I don’t think I knew that this was a collection of short stories when I requested it, since they generally aren’t my favorite to read. I don’t like getting invested in characters or storylines and having them just end so suddenly.
There were three stories in this book, all of which shared a setting, that being a small town in central New York. They were also similarly pessimistic and bleak. I’m not someone who must have a happy ending for every story, but I also don’t necessarily need a collection of miserable outcomes.
Thanks to #netgalley and #knopf for this #arc of #americanspirits in exchange for an honest review.

What a great compilation of 3 short stories that didn't go together but had the same places and undertones. Stories are mostly dark of current social issues; all can be interpreted in many ways. I didn't think I'd enjoy this book as much as I did and was sorry to read that the Author had passed in 2023. Thank you to Netgalley, Knopf and the Author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read the most mundane everyday horror stories about Trump supporters in small-town America?

Pre-reading:
Don’t know nothing about this book but I like the cover.

Thick of it:
The liberals are the ones he’s blaming for not shutting down his neighbor’s guns? H’okay.

And title drop.

Oh, this better not be a pro-Trump book. I'll leave.

I feel like this counts as a Sam. (It most definitely does.)

Well, who’s the narrator? (We never find out, but also it doesn’t matter. It’s just a stylistic choice to make it read like you’re being told a story in a dive bar.)

I love when people are described by their cars like it means absolutely anything to me. (This isn’t a criticism. I’m just pointing out that I’m a certified idiot.)

You can’t tell me he almost has a unibrow, and then tell me he’s conventionally attractive.

Mmm sounding a little gay there, bestie.

I feel like the kid is gonna try to shoot someone and they’re gonna shoot the little kid

Oh look, I was right. How boring.

1/5 just dumb

I don’t think this collection is gonna be for me. It seems like it’s just why would these good Americans vote for Trump? But they’re like not good. They’re just racist to begin with. You know it’s kinda like fuck around and find out.

They irritate him because they’re self-sufficient without a man. It’s not fucking rocket science.

Honestly, fuck these small towns.

I’m so confused who this book is for because I don’t think anyone who’s picking this up has failed to critically think about how Trump supporters come about.

1/5 tries and fails to be morally ambiguous

This one is already better. It has much better irony. Like dur hur, I’m a Trump supporter. I have my guns for a home invasion. And then they’re fucking useless in a home invasion. Poetry.

Oh bestie, true crime 101: if you see their faces, you are not leaving alive.

God, his mom is shit.

Lol, the dogs def die in this book.

Moraine

3/5 a morbid little everyday horror short story. Could use more horror in my opinion, but worth the read.

Post-reading:
Overall, kind of a flop.

I understand why the author is credited for writing everyday horror. I don’t think it’s enough horror to truly be considered horror. I think it’s just mediocre bummers.

I’m confused who this book is for. I don’t think Trump supporters are rushing out to pick this up. But then, if it’s meant for liberals who read, I don’t think they're in need of books to humanize Trump voters. I think most of that audience is already deeply aware of how and why people become embroiled in pervert nationalism. It just kind of reads like ignorant and racist people think they’re goddamn American heroes. They're just doing their best! And it’s like they’re actively harming other people, fuck ‘em. Read a book. I struggle to have empathy for that.

The first short story’s plot was painfully obvious from the get-go. I’ve read it a couple times before and this is a much less successful iteration with almost nothing to add to the conversation.

The second story teetered on interesting, but there wasn't enough ironic interaction or dialogue to really give you that moral ambiguity that it’s clearly aiming for.

The third story is easily the strongest. It feels like familiar true crime. It’s not enough to be a full story for me. I’m not sure what you would add to it to make me care while still keeping it realistic. Maybe some point-of-view chapters with the detectives and local cops, maybe a prison guard, maybe a reporter? It has good thematic elements and social commentary on the justice system and it’s excellent political irony. There’s just not enough oomph to make a real impact.

But even that story and then the collection as a whole, all feels a bit like fucking duh. These people are poor and dumb and face the consequences of their own actions, and the situations that they’re stuck in. Peak fuck around and find out. Except there’s very little fucking and mostly just spinning your wheels in small-town America. It’d be more tragic if they weren’t such assholes.

I think it’s a skippable collection, but if you’re really into the genre, the third story is worth reading.

