Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
George Saunders Loves Telling Ghost Stories. |
| Authors: |
O’Connell, Michael (AUTHOR) |
| Source: |
America Magazine: The Jesuit Review of Faith & Culture. Apr2026, Vol. 234 Issue 4, p42-45. 4p. 1 Color Photograph. |
| Subject Terms: |
*Ethical problems, *Buddhism, *Authors, Ghost stories, Redemption, Climate change denial, Religious fiction |
| Company/Entity: |
Catholic Church |
| People: |
Saunders, George, 1958- |
| Abstract: |
The article focuses on George Saunders as a significant contemporary American writer whose Catholic upbringing deeply influences his literary themes, particularly in his novel *Vigil*. Although Saunders is now a practicing Buddhist, his work reflects Catholic traditions through its exploration of mystery, metaphor, moral complexity, and grace, often using ghostly characters to probe questions of sin, redemption, and human responsibility. *Vigil* centers on the ghost Jill “Doll” Blaine comforting a dying oil executive implicated in climate change denial, raising challenging questions about guilt, repentance, and moral generosity. Saunders’s approach, reminiscent of Charles Dickens’s *A Christmas Carol*, invites readers to grapple with difficult ethical issues without offering easy resolutions. [Extracted from the article] |
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| Database: |
Education Research Complete |
