The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil
Matthew gave me the latest George Saunders book, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil. It's a novella, or possibly more correctly, an allegory. It's very cool, and very odd, and yes frightening. There is, however, no satisfying end, or particular point, to the lesson. Not that I could see. Perhaps the point is that it's very difficult to get it right, that there is no conceivable way of not getting it wrong yet again.
The book also includes In Persuasion Nation. A set of short stories which could be renamed The Long and Appalling Reign of Market Forces. These stories are great, and very, very frightening. They're about the world slightly on from now, but scarily close. A grandfather wants to take his grandchild to see a play but is forced to watch a series of ads for "Personal Preferences" on the way to and from the theatre, downtrodden characters from a series of advertisements rise up in revolt, young people are brought up as an in-house focus group. All very peculiar, but too close to the bone.
The book also includes In Persuasion Nation. A set of short stories which could be renamed The Long and Appalling Reign of Market Forces. These stories are great, and very, very frightening. They're about the world slightly on from now, but scarily close. A grandfather wants to take his grandchild to see a play but is forced to watch a series of ads for "Personal Preferences" on the way to and from the theatre, downtrodden characters from a series of advertisements rise up in revolt, young people are brought up as an in-house focus group. All very peculiar, but too close to the bone.
posted by lynn at 9:07 pm
2 Comments:
I just hope the world doesn't get much worse in the next 30 years, after I've checked out it can get as freaky as it wants!! Just kidding - but I have to say I avoid books that tell of a bleak future world, it's all a little creepy and who knows what is waiting for us down the track! Glad you're enjoying the book Lynneth!
I noticed your interest in Primo Levi. Does this mean you indulge in yiddishkeit? ...my prefence is not implied in that query. I read in an old Hadassah mag. about a guy who moved to Australia after WW2. They called him Abrasha--something occurred before Kristallnacht to him, which obverts, so to speak, that event's precedent. He was a dr. & some Jewish institute (synagogue?) published his book. Boy, if you knew what it was called from such little evidence, it would make me live well forever. Anyways Primo Levis' bio. The Double Bond is a fascinating over 800pg read. As is his kinda autobio. you have probably read The Periodic Table. Anyways I'd love a comment--peace
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