{"product_id":"9781250800114","title":"Likes","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eLikes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Sarah Shun-lien Bynum\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: \u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eElectric Literature\u003c\/i\u003e, The New York Public Library, \u003ci\u003ePopMatters\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Finalist for the\u003ci\u003e Los Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e Book Prize and the Story Prize\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNational Book Award finalist Sarah Shun-lien Bynum’s highly anticipated return weaves together like and unlike, mythic and modern\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn nine stories that range from the real to the unreal, strange to familiar, funny to frightening, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum reminds us why her wildly original debut, \u003ci\u003eMadeleine Is Sleeping\u003c\/i\u003e, and her masterful \u003ci\u003eMs. Hempel Chronicles\u003c\/i\u003e have become contemporary classics--celebrated and beloved.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a nimble dance of lightness and gravity, \u003ci\u003eLikes\u003c\/i\u003e explores the full range and contradictions of our contemporary moment. Through unexpected visitors, Waldorf school fairs, aging indie-film stars, the struggle to gain a foothold in the capitalist shell-game of work, the Instagram posts of a twelve-year-old—these stories of friendship and parenthood, celebrity and obsession, race and class and the passage of time, form an engrossing collection that is both otherworldly and suffused with the deceitful humdrum of everyday life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor readers of Joy Williams, George Saunders, Lauren Groff, and Deborah Eisenberg, \u003ci\u003eLikes \u003c\/i\u003ehelps us see into our unacknowledged desires and, in quick, artful, nearly invisible cuts, exposes the roots of our abiding terrors and delights.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: \u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eElectric Literature\u003c\/i\u003e, The New York Public Library, \u003ci\u003ePopMatters\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Finalist for the Story Prize\u003cbr\u003eLonglisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Best Book of Fall at \u003ci\u003eRefinery29\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAlma Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eWIRED \u003c\/i\u003eUltimate Summer Reading pick\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMost Anticipated at \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWIRED, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLit Hub, PureWow,\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Millions, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Lunch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Finely attuned to both sensory and emotional detail . . . The adjectives that readers often attach to Bynum’s work—'enchanting,' 'charming,' 'precise'—are accurate, but . . . her skills and her sensibility are deeper and darker than that. The sentences are indeed meticulous, but never for their own sake; they bring to life characters who possess rich inner lives even when navigating moments that feel dreamily sinister or otherworldly . . . Bynum offers her reader inventively landscaped, beautifully manicured gardens teeming with rewardingly warty toads.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Caitlin Horrocks, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eLikes\u003c\/i\u003e brilliantly captures our current moment . . . Certain authors have such mastery over the short story form that you never forget the first time you read their work. Lorrie Moore, for example. Jim Shepard. Deborah Eisenberg. Add to that impressive list Sarah Shun-lien Bynum with her new collection, \u003ci\u003eLikes\u003c\/i\u003e as evidence . . . \u003ci\u003eLikes\u003c\/i\u003e is a short-story collection you should read slowly, but it’s so good, each story at such a high-wire level, that you’ll wind up tearing through it and wishing for more.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Bethanne Patrick, \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Captures the tensions that exist between technology, parenthood and growing up . . . The nine pieces, though rooted in reality, contain unexpected undercurrents of magic, coalescing into an innovative portrait of modern living.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sparkling, transcendent . . . Each story is delicate and dazzling in its own way . . . The stories hum with thrilling detail and are touched here and there by small hints of magic . . . With the exuberance of the best Elizabeth McCracken stories and the insight of Tessa Hadley, these tales are at once gorgeously rendered and empathetic. This has the feel of an instant classic.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Throughout, Bynum combines a firm command of tone (often warm, even when dark) with precise detail . . . As clean prose dissects messy lives, these stories combine an empathetic heart with acute understanding.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus, \u003c\/i\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Despite her frequent use of the language of myths and fairytales, Bynum’s focus is deceptively ordinary. Time and again, her characters reckon with how—and if—you can ever really close the gap between yourself and someone else . . . \u003ci\u003eLikes\u003c\/i\u003e is a comforting reminder that relationships are often contradictory.