Should We Stay or Should We Go

A Novel

By: Lionel Shriver

Narrated by: Hannah Curtis

When her father dies, Kay Wilkinson can’t cry. Over ten years, Alzheimer’s had steadily eroded this erudite man into a paranoid lunatic. Surely one’s own father passing should never come as such a relief.

Both medical professionals, Kay and her husband Cyril have seen too many elderly patients in similar states of decay. Although healthy and vital in their early fifties, the couple fears what may lie ahead. Determined to die with dignity, Cyril makes a modest proposal. To spare themselves and their loved ones such a humiliating and protracted decline, they should agree to commit suicide together once they’ve both turned eighty. When their deal is sealed, the spouses are blithely looking forward to another three decades together.

But then they turn eighty.

By turns hilarious and touching, playful and grave, Should We Stay or Should We Go portrays twelve parallel universes, each exploring a possible future for Kay and Cyril. Were they to cut life artificially short, what would they miss out on? Something terrific? Or something terrible? Might they end up in a home? A fabulous luxury retirement village, or a Cuckoo’s Nest sort of home? Might being demented end up being rather fun? What future for humanity awaits—the end of civilization, or a Valhalla of peace and prosperity? What if cryogenics were really to work? What if scientists finally cure aging?

Both timely and timeless, Lionel Shriver addresses serious themes—the compromises of longevity, the challenge of living a long life and still going out in style—with an uncannily light touch. Weaving in a host of contemporary issues, from Brexit and mass migration to the coronavirus, Shriver has pulled off a rollicking page-turner in which we never have to mourn perished characters, because they’ll be alive and kicking in the very next chapter.

Wistful story about a serious topic

Nicely woven tapestry about life and death. All the alternate endings are combined in the final chapter

Interesting but Undisciplined

She's a good writer but is carried away by her concept. Would have been better had a resolute editor excised two or three alternatives endings.

The Best Consideration on Life and Death

Captivating and thought provoking! I highly recommend to all of us over the age of innocence.

The best book I’ve listened to in years!!!

Beautifully performed and fascinating exploration of parallel universes, both strange and delightful but always entertaining!

Thought Provoking

As we age there are numerous situations we think about and complicated ideas to resolve. This book was entertaining and it was easy to pull for the couple’s decisions.