This is a well-crafted short story that captures the sense of unreality and wrongness of life after Trump's election. The story begins the day after the election and conveys the sense of unease that a couple, along with their friends, feel about the election. One of my favorite lines comes when the protagonist's daughter tells her mom that she should move to California because "It's still America here." Along with a sense of the country unravelling, the couples in this story find their relationships with each other and their friends fraying.

I heard Russo in an interview talking about how lots of people were turning to him for answers after Trump's election, and it feels like he's thinking it through in this story. Not in a way to explain why the characters in post-industrial communities that he usually writes about made the choices they did, but the surreal feeling of not understanding the world we live in if it's a place where Trump could be elected. I found this a very satisfying story.

This was a short read, and a little dark. there are 3 couples, a wife who refuses to come home, and twisted neighbors. It was different and fast, I enjoyed it but would find it difficult to recommend.

Like so many things, it would seem, it started right after the 2016 presidential election. Just as an Arizona couple retired from academia struggles to comprehend the lunacy of that moment, their home is violated... scatologically. Is it a prank? A threat? The offense draws very different reactions from all concerned as they wrestle with the absurdity of the situation. Russo spins a great story with typical understatement. And like the political reality, I'm not sure what it all means but I can't stop thinking about it.

When I finished this one, I felt very indifferent about it. It wasn't great and it wasn't horrible. It was OK. I was less interested in the political stuff than I was the other storyline about the main character and his wife. The politics wasn't over the top or off-putting. I was expecting it to be a lot worse.

An interesting, funny, kind of bleak short story. ...................................................................................................................................................................................

I have long wanted to read Russo, but his books just haven't made it to the front of my queue. I enjoyed this story of decaying friendship during the Trump presidency and will make more of an effort to read more. Nicely humorous.

Richard Russo's short story, "Sh*tshow," opens on the morning after THE election. Shocked and feeling the need for companionship, David and Ellie invite their old friends, two other couples, who add to the shock when the each announce that they are each moving away, north and west, both an hour away. Bad news continues to hit the fan when Ellie finds an unwelcome surprise floating in the hot tub. After that, the noxious "pranks" continue and get worse and threaten to drive David and Ellie from their comfortable home.

Richard Russo is such a talent! My only complaint with this book is it's far too short! Not the story itself, it just left me wanting more of Russo to read. Maybe I'll reread "Nobody's Fool" and "Everybody's Fool."

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Write faster Mr. Russo!!

#Shtshow #NetGalley