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Eve Sneider, \u003ci\u003eWIRED\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Known for her keen observation of human nature as well as her wit and humor, these tales investigate the conundrums of modern American living.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Jennifer Day, \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Sarah Shun-lien Bynum not only makes us see and feel what we may have missed in our busy lives, but articulates what we see and feel with the precise words we’ve always been searching for but rarely find. How does she capture the world in its shimmery and inexplicable state so deftly? Stories in this collection lead the readers to feel nostalgic for experiences both lived and missed, alarmed and yet thrilled by the mysteries hidden in everyday moments, and above all, hopeful and grateful that there is no need to compromise: we can live as fully and expansively as these stories.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Yiyun Li, author of \u003ci\u003eWhere Reasons End\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Each of the stories in Sarah Shun-lien Bynum's dazzling new collection offers lucid insight into the many perversities, small and large, that define our most typical interactions. From a father confused by his adolescent daughter's social media persona to a writer dealing with the lingering effects of a miscarriage, Bynum's stories probe the fragile, confusing moments of our lives, and tease out the underlying thrums of energy, magnifying all the emotion that exists just below the surface, illuminating what it means to be alive right now.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Kristin Iversen, \u003ci\u003eRefinery29\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Nine of the author’s greatest short stories. In settings that range from a Waldorf school fair to the Instagram page of a twelve-year-old, the characters in these stories move through adolescence, childhood, and parenthood, all while dealing with the miseries of life under late capitalism.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Thomas Beckwith, \u003ci\u003eThe Millions\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Oh, what a treasure trove of delights this is! The most succulent details are tucked inside the warmth of these characters’ voices, and it is Bynum’s governing and generous intelligence that gives shape to their stories, always holding close and with care our complex yearnings and desires.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Aimee Bender, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum’s mastery of the short story form is on immediate display in her new collection, \u003ci\u003eLikes\u003c\/i\u003e. [She] is exceptionally skilled at subtle shifts and seemingly casual details . . . Bynum can wring suspense from the slightest interactions.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Jackie Thomas-Kennedy, \u003ci\u003eMinneapolis Star Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In this collection of nine stories, ideal for fans of Tessa Hadley and Lauren Groff, Bynum explores the contradictions of modern life in stories about friendship, parenthood, celebrity and more.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Sarah Stiefvater, \u003ci\u003ePureWow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“These stories caught me in the throat. Everything I thought to be true—about home invaders and husbands, BFFs and rich hippie schools—is revealed to be temporary, spectral, fragile as glass. \u003ci\u003eLikes\u003c\/i\u003e is a cunning, electrifying work by one of the best writers of our times.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Danzy Senna, author of \u003ci\u003eCaucasia\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eNew People\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A wonderful short story collection . . . In each story, there’s an element of the otherworldly and magical — there’s one story about an ancient king — but each stays firmly rooted in astute observations of our reality: of how a teenage girl acts on social media; of how a Black writer on a crime show has to navigate his identity and his desire for a promotion; of a mom wanting her child to have a good education, and more. Every time I got to the end of the story, I wished it would keep going.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Emily Burack, \u003ci\u003eAlma\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Amusingly examines the contradictions and complexities of our modern moment with cutting portrayals of Waldorf school fairs, tween Instagrammers, and aging indie-film starlets.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Malia Mendez and Hailey Eber, \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"For fans of Aimee Bender, Karen Russell, Joy Williams, and all that is good.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Emily Temple, \u003ci\u003eLit Hub\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLong-listed Library Journal Best Books of the Year (2020), Long-listed NYPL Best Books of the Year (2020), Short-listed L.A. Times Book Prize - Finalist (2020)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781250800114\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Picador","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40814238630094,"sku":"9781250800114","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_8606f080-ee6b-4a59-8227-69f51413b0e8.jpg?v=1642750100","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781250800114","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}