Should We Stay or Should We Go: A Novel
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- Create Date：2021-05-31 19:31:16
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Lionel Shriver
- ISBN：006309424X
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Summary
When her father dies， Kay Wilkinson can’t cry。 Over ten years， Alzheimer’s had steadily eroded this erudite man into a paranoid lunatic。 Surely one’s own father passing should never come as such a relief。
Both medical professionals， Kay and her husband Cyril have seen too many elderly patients in similar states of decay。 Although healthy and vital in their early fifties， the couple fears what may lie ahead。 Determined to die with dignity， Cyril makes a modest proposal。 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。 When their deal is sealed， the spouses are blithely looking forward to another three decades together。
But then they turn eighty。
By 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。 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？
Both 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。 Weaving in a host of contemporary issues， from Brexit and mass migration to the coronavirus， Shriver has pulled off a rollicking page-turner in which we never have to mourn perished characters， because they’ll be alive and kicking in the very next chapter。
Both medical professionals， Kay and her husband Cyril have seen too many elderly patients in similar states of decay。 Although healthy and vital in their early fifties， the couple fears what may lie ahead。 Determined to die with dignity， Cyril makes a modest proposal。 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。 When their deal is sealed， the spouses are blithely looking forward to another three decades together。
But then they turn eighty。
By 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。 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？
Both 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。 Weaving in a host of contemporary issues， from Brexit and mass migration to the coronavirus， Shriver has pulled off a rollicking page-turner in which we never have to mourn perished characters， because they’ll be alive and kicking in the very next chapter。
Reviews
Helen
，
Should the death of a parent come as a relief？ For Kay Wilkinson， over ten years of Alzheimer’s destroyed her once erudite and intelligent father， and the burden of care fell squarely on Kay and her mother， so after such a gruellingly hard and desperately sad ten years， her father’s death is exactly that: a relief。 To the extent that she can’t even cry about it。Kay and her husband Cyril are both in their fifties， working as medics and enjoying good health， but， they have seen too many of their e Should the death of a parent come as a relief？ For Kay Wilkinson， over ten years of Alzheimer’s destroyed her once erudite and intelligent father， and the burden of care fell squarely on Kay and her mother， so after such a gruellingly hard and desperately sad ten years， her father’s death is exactly that: a relief。 To the extent that she can’t even cry about it。Kay and her husband Cyril are both in their fifties， working as medics and enjoying good health， but， they have seen too many of their elderly NHS patients in similar states of decay to Kay’s father。 Determined to die with dignity， Cyril proposes that they should agree to commit suicide together once they’ve both turned eighty。 When their deal is sealed in 1991， the couple are looking forward to another three decades together， and their agreement is largely ignored for the whole of that time， but then they turn eighty， and they have to face the implications of the pact they made。 In this "Sliding Doors" meets "Life After Life" novel， each successive chapter offers a different “ending” for Kay and Cyril， as the intertwined issues of how to cope with declining health in old age， and the dilemma of how to go out in style at the optimum time are explored。 A wide range of scenarios play out – some are happy， some most definitely are not – and these different endings rehearse an equally diverse spectrum of philosophies and attitudes to the subject: Is suicide a cop out; surely it is braver and more noble to lose everything by degrees and take what comes？ Or， is it better to postpone suicide if you’re still hale and hearty at 80， live your best older age life until you can’t and then make an exit？ Or， should one take decisive action， even before decrepitude has set in， in order to retain control over one’s own destiny？No spoilers here， but it is safe to say that the subject， in all its aspects， is explored comprehensively within the novel， along with a menu of other contemporary issues of the day such as Brexit， the pandemic and elderly care。So is it a good read？ Well， it is fair to say that this very much an issue-driven novel rather than character-driven， and inevitably， given the subject of the book， there are potential triggers around old age， illness， suicide and elder-abuse/elderly care， which may be distressing for some。It is written with Lionel Shriver’s usual shrewd eye， her observational skills and trademark mordant wit， so there are many apt and pithy quotes to enjoy。 Overall I found this to be a very readable and thought-provoking novel， and it is the kind of book which leaves you chewing things over in your mind long after you have finished it。Thank you to The Borough Press via NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Sharon
，
I was initially drawn to the book as its summary indicated the story provided an interesting premise。 It however did not work for me and I did not find the characters or conversations particularly interesting。 In all honesty I skimmed through the book， reading various chapters/pages until I reached the final few。 This book was however nothing special for me。 3 starsMy thanks to goodreads and the book’s giveaway sponsors for the opportunity to obtain and read a copy of this book。
