should we stay or should we go lionel shriver review

Were they to cut life artificially short, what would they miss out on? Something terrific? Or something terrible? Might they end up in a home? A fabulous luxury retirement village, or a Cuckoo’s Nest sort of home? Might being demented end up being rather fun? What future for humanity awaits-the end of civilization, or a Valhalla of peace and prosperity? What if cryogenics were really to work? What if scientists finally cure aging?īoth timely and timeless, Lionel Shriver addresses serious themes-the compromises of longevity, the challenge of living a long life and still going out in style-with an uncannily light touch. When their deal is sealed, the spouses are blithely looking forward to another three decades together.īy turns hilarious and touching, playful and grave, Should We Stay or Should We Go portrays twelve parallel universes, each exploring a possible future for Kay and Cyril. To spare themselves and their loved ones such a humiliating and protracted decline, they should agree to commit suicide together once they’ve both turned eighty. Determined to die with dignity, Cyril makes a modest proposal. Although healthy and vital in their early fifties, the couple fears what may lie ahead. Surely one’s own father passing should never come as such a relief.īoth medical professionals, Kay and her husband Cyril have seen too many elderly patients in similar states of decay. Over ten years, Alzheimer’s had steadily eroded this erudite man into a paranoid lunatic. When her father dies, Kay Wilkinson can’t cry. Light and dark a read that will both entertain and provoke, highly recommended. In conclusion this novel is at times a horrendous insight into the pitfalls of old age, if you are no longer fit and healthy with all your faculties. Social criticism at its best, with Covid19, Brexit, Migration, Suicide Pacts and Human Longevity all covered in the twelve different scenarios that the author presents to us. Exactly how this pans out for them makes for a sometimes disturbing read, but also with humour along the way. Having decided in 1991 whilst in their fifties, the couple planned to enter a suicide pact together when they reached eighty. The topic of ageing and how Kay and Cyril Wilkinson, both medical professionals decide how they will cope is the basis of the novel. My Opinion: ‘With Should We Stay or Should We Go’, a title that has me humming The Clash song ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’, Lionel Shriver has produced a thought provoking and intelligently written novel about a dilemma of the current times. Setting: Lambeth area of London, England. With Should We Stay or Should We Go, she’s added triumphantly to their number’ The Times Review Quote: ‘Shriver said that her favourite novels are those that pack both an intellectual and emotional punch. Source: With thanks to LoveReading UK for providing a copy in return for an unbiased review. Publisher: June 2021, Borough Press, imprint of Harper Collins

Should we stay or should we go lionel shriver review