Who should read this:
Political commentary fans
Black Mirror pedophile episode fans

Do I want to reread this:
No

Similar books:
* The Merry Spinster by Daniel M. Lavery-purposely difficult to interpret, dark fairytale retellings
* The Men Can’t Be Saved by Ben Purkert-white men create their own problems
* Anxious People by Fredrik Backman-people are more than your first impressions of them, everyone’s struggling with something, book promotes empathy
* Bear Town by Fredrik Backman-small town politics, social commentary, book promotes empathy
* You Have a Friend in 10A by Maggie Shipstead-everyday horror, feminist, short story collection
* There Is No Death in Finding Nemo by Jeffrey M. Feingold-morbid short story collection
* People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice by Ao Omae-short stories about mental illness, gender commentary
* Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustina Bazterrica-dark short story collection
* Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny-angry sad girl short stories
* Day by Michael Cunningham-family drama, covid commentary
* How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu-interconnected standalone short stories, sci-fi spin, covid commentary

American Spirits by Russell Banks offers a glimpse into the lives of ordinary Americans navigating the complexities of modern society. Through a series of interconnected stories, Banks captures the essence of the human experience, delving into themes of identity, loss, and redemption. While the writing is undeniably skillful and the characters are well-drawn, the narrative structure may leave some readers wanting more cohesion and depth. Additionally, certain storylines feel rushed or underdeveloped, preventing the reader from fully immersing themselves in the world Banks has created. Despite these criticisms, American Spirits remains a solid literary effort, showcasing Banks' keen observations of the human condition and his ability to evoke empathy for his characters' struggles. Fans of Banks' previous work may find moments of brilliance in this collection, but newcomers might not find it as captivating.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of American Spirits by Russell Banks.

I have a lot of questions about these short stories. At least one of them comes from a true story, so I wonder if the other two were also based on real events. How much was truth, how much was fiction? And also, why moderate them at all, why not just tell these stories as they happened, they were truly stranger than fiction.

My second question, why so many politics. In my opinion, it did not add much to the story. I don't need to read about a guy grabbing his MAGA cap, that's not helpful to me, just tell me the story. I may have missed something, but I'm not sure what the author was trying to do with that.

Honestly, great stories, fun, exciting, pretty crazy stuff, but like I said, it left me with questions.

Banks, a master storyteller, presents three stories about residents of Sam Dent, a rural town in upstate New York. These are conservative citizens who believe in God, country, and Donald Trump. Some are barely making ends meet, others have scrimped and saved, and managed to make their dreams come true only to find nightmares seeping in. Life is hard; bad things happen to good people, and that's certainly true in these tales. They're depressing, and sad, and very hard to put out of your mind.

Russell Banks’s book, published after his death last year, is a collection of three connected stories. As usual, it is a pleasure to read his prose. And while I fully appreciate his skilled writing style, the stories were all a bit too dark for my taste. This was a quick and engaging read and certainly shows that even small towns have a bleak and shady side. All is not exactly as it appears and perhaps a lot of people can’t be trusted. The characters may remind you of people you know but Banks has surprises with each of the vignettes. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an advanced readers copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

An interesting collection of short stories that depict life in small town in upstate New York. Banks describes quiet desperation with elegance. These characters made me sad in their reality in today’s world.

Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for allowing me to read and review American Spirits on NetGalley.

Published: 03/05/24

Stars: 3.5

Three short stories/novellas? I don't know the distinguishing criteria. The synopsis is spot on: These are dark.

Banks did tell three stories. They were short; however, he wrote effectively. I separated them over as many days so I could enjoy each one. I had a rollercoaster of emotions during the last two. I choked up and teared up during both. The first story didn't have the same effect on me.

I would pick up more of his work.

I would gift this in the fall -- cool weather -- a fire with a glass of your favorite drink.

Masterful storytelling, I could not put this book down. Three short stories set in upstate New York, involving conservative Trump supporters. Thought provoking situations and totally involving, interesting characters. A true masterpiece of short stories left me wanting to read more books by this author. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

American Spirits is a novel composed of three shorter stories all taking place in the same small town in upstate New York; all three have the underlying theme of the current state of our politics. The first, is about an established citizen on of the town selling his family’s land to a mysterious stranger and is then attacked on social media when he questions the stranger’s character. The second is a story of a family, after moving in next to a strange couple with four adopted children; they suspect the couple of terrible abuse of the children when two of the kids begin to sneak over begging for food and help. The tells of grandparents being kidnapped due to their grandson’s debt.