LS
，
Lionel Shriver is one of the strongest contemporary writers on the market。 Every time I read one of her books， I marvel at the rhythm of her sentences， her penetrating insight， and her intelligent prose。 Last year's novel， THE MOTION OF THE BODY THROUGH SPACE， was the best book I read during the pandemic。 It was the first time I had laughed out loud in months。 She's a brilliant satirist。This new novel， SHOULD WE STAY OR SHOULD WE GO， takes a maudlin idea--the concept of aging--and approaches it Lionel Shriver is one of the strongest contemporary writers on the market。 Every time I read one of her books， I marvel at the rhythm of her sentences， her penetrating insight， and her intelligent prose。 Last year's novel， THE MOTION OF THE BODY THROUGH SPACE， was the best book I read during the pandemic。 It was the first time I had laughed out loud in months。 She's a brilliant satirist。This new novel， SHOULD WE STAY OR SHOULD WE GO， takes a maudlin idea--the concept of aging--and approaches it from every angle possible。 She also weaves in a lot of current topics （like Brexit， climate change， racism， and other politically-charged subjects） and satirizes them in her very pointed but honest way。 Shriver doesn't hold back。 Her wit is razor-sharp， and she pulls no punches。Once again， Shriver uses a parallel universe structure to tell her story。 The book revolves around Kay and Cyril， an aging couple who make a pact to commit suicide on Kay's 80th birthday。 Each chapter shows a different path that their suicide pact could take。 Some of the chapters are more grounded in reality than others。 A few of the later chapters delve into sci fi， an approach I found startling and less successful than some of the earlier chapters。 But as usual， Shriver was trying to point out some of the ridiculousness of humanity。Read this book for its insights and its pointed satire。 But if you don't like it， don't give up on Shriver。 WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN and THE POST-BIRTHDAY WORLD are two of the best books I've ever read， and I still think about them more than ten years later。I won an ARC for this book through a Goodreads giveaway。 Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to devour this novel before its publication。 。。。more
Dana
，
WOW。 Lionel Shriver never disappoints but this one is a doozy。 Not since We Have to Talk aBout Kevin or The Post Birthday World has a book been so haunting。 No spoilers。。。。but each chapter lends itself to both discussion and rumination。。。。 the societal impact of Retrogeritox alone could spark 100 dinner party debates。。。。Thank you for the ARC
B。
，
Somewhere closer to 2。5 starsHard to rate， because in the beginning I found it brillant， but there were so many scenarios that around 2/3 of the way through， I became a bit frustrated。
Anni
，
The conundrum behind the title， as Ms Shriver describes it herself， is “how to live a long-enough life yet still go out in style？” The concept is the parallel universe one， where the alternative timelines make for multiple perspectives and possibilities to play out。 She deploys twelve scenarios， some blackly comic， some touching and tragic， others horrific- including the repercussions of a suicide pact and - in one case， she plays with the speculative fiction of cryogenics。This playful ‘what if The conundrum behind the title， as Ms Shriver describes it herself， is “how to live a long-enough life yet still go out in style？” The concept is the parallel universe one， where the alternative timelines make for multiple perspectives and possibilities to play out。 She deploys twelve scenarios， some blackly comic， some touching and tragic， others horrific- including the repercussions of a suicide pact and - in one case， she plays with the speculative fiction of cryogenics。This playful ‘what if ？’ conceit also means that Shriver can employ her usual trenchant social criticism over a range of current issues， such as Brexit， immigration， political correctness and the Covid ‘pandemic’。 Set in Britain， the American born Shriver is spot on with our geography， vernacular and politics because she has lived in the U。K。 for nearly three decades。This is the 12th novel I’ve read by this author， and I’ve found it as much fun as she admits she had in writing it。Thanks go to the publisher for the ARC via NetGalley 。。。more
Milly Reynolds
，
This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review。This is such an interesting idea。 Kay and Cyril are two medical professionals who， in 1991， are in their 50s。 Kay has spent the previous few years watching her father swallowed up by Alzheimer's and Cyril proposes that on their 80th birthday， they should commit suicide。What follows are twelve different endings， twelve different scenarios about how this proposal could turn out。 I'm not going to give you any clues about the different endings， but Li This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review。This is such an interesting idea。 Kay and Cyril are two medical professionals who， in 1991， are in their 50s。 Kay has spent the previous few years watching her father swallowed up by Alzheimer's and Cyril proposes that on their 80th birthday， they should commit suicide。What follows are twelve different endings， twelve different scenarios about how this proposal could turn out。 I'm not going to give you any clues about the different endings， but Lionel Shriver really does present you with ideas about the future， some that we have probably all thought of at one time or another。 I'm also not revealing which of the twelve I preferred。The relationship between Cyril and Kay is what makes this book。 They are brilliant characters， Cyril is very set in his ways while Kay has a zest for life， but their love for each other is so touching。 As the year that they turn 80 is 2020， coronavirus makes an introduction and Cyril had some very strong opinions in some of the scenarios and we see how the disease affects them and their plans。 Brexit is also another topic that Cyril has opinions about。This is certainly a book that makes you think about the future， although I don't think I'd be too happy if my own husband came up the same idea as Cyril。 。。。more
