Pastoralia
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Pastoralia Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

George Saunders (Author, Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,055 ratings
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A stunning collection including the story "Sea Oak", from the number one New York Times best-selling 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.

Hailed by Thomas Pynchon as "graceful, dark, authentic, and funny," George Saunders gives us, in his inventive and beloved voice, this best-selling collection of stories set against a warped, hilarious, and terrifyingly recognizable American landscape.

Includes an original song by the author.

"Pastoralia" was written and performed by George Saunders, and recorded, mixed, and mastered by Peter Coleman at Indigital Studios in Santa Cruz, California.

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  1. Listening Length
    4 hours and 31 minutes
  2. Author
    George Saunders
  3. Narrator
    George Saunders
  4. Audible release date
    July 9, 2019
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07TKDSQP3
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 4 hours and 31 minutes
Author George Saunders
Narrator George Saunders
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date July 09, 2019
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07TKDSQP3
Best Sellers Rank #45,976 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#141 in Literature Anthologies
#205 in Fiction Short Stories
#434 in Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction (Books)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
1,055 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Josh Mauthe
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, humane, thoughtful, and just plain great - but, honestly, can Saunders do anything else?
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2017
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There may be no short story writer alive than George Saunders, and that’s no small praise; indeed, you could even argue that with his talent, he ranks among the great writers of the day, full stop. (How his talent will hold up in novel form, I look forward to discovering when his first novel is released next week.) Veering between social commentary and dark satire, between biting comedy and empathetic character studies, Saunders brings his bizarre, off-kilter worlds to life with his rich, fascinating prose and compelling dialogue. His second short story collection, Pastoralia, is no exception, making me laugh out loud frequently while never shirking from his craft.

As always, Saunders love of bizarre, excessive amusement/theme parks is evident, whether it’s the recreated Stone Age cave of the title story (where the actors are expected to stay in character even when no one else is around, and the corporate management communicates through bizarre, rambling memos) or the intricately structured strip club of “Sea Oak.” But he also loves his misfits, whether it’s the bullied young man of “The End of FIRPO in the World,” the harried title character in “The Barber’s Unhappiness,” or the motivational speaker attendee of “Winky”, who just wants to work up the nerve to kick his sister out. Indeed, pretty much every character has their struggles, their neuroses, their fears, and all of them fear that life has passed them by – and in most cases, it has.

In lesser hands, that would depressing, bleak fare. But Saunders’ prose and observational style make his stories uproariously funny at times, as characters lose themselves in imagining how others will treat them, engage in long dialogues with themselves, or the situations just get increasingly bizarre. From actors playing cavemen trying to ignore faxes to ghosts that do little more than angrily yell at everyone, from unlikely heroes to fantasy lives that far surpass anything in waking lives, Saunders infuses all of it with a sense of wry wit, but also affection for his characters that keeps the stories from being bleak. Instead, they become universal, clinging to big feelings and emotions that we all have, satirizing human (and corporate) foibles beautifully, and just generally entertaining with their absurdity, heart, and soul.

In other words, it’s more typical greatness from Saunders, who seems incapable of doing anything less than creating rich worlds and complex characters, all without missing a beat with his offbeat prose and rich descriptions. And if you can’t empathize with his flawed, failing, but still human characters, then I can’t imagine that you’ve lived any kind of life at all, because these are universal tales. Off the wall, funny, and satirical, and yet universal in the best way.
4 people found this helpful
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Jeff
4.0 out of 5 stars Stories that make you think
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2019
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As I read the novella, Pastoralia, I was reminded of the trapped souls in Kafka’s writings. Here, two characters are a part of a primitive cave man display where they must prepare food over an open fire (when they receive a goat or a hare). They pick bugs and in the cave as they act as if they are real caveman. But behind the walls in their private quarters, where they can go when off-duty, there is a fax machine that is their link to the outside. There, they also have soft drinks and other luxuries that they are unable to enjoy while playing the part of a cave dweller. The people who run the theme park go to great lengths to save money (charging them for disposing their human waste) and making crazy arguments as why they have no other option. But the two employees are so dependent on the organization, so they keep playing the game, hoping each day to have a goat to roast.

