tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9878002.post503040372745225105..comments2024-03-23T06:50:28.304-05:00Comments on PERPETUAL FOLLY: The New Yorker: "Victory Lap" by George SaundersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9878002.post-20945460104105515602009-10-21T08:37:50.042-05:002009-10-21T08:37:50.042-05:00Just read this--Saunders is so wonderful. Love wha...Just read this--Saunders is so wonderful. Love what James B. says about the characters being "sodden with the vocabularies..."--so well put. Like you, Cliff, I found it a bit unsatisfying not to know what happens in Kyle's house afterwards. And I wasn't sure what to make of Saunders ending with the parents talking to the girl: "You did beautiful," etc. Are the parents being gently mocked? If so, why? I thought there might end up being more to the story... but, boy, do I always enjoy Saunders.Pamelanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9878002.post-75404816468866929002009-10-07T13:27:44.710-05:002009-10-07T13:27:44.710-05:00You're definitely right, Jim. I think that'...You're definitely right, Jim. I think that's what I was getting at with my comments about "voice"--established brilliantly by the language.<br /><br />I think I first read Saunders on your recommendation many years ago, Jim!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05886890881221225553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9878002.post-1185741240297859102009-10-07T13:23:00.856-05:002009-10-07T13:23:00.856-05:00Right enough about the themes of the story, Cliff ...Right enough about the themes of the story, Cliff and Anonymous, but what about the incredible language? At least from the second paragraph on, when Allison fantasizes about "{special one}," an imaginary boy watching her descend the stairs in her house, Saunders shows how the minds of all three characters are sodden with the vocabularies of bad tv drama, educationalese, advertising, self-help magazine articles, and so on. He's a genius at this. The amazing thing is the pathos he can evoke, using this melange of degraded words and phrases. And the story is hilarious.James Barszczhttp://www.collegehillreview.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9878002.post-71000953415483018332009-09-30T22:07:01.971-05:002009-09-30T22:07:01.971-05:00This story was fantastic on so many levels. Typi...This story was fantastic on so many levels. Typical Saunders.<br /><br />I particularly liked the idea of rulebreaking as a modern coming-of-age -- both Kyle and Alison are exposed only to the safe (and in a way terrible) banality of the shallow suburbia their parents surround them with until they break their respective parents' cardinal rules. This exposes them to both the horrors (rapist-dude) and the freedoms of the "real world" and a taste of adulthood. Especially in Kyle's case, where during his takedown of the guy he mentally shuts down his parents and remarks that he wants to "be his own man" or something like that.<br /><br />Great stuff; bonus points for making a geode an important part of the story. They're SHINY.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com