While this novel was a bit dark (all three stories end in violence), I thought this was an exceptionally well written book; this is not surprising since Russell Banks was a superb writer. There are a lot of political undertones in this book, and I think Banks takes characters who you may normally not like, and makes them sympathetic by giving them multidimensional layers, so even if you do not agree with their politics you can understand their stories. I have not heard a lot of buzz about this book but I do highly suggest reading it.

4.25

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the ARC to review

American Spirits contains three short stories with a shared setting -- the small town of Sam Dent. In the first story, a long-time landowner is forced to sell off some of his land to someone who may be using the location for private military-style training. It covers all the small town pettiness that can take things out of control. There is a definite, but subtle political tone here too. At first I almost put this down because it was too much like reading extreme social media comments of the political variety, but I'm glad I stuck with it, because it is very insightful with regard to how the political climate today has impacted those in small towns. These stories rang true to me.

The second tale is a story of two families. One traditional -- the other not. The people of Sam Dent stay away from the two women raising foster children in their house on the hill. They just don't "fit in" and they keep their distance. All is well until a new family moves in next door, and secrets are revealed with deadly consequences. I did like how all of these stories were presented to me in terms of how much was revealed and the narrator's voice.

The last story takes on the topic of drugs and its long lasting impact on the family unit. A reunion has devastating consequences for the descendants of the town of Sam Dent. This short story takes on the border issues in the country and just how driven people can be when it comes to drugs and what they are willing to risk.

While the content of these short stories was dark and very sad, they did shine a spotlight on some of the current attitudes prevalent in the United States when it comes to politics and current events. I'm glad I read this as these stories will stay with me for a while. I thought they captured some of the current attitudes quite well in a non-judgemental manner.

Overall, interesting, surprising and worth my time reading.

A set of three stories splintered off the main story of the town Sam Dent, New York. As in all smaller towns, there is a mixed bag of characters, each with their own story, good or bad, or in this case, sad. The stories are connected through the similarities found in each familiy's past, present and future. Set during President Trump's days in office, his headline making statements and actions lend a skewed voice to each story. The stories are heavy reading, this is not an uplifting look at success on neighborhood streets. It's more an attempt to reach inside your thoughts and make you look closely at your neighbors and friends as they quietly struggle through life.

The synopsis of this book sounded really good and I looked forward to reading it.

The style of writing wasn't my favorite, but I wanted to continue on with it and see where it was going. There was a lot of talking about hunting, and I started getting nervous because animal death and/or violence towards animals is just about my only trigger when reading. If it's a brief mention of something, even though I don't like it, I am okay if it means having to skip a paragraph or two, or even a whole page.

Eventually this book got to the point where we were taken on a hunting trip with a father, his son and his brother's-in-law. It started detailing how the brothers were "driving" the deer toward the father and son and essentially tricking it into approaching them without realizing it. I could see where it was going and briefly thought about just giving up on the book. But then I thought that I would instead just skip a page. Well, I did that and saw it was still on the hunting scene. So I skipped again...and again...and again and again and again. I had to skip so many pages to get past that scene and every single time I'd check to see if I was in the clear it would be another reference to the deer that I found upsetting. I finally skipped so many pages that I just hoped the story would still make sense with all that I had skipped. It pretty much did (which tells me that the whole hunting scene was way more drawn out than it needed to be).

However, then I came upon ANOTHER scene of violence towards animals, and this one was NOT a hunting scene (I mention that because I realize a lot people don't consider hunting to be violence towards animals). It was then that I decided I couldn't continue, so I had to DNF this book at 26%.

I see the glowing reviews for this book and realize I'm the outlier here. It might be a brilliant story, but I'll never know because I can't get past the scenes of animals being harmed. I think these scenes could've been achieved without being graphic or including certain details, but I also realize this is the one thing I'm really sensitive to, and others might not have any issue with it. I decided to still write this review for others that may have the same trigger, as there was no warning for me that these scenes would be in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my review.

In 2023, the literary world lost a stellar member in the death of Russell Banks. "American Spirits" is his last work and it is a masterwork of storytelling, observation, and finding the importance within the ordinary. It is a novel told in three interlocking tales, each a granular observation of both people, place, and events that ensnare those folks in unimaginable, yet totally possible circumstances.

Set in a small upstate New York colonial town by the name of Sam Dent, what begins as ordinary folk leading fairly ordinary lives, soon takes a downward turn when fate and the "ghosts" of the American Spirit entangle them in events that any perusal of today's worst headlines will instantly be recognizable to the reader.