SueLucie
，
I have long enjoyed Lionel Shriver’s work and her ability to cut to the heart of topical issues。 Her writing is always elegant and so witty。 She carries on in the same vein in this latest novel， turning her attention to ageing， and I found this really engaging， especially to begin with。 But， as the publisher’s blurb says:Weaving in a host of contemporary issues - Brexit， mass migration， the coronavirus - Lionel Shriver has pulled off a rollicking page-turner in which we never have to mourn decea I have long enjoyed Lionel Shriver’s work and her ability to cut to the heart of topical issues。 Her writing is always elegant and so witty。 She carries on in the same vein in this latest novel， turning her attention to ageing， and I found this really engaging， especially to begin with。 But， as the publisher’s blurb says:Weaving in a host of contemporary issues - Brexit， mass migration， the coronavirus - Lionel Shriver has pulled off a rollicking page-turner in which we never have to mourn deceased characters， because they’ll be alive and kicking in the very next chapter。and this is where my problem with this book lies。 Although of course I found the different situations Kay and Cyril experience sometimes entertaining， sometimes downright scary， always thought-provoking （I am thinking here of the cryogenics chapter particularly）， overall I felt there were too many social issues crammed into too many possible scenarios， to the extent that by the end I failed to care about the outcome for the characters one jot。 I don’t suppose LS intended us to care about them， but it came as a disappointment for me as I’d been invested in their dilemma in the first chapters。With thanks to HarperCollins， Borough Press via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC。 。。。more
Caleb Dagenhart
，
Strong writing and an interesting premise: how to cope with declining health in old age？ Although the suicide pact is a bit morbid， this tongue-in-cheek work started off strong。 There was an opportunity here to treat serious topics with a bit of levity in a way that would have been truly memorable。 For me， the first half of the book approaches that standard， and is probably a solid 4 stars。 My only criticism of the beginning of the work is that there is a bit too much expository dialogue for a c Strong writing and an interesting premise: how to cope with declining health in old age？ Although the suicide pact is a bit morbid， this tongue-in-cheek work started off strong。 There was an opportunity here to treat serious topics with a bit of levity in a way that would have been truly memorable。 For me， the first half of the book approaches that standard， and is probably a solid 4 stars。 My only criticism of the beginning of the work is that there is a bit too much expository dialogue for a couple who have been married for decades。However， later on， as the situations Kay and Cyril find themselves in become more outlandish， for me， they become much less interesting， and I found myself powering through the end of the book out of a sense of duty rather than enjoyment。Note: I was provided a free advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Maryellen Woodside
，
Wow！ This book blew me away！ Kay and Cyril Wilkinson are both in the medical field， he a doctor and she a nurse。 After Kay's father dies from Alzheimer's， they make a pact to commit suicide on Kay's 80th birthday。 Seems like a simple enough plot。 But Shriver has presented several different endings to the story。 Some of the ending are happy， others are downright scary。 Loved it！ Wow！ This book blew me away！ Kay and Cyril Wilkinson are both in the medical field， he a doctor and she a nurse。 After Kay's father dies from Alzheimer's， they make a pact to commit suicide on Kay's 80th birthday。 Seems like a simple enough plot。 But Shriver has presented several different endings to the story。 Some of the ending are happy， others are downright scary。 Loved it！ 。。。more
Roman Clodia
，
I love Shriver's trenchant wit and intellect but I'm sorry to say this book didn't work for me。 It's issue-driven and the characters are just chess pieces whose only function is to be moved around the board from chapter to chapter。 The topic of an aging population has so much potential but it gets diluted via the showy 'Sliding Doors' format which Shriver has worked far more effectively in the past。 And there's a strained attempt to liken the projected suicide of the characters to the national s I love Shriver's trenchant wit and intellect but I'm sorry to say this book didn't work for me。 It's issue-driven and the characters are just chess pieces whose only function is to be moved around the board from chapter to chapter。 The topic of an aging population has so much potential but it gets diluted via the showy 'Sliding Doors' format which Shriver has worked far more effectively in the past。 And there's a strained attempt to liken the projected suicide of the characters to the national self-harm of Brexit and the covid lockdown （Shriver seems sceptical about the latter）。 This could have made a snappy short story - stretched to novel length， it fell flat for me。 But flashes of cynical humour are a reminder of just how iconoclastic Shriver can be。Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley 。。。more
Robin Brown
，