In Persuasion Nation

By: George Saunders

Narrated by: George Saunders

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.

Talking candy bars, baby geniuses, disappointed mothers, castrated dogs, interned teenagers, and moral fables—all in this hilarious and heartbreaking collection from an author hailed as the heir to Kurt Vonnegut and Thomas Pynchon.

"The first thing you ought to know is that Saunders is the funniest writer in America... [But] Saunders's laughs are a cover, a diversion, beneath which reside some profoundly serious intentions regarding the morality of how we live and the power of love and immanent death to transform us into vastly better creatures... I can't think of another writer who would try to do what Saunders is doing, or anything close to it. This is an important book."—The Nation

"Saunders is a hilarious, wicked, and pitch-perfect satirist of our times, of course, but for a satirist he has a whole lot of heart."—Esquire

This audiobook includes an original song by the author.
“In Persuasion Nation” was written and performed by George Saunders, and recorded, mixed, and mastered by Peter Coleman at 365 Producer in Santa Cruz, California.

Critic reviews

"Back when Philip K. Dick asked, 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' who could have imagined that George Saunders would answer?... Saunders's caustic wit, imaginative flair, and the ping-pong speed of his dialogue are on full display here." -- Los Angeles Times

"Leaves you startled and hushed, grateful to be alive and to be reading." -- Associated Press

"Insanely inventive... Stunningly effective... The surreal Saunders magic is working." -- New York Times Book Review

"Ludicrously funny and outrageously prescient... Saunders's finest gift... is to construct a story of absurdist satire, then locate within it a moment of searing humanity." -- The Boston Globe

"Pynchon-meets-Wonder Showzen." -- Entertainment Weekly

George Saunders has out-Saundered himself

I find George Saunders frequently funny, usually moving, always rare and fascinating. If there’s ever a Saunders story I don’t my care for I f just put it aside and figure I will appreciate it when I am ready for it. The story in here about the red bow got me good, as I have been a local reporter and this was a fantastic fantastical representation of small-town mob response to tragedy. The stories that followed were ones for which I am not ready and are disturbing. I will need to reread. Lincoln in the Bardo is my favorite book. I trust this author unequivocally and will keep trying.

Funny and Not Without an Element of the Sacred at Times

I really enjoy his stories. There are lessons, maybe? But also laughs. You don't even have to learn anything if the you don't want to.

Very Strange

This may be the weirdest book I’ve ever read. There were attempts at humor but they mostly fall flat. Not for me.

Disappointing

Not up to Saunders’s standards IMO. Tiresome, boring, with only a few good nuggets thrown in. Save your money.