Tenth of December

Stories

De: George Saunders

Narrado por: George Saunders

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF TIME’S TEN BEST FICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY AND BUZZFEED • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY People • The New York Times Magazine • NPR • Entertainment Weekly • New York • The Telegraph • BuzzFeed • Kirkus Reviews • BookPage • Shelf Awareness

One of the most important and blazingly original writers of his generation, George Saunders is an undisputed master of the short story, and Tenth of December is his most honest, accessible, and moving collection yet.

In the taut opener, “Victory Lap,” a boy witnesses the attempted abduction of the girl next door and is faced with a harrowing choice: Does he ignore what he sees, or override years of smothering advice from his parents and act? In “Home,” a combat-damaged soldier moves back in with his mother and struggles to reconcile the world he left with the one to which he has returned. And in the title story, a stunning meditation on imagination, memory, and loss, a middle-aged cancer patient walks into the woods to commit suicide, only to encounter a troubled young boy who, over the course of a fateful morning, gives the dying man a final chance to recall who he really is. A hapless, deluded owner of an antiques store; two mothers struggling to do the right thing; a teenage girl whose idealism is challenged by a brutal brush with reality; a man tormented by a series of pharmaceutical experiments that force him to lust, to love, to kill—the unforgettable characters that populate the pages of Tenth of December are vividly and lovingly infused with Saunders’s signature blend of exuberant prose, deep humanity, and stylistic innovation.

Writing brilliantly and profoundly about class, sex, love, loss, work, despair, and war, Saunders cuts to the core of the contemporary experience. These stories take on the big questions and explore the fault lines of our own morality, delving into the questions of what makes us good and what makes us human.

Unsettling, insightful, and hilarious, the stories in Tenth of December—through their manic energy, their focus on what is redeemable in human beings, and their generosity of spirit—not only entertain and delight; they fulfill Chekhov’s dictum that art should “prepare us for tenderness.”

GEORGE SAUNDERS WAS NAMED ONE OF THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD BY TIME MAGAZINE

©2013 George Saunders (P)2013 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A feat of inventiveness . . . This eclectic collection never ceases to delight with its at times absurd, surreal, and darkly humorous look at very serious subjects. . . . George Saunders makes you feel as though you are reading fiction for the first time.” (Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner)

“The best short-story writer in English—not ‘one of,’ not ‘arguably,’ but the Best.” (Mary Karr, Time)

“A visceral and moving act of storytelling . . . No one writes more powerfully than George Saunders about the lost, the unlucky, the disenfranchised.” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

No Duds Here

No duds to be found in this short story collection. What I like is how unassuming the 'tagonists are. (They aren't really 'pro-' or 'ant-'.) Many of the characters have a fragile psyche and plenty of self-doubt and guilt for everyone. The prose remains fascinating and unpredictable, juxtaposing an impressive vocabulary with the simple internalizing that usually goes unspoken. As with any writer, it was cool to see recurring themes, phrases, and concepts that he circled back to, and yet I never knew where each story was ultimately headed. There was social commentary, sci-fi, po-mo, slice-of-life family drama set in the near future, and ultimately a large amount of creativity. I also found a few of his articles in the New Yorker to be entertaining/thought-provoking. He reads his own work well, and sounds good sped up to the 1.25 setting.

Two Listens and Counting

For those who don't know his work, Saunders is at once very accessible yet profound, with a few sci-fi elements, but really centered around the human mind. He creates fictional worlds to explain our inner world, that is the best way I can think of to explain.

What a treat to have Saunders himself narrate his own work. Now I sometimes hear his voice narrating my own thoughts. Weird. Loved these stories and have listened twice through already. Reading more in print, but look forward to more Saunders-narrated audiobooks hopefully.

Strange, good stories

What did you like best about Tenth of December? What did you like least?

The writing is excellent and the stories imaginative. Just not my favorites, being a fan of 19th century British literature.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

I would have appreciated another second or so between stories. A few times, the author/narrator went on to the next story and I didn't realize the previous story had ended (I mentioned above they were strange); it just sounded like another section of the same story.

The Absurdity of Humanity

I was not familiar with George Saunders before this collection of short stories were released. I first came in contact with them when my uncle gave me his copy that he had finished reading a year ago. I read the first story, became distracted by life, and always meant to pick the book back up again to finish. It wasn't until I found it on Audible that I've been able to finally finish the collection. And oh my, what a collection it is.

These stories are not for those looking for an easy read. They demand our attention in order to fully soak up all they have to offer. I normally cannot stay still when I listen to audiobooks--I usually clean or workout when I listen to audiobooks--but this collection had me stopping and just LISTENING. I grabbed my physical copy of the book, grabbed a six pack of beer, and just sat outside on my porch listening Saunders read his work aloud. There were points that I consulted the physical copy of the book--Saunder's stories may seem simplistic at first but the hold a labyrinth of layers that the listener can easily get lost in. And it shouldn't be ignored that Saunders writes with artistic flair--using the equal sign (=) instead of writing out 'equal' and other such stylistic touches that help a writer evoke a certain tone and mood of a story. Pair up that stylistic writing with listening to how Saunders emphasizes and uses different vocal sounds to enhance the listening experiencing really helps to make the stories that much more dynamic and full.

