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Tenth of December: Stories Paperback – January 7, 2014

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 4,829 ratings

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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

One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: People, The New York Times Magazine, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, New York, The Telegraph, BuzzFeed, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, Shelf Awareness

Includes an extended conversation with David Sedaris


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
"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more

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Popular Highlights in this book

From the Publisher

Khaled Hosseini says, “This eclectic collection never ceases to delight.”

New York Times Magazines says, “The best book you’ll read this year.”

People says, Saunders’s startling, dreamlike stories leave you feeling newly awakened to the world.

Michiko Kakutani says, “A visceral and moving act of storytelling.”

Dave Eggers says, “George Saunders is a complete original.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The best book you’ll read this year.”The New York Times Magazine

“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

“Saunders’s startling, dreamlike stories leave you feeling newly awakened to the world.”
People

“It’s no exaggeration to say that short story master George Saunders helped change the trajectory of American fiction.”
The Wall Street Journal

“An irresistible mix of humor and humanity . . . that will make you beam with unmitigated glee. [Grade:] A”
Entertainment Weekly

“Saunders captures the fragmented rhythms, disjointed sensory input, and wildly absurd realities of the twenty-first century experience like no other writer.”
The Boston Globe

Tenth of December shows George Saunders at his most subversive, hilarious, and emotionally piercing. Few writers can encompass that range of adjectives, but Saunders is a true original—restlessly inventive, yet deeply humane.”—Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of A Visit from the Goon Squad

“George Saunders is a complete original, unlike anyone else, thank god—and yet still he manages to be the rightful heir to three other complete American originals—Barthelme (the lyricism, the playfulness), Vonnegut (the outrage, the wit, the scope), and Twain (the common sense, the exasperation). There is no author I recommend to people more often—for ten years I’ve urged George Saunders onto everyone and everyone. You want funny? Saunders is your man. You want emotional heft? Saunders again. You want stories that are actually about something—stories that again and again get to the meat of matters of life and death and justice and country? Saunders. There is no one better, no one more essential to our national sense of self and sanity.”
—Dave Eggers, author of A Hologram for the King

About the Author

MacArthur “Genius Grant” fellow George Saunders is the acclaimed author of several collections of short stories, including Pastoralia and CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, as well as a collection of essays and a book for children. He teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition (January 7, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812984250
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812984255
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 0.78 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 4,829 ratings

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George Saunders
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George Saunders is the author of nine books, including Tenth of December, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and won the inaugural Folio Prize (for the best work of fiction in English) and the Story Prize (best short-story collection). He has received MacArthur and Guggen-heim fellowships and the PEN/Malamud Prize for excellence in the short story, and was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2013, he was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine. He teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University.

georgesaundersbooks.com

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4.1 out of 5 stars
4,829 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the stories intense and well-written. They describe the book as an entertaining read with remarkable writing style and relatable conversational prose. Many readers find the stories thought-provoking and funny, with plenty of laugh-out-loud lines. However, some feel the book lacks value for money and is boring or depressing.

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374 customers mention "Story quality"278 positive96 negative

Customers enjoy the stories' quality. They find the stories intense, surreal, and well-written. The multiple perspectives tie the stories together in witty ways. Readers appreciate the suspenseful narrative with multiple plots and twists. The stories are never meandering or rambling, and the author is described as down-to-earth and warm.

"...What is on the surface a simple and straightforward story contains layers and layers of meaning, in this instance, society’s reaction to a rape claim..." Read more

"...He's got a solid voice -- that kind of poetically repressed everyman quality that Raymond Carver was so stinking good at -- so I didn't come across..." Read more

"...As I read more, I realized how well written these stories are. The ten stories here reach into the very core of human existence...." Read more

"...The story's execution is complicated by the changes in voice as it goes along, first from the point of view of the would be rescuer, then from the..." Read more

317 customers mention "Readability"240 positive77 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read. They describe the stories as well-written, entertaining, and worth their time and money.

"...What is on the surface a simple and straightforward story contains layers and layers of meaning, in this instance, society’s reaction to a rape claim..." Read more

"...AL ROOSTEN: A story that has a fantastic, character-driven feel to it -- poor Al is one of Saunders' classic sloop-shouldered middle-class losers --..." Read more

"...The stories are hardly superficial. They are worth another read." Read more

"...They are almost nonsense. Another tenet, not mine but Hemingway's, is that one ought to "write what you know."..." Read more

230 customers mention "Writing style"175 positive55 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style. They find it engaging and unique. The author narrates in natural, relatable conversational prose that makes them feel invested. They say the writer has a way with the English language, with no unnecessary words or phrases. Readers mention the book has a solid voice and a terse tone with rudimentary sentences.

"...He's got a solid voice -- that kind of poetically repressed everyman quality that Raymond Carver was so stinking good at -- so I didn't come across..." Read more

"...His writing is both challenging and simple...." Read more

"...George Saunders, from what one learns by reading about him, is a really good guy...." Read more

"...As with a typical journal, whole words are left out of sentences. Almost every sentence is a fragment...." Read more

189 customers mention "Thought provoking"161 positive28 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking. They praise the author's skill at creating nuanced thinking and reactions in characters. The writing style is stream-of-consciousness, with excellent use of changing viewpoints. Readers enjoy the clever, original, and creative writing style that captures the human condition.

