Tenth of December

Stories

By: George Saunders

Narrated by: 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

Critic reviews

“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.

Meh...

What does George Saunders bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I found the narration to be pretty good. With a few exceptions, I like it when authors read their own material. I think he did a good job with pacing and tone.

Was Tenth of December worth the listening time?

To be honest, I wouldn't recommend this book. The first couple of stories are good because they are fresh and new, especially for a first-time Saunders listener. The plots are intriguing and presented in a good way - a key word here, a phrase there - like slowing opening a present by the corners. But it just started getting repetitive. The characters seemed so similar, their situations were different in the details but not that different in the nature of the conflict. The internal conversations of the characters went from interesting and entertaining to repetitive and predictable. A couple of times while I was listening in my car, I found myself talking to the narration saying, "Yes, I get it. Move on!"

Any additional comments?

It seems like a lot of people like this book, so who am I to say. I don't usually write reviews, but wanted to give me thoughts, for what they're worth (probably not much).

Moving, quirky, intelligent, human stories

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

Yes. The stories had interesting forms, moving ideas, and revealed a sensitive portrayal of the ordinary human being.

What did you like best about this story?

The quirky style and the heartfelt understanding of people.

What does George Saunders bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His own accent, his midwestern rhythm of speech, his own portrayal of the characters as he imagined them.

Very fun to listen to

These rich stories, though short, are bursting with character and great vocabulary. I will be listening to these stories again soon!

One of the best short story writers

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

I had brief experience with reading some george saunders essays, and the nominal story here, 10th of december. But it's the other stories that I heard in this book that are my favorites. I'm not always a fan of short fiction, but aside from being a fun writer, George Saunders really has something to SAY in these stories. He touches on themes of love, insanity, prejudice, and suicide. And he does it well.