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As mentioned on the homepage, I envision this as an "Alan Recommends" page--though I will certainly leave room for other reactions. If the author is fairly modern (i.e. has their own web page) you can click on their name and be directed right there. I hope to edit this page regularly, so check back often!
In Persuasion Nation
by George Saunders
 | I’ve spent some time recently figuring out how to assemble a collection (how pieces fit together; whether there should be a chronological/ thematic progression) and Saunders’ book is a fine example of stories reinforcing one another. For In Persuasion Nation, Saunders uses passages from a fictional political tract by Bernard “Ed” Alton entitled Tastebook for the New Nation to introduce the book’s four sections, which are loosely themed around resistance to indoctrination, the risks of imposing/denying individual rights, the consequences of dissent, and the mercurial nature of personal truths. Saunders’ sometimes tragic (sometimes ironic) protagonists go on the defensive, attempting to preserve (or discover) their moral, political, or spiritual identities in the face of measureless forces they scarcely perceive or imagine. Their victories—where victory is achieved—are ones of resistance, and inventive desperation. Collectively, the stories are amplified by both the grouping and the introductory passages, making In Persuasion Nation a singular commentary. |
It doesn’t hurt that most stories could stand alone. Ranging from parodic letters to editors and companies, to sci-fi mini-epics, to surrealist morality plays, the stories in In Persuasion Nation are whimsical, terrifying, and moving. While many don’t take place in our reality (the title story chronicles the political throes in a world of violent advertisements, where the main characters consist of an orange, a candy-bar wrapper, and a bag of Doritos) its a reality a few blocks down, and like all good “sci-fi” stories there are more things recognizable than foreign. Besides, there is a lesson in how patiently Saunders reveals the surrealist nature of his stories, so that reality changes gradually, catching the reader unawares until its hooks are irrevocably set. It’s a progression that, in many ways, mimics the heart of these stories. Unlike Saunders’ characters, though, who struggle, you might settle in—disquieted, amused, and satisfied.
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