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Loading... The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil (original 2005; edition 2005)by George Saunders
Work InformationThe Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders (2005)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. This story certainly hits all the George Saunders rhythms - it's funny, surreal, melancholy, yet hopeful all at once - but it's not his best work. I don't really understand why this was published as a standalone piece, especially compared to stories like "Sea Oak" or "Semplica Girl Diaries." ( ) Well it's not exactly subtle. Written in Saunders's more absurd mode (yes, such a thing exists), this satire is ok but not great. There's not much new here beyond the particular absurdities of the story. I more or less like it because I'm generally a big fan of Saunders, but this to me is more a curiosity than essential reading. If it had another author's name on it, I would probably have written if off as a waste of time (but I can't bear to give Saunders fewer than three stars). It is, at least, short. I would give this book lots more than 5 stars, if they were available in Goodreads' rating system. It is so short that to describe it would almost be to re-write it. But I was hooked at the very first page. It should be made into a movie, a cartoon, a billboard, a meme, an inspirational poster . . . you get my drift. Laugh out loud satire, appropriate for ages from toddler to grandma, that should make us all continually look closely at ourselves and our thoughts about others. no reviews | add a review
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Man Booker Prize-winning novel Lincoln in the Bardo and the story collection Tenth of December, a 2013 National Book Award Finalist for Fiction. In a profoundly strange country called Inner Horner, large enough for only one resident at a time, citizens waiting to enter the country fall under the rule of the power-hungry and tyrannical Phil, setting off a chain of injustice and mass hysteria. An Animal Farm for the 21st century, this is an incendiary political satire of unprecedented imagination, spiky humor, and cautionary appreciation for the hysteric in everyone. Over six years in the writing, and brilliantly and beautifully packaged, this novella is Saunders' first stand-alone, book-length work--and his first book for adults in five years. Includes an original song by the author. "The Phil Stomp" was written and performed by George Saunders, and recorded, mixed, and mastered by Peter Coleman at Indigital Studios in Santa Cruz, California. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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