) and the stories all have a underlying thread of dread and cynicism that after awhile became a little too much for me.  Definitely only read one story at a time and then put the book down for awhile and read something life-affirming to cleanse your palette.  I have been a fan of his since his first collection "Tenth of December" where in some cases I could relate to some elements of some of the characters.  In this collection, I could not relate but it felt like he is writing in the context of today where we are deeply polarized as a country and thanks to conspiracy theories and social media, we are losing our own ability to think - similar to the puppet like/programmed characters in these stories.  So while the writing is brilliant, I found in the end that these stories were just too dark and bleak for what I need now.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An intense collection of short stories.  If you are into dystopian, "could happen but hope it doesn't" sorts of fiction, this book is for you.  It was just a bit much for me, I had a hard time getting into it.

3.5/5- This is a hard one to rate. In Liberation Day, George Saunders utilizes a unique narrative style consistent throughout all the stories. In these speculative fiction (and sometimes sci-fi) stories, Saunders uses dry humor to explore the behaviors of humanity through lenses of poverty, political justice, class, and revenge, to name a few.  The unique narrative style, full of satire and allusions to real world events, was the most successful part of this collection in my opinion, because it is so unique from others i’ve read. The most unique story where the dry humor was most apparent had to have been Ghoul, though that one ranked in the middle for me. My favorite stories were Liberation Day, Love Letter, and Elliott Spencer. However there were other stories that i just had to DNF (Mother’s Day) or just didn’t understand the purpose of ( My House) or that I just didn’t care about (Sparrow, A Thing at Work). I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes speculative/weird fiction, dry humor, and/or sci-fi.

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.