"...The story explores themes of end-of-life decisions, hope, and goodness. It’s also tense as hell, as they both work to potentially save each other." Read more

"...give much away, other than to say that Saunders makes excellent use of changing viewpoints, especially when those viewpoints are impaired...." Read more

"...Saunders is probably one of the most creative literary minds currently writing...." Read more

"...he offers a fresh, dark, comical, and somewhat hopeful perspective on the burdens of everyday life as told by every day, suburban, mistake-making,..." Read more

121 customers mention "Humor"99 positive22 negative

Customers find the humor in the book humorous and poignant. They describe the writing as funny, amusing, and amazing. The stories can make you laugh and cry, with plenty of laugh-out-loud lines. The prose is lively and well-crafted, with no hint of derision or meanness. Overall, customers find the book an entertaining read and a great diversion.

"...It's certainly poetic, but almost aggressively symbolic, and it tries a little too hard to hit on a relevant emotion, making it feel like it's all..." Read more

"...and in his collection, Tenth of December, he offers a fresh, dark, comical, and somewhat hopeful perspective on the burdens of everyday life as..." Read more

"...While clever and occasionally funny, such science-fictionesque stories are some of the less successful ones in this collection because they are too..." Read more

"...I personally enjoyed this one and consider it to be a well-written work of satire...." Read more

139 customers mention "Emotional content"87 positive52 negative

Customers have different views on the emotional content. Some find it riveting, poignant, and uplifting, with some humour. Others feel the stories are depressing and not for the faint of heart.

"...They all elicit emotion from the reader and examine complex subject matter. The following stories are in this collection:..." Read more

"...on a relevant emotion, making it feel like it's all heartstrings and no heart. (2 stars)..." Read more

"...This book is powerful, dark and disturbing. If you are looking for a “fun read”, this is not it. At times, I felt distaste for the author’s mind...." Read more

"...The others are all nearly its equal in their originality and emotional punch...." Read more

84 customers mention "Character development"57 positive27 negative

Customers have different views on the character development. Some find the characters compelling and easy to identify with, with convincing voices and down-to-earth, warm portrayals. Others feel the characters are unsympathetic or speak with weird affectations. The book also features damaged characters and unrealistic heroics to make an obtuse point.

"...AL ROOSTEN: A story that has a fantastic, character-driven feel to it -- poor Al is one of Saunders' classic sloop-shouldered middle-class losers --..." Read more

"...To my thinking, these stories do not qualify as satire. They are comic portrayals of individuals suddenly caught outside their moral comfort zones..." Read more

"...and in some, characters were either so unsympathetic or spoke with weird affectations that I found it difficult to..." Read more

"Breath-taking in sweep and versatility of voices expressed so precisely and differently from each other that each could have been written by a..." Read more

112 customers mention "Value for money"0 positive112 negative

Customers find the book uninteresting and a waste of money. They describe it as depressing, monotonous, and an uninspiring high school exercise. The characters and plot devices are also disliked.

"...Many have loved this tale, but I found it mawkish to distraction. (2 stars)..." Read more

"...I thought what he filled his head with was cold, boring and uninteresting. As I read more, I realized how well written these stories are...." Read more

"...pretty early on, and the rest feels like an unsurprising, uninspiring high-school exercise in bringing the scenario to its logical, dystopian..." Read more

"...and the overall satire of these surreal additions generally felt unnecessary...." Read more

Incredible Book By One Of My Favorite Authors.
5 out of 5 stars
Incredible Book By One Of My Favorite Authors.
George Saunders Is An Incredible Author. If You Don’t Have This Book Or Any Of His Books You Need To Get One Now. Highly Recommended.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2017
    Tenth of December is a collection of short stories by George Saunders that was published in 2013.

    Why I bought it

    George Saunders won the 2017 Man Booker Prize for his novel Lincoln in the Bardo. I read that earlier this year and loved it. Lincoln in the Bardo is his first novel; he primarily wrote short stories before that. I wanted to explore more of his writing, so I bought Tenth of December.

    Why you should buy it

    If you Google “Best books 2013,” Tenth of December is going to pop up on most resulting lists. It is not overrated. George Saunders stories are most likely going to be included in a bunch of textbooks as examples of great early 21st century literature (if they aren’t already). People in the 20th century had Hemingway, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald. We have George Saunders.

    Why his writing is good

    George Saunders experiments with the forms of stories, so they’re kind of weird. But they are not just soulless intellectual exercises. They all elicit emotion from the reader and examine complex subject matter.

    The following stories are in this collection:

    Victory Lap

    A boy decides whether to help a girl who is being kidnapped. The story switches between the point of view of the girl, the neighbor boy, and the kidnapper. The “stream of consciousness” of each of the characters is reflected in each of their points of view. They are all…different.