In “Winky,” we’re taken to a “get-rich-quick” convention where those in attendance wear hats colored for how far they have come in the process of becoming wealthy. Like many such schemes, the message is partly religious, but instead of failure due to one’s lack of effort, it’s because of others are holding you back. “God doesn’t make junk,” they’re told. “If you’re losing, somebody’s doing it to you.” The scheme sets people up to focus on their needs and to challenge or remove those from their lives that hold them back. Getting ahead is the only thing that matters.

The short story, “Sea Oak” is about people trapped in lives from which they are unable to escape. It’s a world turned upside down. To make a living (in the hope of escaping to a better neighborhood), the protagonists works at “Joysticks,” where men partly strip and serve women (but they can’t completely strip) and earn titles. The best men become “pilots” although they are still stripping and serving as they parade around with their private parts slightly clad. The customers rate the men and when your rating falls to “stinker,” you’re out the door. Saunders has turned the world upside down as I couldn’t help but to think of a time when flight attendants were “sexualized” but instead of men looking at women, it’s reversed.

“Sea Oak” is the dumpy community where the protagonist lives. He’d like to escape, but there is no way out. To escape, there’s the television with reality TV-like shows such as “The Worst that Could Happen.” The aunt dies and the family struggles over how to bury her. They would be in debt for seven years to give her something nice, but the funeral home as other options such as painted cardboard boxes. But she comes back to life, only to fall apart, one body part at a time. Even the hope of resurrection is hollow in this story.

There are several additional stories in this collection. Saunders stories are funny, but sad. As they describe people trapped, I found them to be very Kafkaesque. Both writers describe hopeless situations. In Saunder’s stories, people place their hopes on bizarre schemes to escape, but no one (especially not the reader) believes they have a change. These stories, I found, are very political in a subtle way as if by telling them, those who are trapped with realize how the system is rigged against them and no longer play the game using rules that keep them from improving their lives.
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Ami
5.0 out of 5 stars Often funny and sometimes heartbreaking short stories, recommended!
Reviewed in Canada on May 14, 2021
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this assortment of short stories. Many are messed up! The first novella points a jarring finger at workplace politics and busy-work, but in a fun/creative way. There's also a very memorable short about a dead poor woman who comes back from her gave to "haunt" her family. She pushes them to move up in the world economically, all while she is in a state of denial regarding her body's increasing state of decay. This story managed to be funny and heart breaking.
One person found this helpful
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erika
2.0 out of 5 stars Pastoralia
Reviewed in Italy on October 27, 2021
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Not my favorite type of reading. Should have read previews before ordering it. I'm just not a sci-fi fan. Did like Lincoln in the Bardo though.
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Adam
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and engaging
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2021
Verified Purchase
I was laughing out loud several times, other times I was nodding and the rest of the time my eyes were wide open of anticipation. What a skillfully written book. It talks about low class people, but it touches on aspects of humanity that are all too familiar, and makes me realize I could be very well one of the characters. Truly enjoyable.
One person found this helpful
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Rene JACOBS
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilaréalité !
Reviewed in France on March 13, 2013
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Vous refermez ce recueil de six nouvelles et vous vous sentez une autre personne, meilleure, plus "décente". Et vous en sortez dans l'hilarité.
Avec mordant, intelligence, compassion, originalité et humour, Saunders nous livre une collection de paraboles, de textes satiriques, d'une imagination sans limite, parfois ridicules, émouvants, prodigues de métaphores. Il nous entraîne à 1000 lieues de la réalité, on est en plein rêve ou en plein délire, puis on tourne la page et il se montre le chroniqueur le plus pointu d'une certaine 'corporate America'.
On assimile parfois Saunders à Vonnegut; j'y retrouve plutôt la tendresse freaky de Flannery O'Connor.
3 people found this helpful
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Nick
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Australia on August 16, 2014
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Quirky, interesting story. The rest of the stories were fairly similar.
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