The collection as a whole deals with the concept of human inadequacies and human goodness despite those inadequacies. None of these characters are heroes or extraordinary, but they are in circumstances that call for action of some sort. Whether the choices they make are right or wrong remains to be seen (in some cases), but the choices they make are realistic choices. The reality that these characters live in are not a happy one and there's very little control that they have over that, but there is a pivotal moment where a decision has to be made.

There are ten stories in total with this collection and all of them are well worth listening/reading. I do have my favorites though.

Victory Lap
This short story starts off the collection and mingles the joy of adolescent daydreaming, the resentment of overbearing parents, and the sick, self-righteous mindset of kidnapper and rapists. The moral dilemma faced by the teenage boy and later the girl are stark compared to the sick ramblings of a delusional man.

Escape from Spiderhead
Hands down, this was my favorite one out of the collection. An eerie glimpse of how human emotion can be stripped away, built up, and manipulated all in the name of "Science". It's a reproach on the over dependence and growing problem the nation is having with prescription pills but at the same time it's a magnificent look at how despite these manipulations and tinkering the core that makes us human, that makes us good, cannot be completely destroyed.

The Semplica Girl Diaries
This is a world of human trafficking, objectification of women, dehumanization of immigrants and third world citizens, and the ridiculous need to possess more material goods than our neighbors--and this short story makes sure to encompass all of that and more. What really makes this short story magnificent is the raw and simplistic manner in which it's told. The father is a struggling, working man who's main concern is the well being of his children. He tries to be a man whom his family can depend upon, but the methods he use and the decisions he makes casts him as hapless child himself trying to keep up with the uncaring school pack.

Hilarious!

I laughed out loud so many times during these stories. Interesting and unusual keeping you entertained the whole time. Dry, witty and sarcastic humor. Highly recommend.

First short story is the best

I realize that this book received high reviews in 2013. However, in this compilation of short stories, I only really liked the first short story. I wish that first story could have been longer.

Offbeat--the Best Beat

"The best art has its reference points in real life." By Carver's definition, Tenth of December is the best art. Saunders looks at people in the context of our culture and reflects them back through his writing with unflinching accuracy. It's acerbic, dark, even frightening, and at the same time Saunders can elicit a contradictory pathos and humor, that brings us back to the yin and yang of real life, like no other author. It is that tragicomic element and Saunders' compassion that keeps the light twinkling in some dark moments in these stories.

I had read a few of these vignettes in The New Yorker, and had read Civilwarland in Bad Decline before this purchase. This compilation of stories is a bit of a departure from Saunders previous writing and seems also more human and real. The characters are challenged or damaged by societal judgements, relationships, the roll of the dice...but there is a redemptive quality that comes through in each situation. The interior monologues are just brilliant; authentic, whether it is a 14 yr. old diva who realizes she has just opened the door to a murderous rapist (Victory Lap, my favorite) or an old man dying of cancer and bent on suicide (Tenth of December). Saunders gets into their heads--the reference point feels as real as it gets, your emotional response to the stories tells you so.

I can't recall ever seeing so many literary giants' names attached to a book, like *Product Placement/Integration*, by the critics...Vonnegut, Pynchon, Twain, Checkhov, Orwell, Hemmingway, Barthelme, Wallace, Joyce, and O'Connor...but Saunders is an original that is genius. This truly may be "the best book you'll read this year." [NYTimes]

Bonus that Saunders reads his own work, but he speaks rapidly and words run together-- you may want to keep your device at regular speed instead of 2x. With the quick shifts of character consciousness, there are times that it's also difficult to distinguish which character is speaking. For readers that aren't sure about reading a volume of short stories, this is a great collection by an author that is considered the master of the genre. The 10 stories have different themes and pacing; you experience a bubble effect that I preferred to savour rather than jump immediately into the next story. Short stories are perfect for days when that *real life* conflicts with the desire to read all day.

The Master of the conversations inside our head...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely, but I would warn them they need to be able to laugh at our dark side

Any additional comments?

George is a genius and hearing him read his work made it all the more interesting.

First and Last Stories are best

George Saunders's tales of a vast suburban wasteland fit the times. It's a bit uneven, but It's worth the price of admission for the first tale, "Victory Lap" and the last, "Tenth of December" both of which I listened to twice. I also enjoyed hearing the author read his own stories.

Excellent with a Note

Would you listen to Tenth of December again? Why?

Yes. For the one negative that I have with the book: I had a very hard time telling when one story stopped, and the next one began.

What did you like best about this story?

The author reading the book gave the stories a unique voice and the voice of how it should be read.

What about George Saunders’s performance did you like?

His "Wisconsin"-style accent. Funny and interesting.

Any additional comments?

The stories were imaginative and interesting. I enjoyed every one of them and thought they were the most original ideas I have heard in a long time.