Once invested, the reader will not be able to look away anymore than the characters can escape their story. It is Russell Banks' genius that his prose can so envelope the reader in the world he has built that you close the book with a sigh and say "Thank goodness that isn't real."

While silently you know, deep in your heart and your American soul, that it is.

This novel had a release date of March 5, 2024. I offer this review with thanks and gratitude for the privilege of receiving an advanced copy. The literary world has lost an important voice.

Three dark, timely short stories all set in the same small town in upstate New York. This was my first book by Banks and I was not disappointed.

American Spirits was a dark and sometimes uncomfortable look at a single town. The stories are not a feel good, romp. These are bleak. But I liked them. Russell Banks had a way of just showing people. I don't know how else to say that. You see them. You know that they have problems. You don't need to like them. You are just experiencing this with them. No matter what happens.

Russell Banks is a good storyteller. These are three stories that are located around the same area, a small town in Northern New York state. They are dark, full of troubled people. Banks certainly knows how to quickly draw a character.

There are three stories: Nowhere man, Homeschooling and Kidnapped. My preference is for the middle story, Homeschooling.

Can't say I fully enjoyed these stories. All were bleak and did not come to happy conclusions. The first story, Nowhere man, the main character is unhappy about how he sold off the land that had been in his family for generations and gets into a feud with the man who had purchased it.

Homeschooling concerns itself with a family that just moved into the town, well more about the neighbors, a lesbian married couple who adopted four siblings who are of a different race. The new neighbors are concerned about how the children are being treated.

The last Kidnapped are descendants of the town's founder, Sam Dent. The elderly couple are kidnapped by some Canadian drug lords and their grandson who they raised is their hope for being released. Their grandson Stevie perhaps is autistic, not sure, but he is different and never had any friends while growing up.

Somehow a MAGA hat made its way into each story as well. Not clear why except to point out the political position for some characters, although politics really didn't play into these stories. There is an undertone of poverty, but really everyone is getting by okay with some doing better than others.

The literary world suffered a great loss when author Russell Banks died of cancer in January 2023 at the age of eighty-two. Twice a Pulitzer Prize for fiction finalist, Banks came to be known as a novelist and short story writer whose work usually focused on the daily struggles and stresses of ordinary working people, those forever fated to remain on the outside looking in at others whose lives they perceive to be so much easier than their own.

Banks's first novel, Family Life, was published in 1975 along with Searching for Survivors, his first short story collection. The Magic Kingdom, the last novel to be published during the author's lifetime, came along in 2022, some forty-seven years after Family Life. But as it turns out, there's going to be at least one more Russell Banks book for readers to enjoy because American Spirits, a collection of three loosely connected stories, will be published in just a few days (March 5, 2024).

The three stories in American Spirits, each about eighty pages in length, or set in and around the fictional community of Sam Dent, New York. The little town is named after an early settler to the area who donated the land for the townsite on the strict condition that it be called "Sam Dent," and nothing else - certainly not some corruption of his surname such as Denton or Dentville. Unfortunately for Mr. Dent, the future would not treat his descendants kindly, and it has been all downhill for the Dents since Sam's passing.

In "Nowhere Man," a struggling family man and his siblings decide to sell off much of the remaining family land they still hold only to have the purchaser open a private gun range and training facility for right wing militia members on the property they sell him. After the seller dares complain about the resulting noise and the now-broken promises made to him prior to the sale, his life becomes pure hell.

"Homeschooling" is set in one of Sam Dent's finer neighborhoods where two very different families struggle to figure out just what to make of each other. In one family, a woman and her wife who have adopted four black siblings live in total isolation in the large home in which they homeschool the children. In the other, a young couple naively in love with the whole idea of life in "the country" moves in next door along with their own two children. Things begin to get strange almost as soon as the two families first set eyes on each other.

The third story in American Spirits, "Kidnapped," is about an elderly couple kidnapped and held for ransom by two Canadian criminals who have come south to collect the money that the elderly couple's grandson owes the men. The utter ineptness of this pair makes them more dangerous than anyone can imagine.

Russell Banks is not one to have ever pulled punches in his fiction, and the realistically presented stories in this collection are a vivid reminder of how quickly things can go from bad to worse in the crazy world we live in today. American Spirits is pure Russell Banks, another reminder of just how badly Banks is going to be missed.

Dark as hell and biting. Descriptive of the stories and also of their setting in post-trump America. I liked how they were inter-connected.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.