    Sticks

    Exploring themes of abuse, love, regret, and attempts at forgiveness in the span of two pages, a son reflects on his father’s tradition of decorating of a pole for the holidays.

    Puppy

    One upper-middle class woman shops for a puppy for her spoiled children. One poorer woman wants to sell a puppy. The story shifts between their points of view, demonstrating the consequences of an inability to see things from the perspective of others.

    Escape from Spiderhead

    An exploration of the nature of evil, the justifications used to commit evil, and the agency of people to avoid committing it. Or it’s just a cool sci-fi story about psychoactive chemical experiments. Probably both.

    Exhortation

    Written in the form of a memo from a project manager attempting to boost the morale of his staff. The most darkly funny – or funnily dark – of the stories in this collection.

    Al Roosten

    A failing store owner participates in a charity auction. Told from his point of view, the reader becomes privy to all of his insecurities, ambitions, pride, and anger. The reader may come to the conclusion that those internal faults are the causes of his problems and not the outside forces that the character blames.

    The Semplica Girl Diaries

    Written in the form of a journal from the perspective of a middle-class man of relatively modest means trying to provide for his family. This is the longest story in the collection.

    Saunders’ stories are not usually poetic – the beauty of the written word is not really something he’s usually after – but this one takes the “common-man” writing style to a whole other level. As with a typical journal, whole words are left out of sentences. Almost every sentence is a fragment. It adds a certain level of “authenticity,” but truthfully I thought it was just a distracting affectation. Saunders did not REALLY commit to the form of a journal: there’s stuff in there that no real middle-class dude would ever write in a journal, at least in that fashion, and there are not enough digressions and nonsense to really sell it as “a journal.” The overrall effect is that it’s a traditional story told from a first-person point of view that’s written all wonky.

    But enough kvetching about the form. It’s still a damn good story. Class anxieties, the exploitation of immigrant labor, meaningless (and/or harmful) demonstrations of wealth, how evil can be overlooked when it is commonplace, and the pursuit of status are all themes explored by this pseudo-sci-fi story.

    Home

    A veteran returns home with post-traumatic stress, wrestling with his past actions, trying to reintegrate with his own, complicated homelife.

    My Chivalric Fiasco

    On the first page of the story, the main character discovers his co-worker raped by their boss. This story illustrates the quality of Saunders’ stories. What is on the surface a simple and straightforward story contains layers and layers of meaning, in this instance, society’s reaction to a rape claim, how the chivalric response is potentially toxic and damaging, how interference against the victim’s wishes is in itself a violation, and so on and so forth.

    Tenth of December

    A young boy and a man dying of cancer are at a freezing lake in December. Told from both of their points of view. The story explores themes of end-of-life decisions, hope, and goodness. It’s also tense as hell, as they both work to potentially save each other.
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2014
    I've read George Saunders before. His collection, CivilWarLand in Bad Decline impressed me quite a bit, but I also found the stories to be pretty uniform in both their content and their telling. He's got a solid voice -- that kind of poetically repressed everyman quality that Raymond Carver was so stinking good at -- so I didn't come across any tale that left me cold, but none of them had that sticking power either, that emotional glue that Carver's tales dripped with.

    This collection has been praised on pretty much every "Best of 2013" book list I've come across, so I decided to give Mr. Saunders another go. Although I feel like his craft has matured a lot, I also don't think there's much here that qualifies the hype. The stories, again, are well-told, but it's rare to find one with prose, people, or plot that have the talons to really sink into the mind and heart.

    VICTORY LAP: One of my favorite of the bunch, this tale of abduction is told from three different voices. It's an excellently crafted bit of writing with real tension, emotion, and brutality. The kind of story that fills readers with the conflicting desires both to put down the book in order to digest what you've just read, but also to eagerly gobble up the next story in the hopes that it is just as good. (5 stars)

    STICKS: It's not. The shortest story of the book, there's just not enough meat here to give anyone anything to chew on. It's certainly poetic, but almost aggressively symbolic, and it tries a little too hard to hit on a relevant emotion, making it feel like it's all heartstrings and no heart. (2 stars)

    PUPPY: A nice piece about the different ways we view our world and each other, as well as what it takes to be a good parent to children with sometimes difficult needs. A crisp, easily-digested read without a whole lot to engage the imagination. (3 stars)

    ESCAPE FROM SPIDERHEAD: My second favorite of the group, this story follows a test subject in a strange lab as he endures doses of unusual chemicals. His reasons for being there, as well as the effects of the chemicals, are parsed out with perfection and in a perfectly gauged voice (which changes syntax as it is flooded with experimental drugs). Although I thought the ending was perhaps a bit maudlin for the setting, it didn't turn me off from the story as a whole. (5 stars)

    EXHORTATION: A one-trick pony with a reveal that feels lifted from Shirley Jackson's THE LOTTERY, but without the brutally powerful emotional impact. Its satire of corporate head-speak and politically correct futzing is supposed to make the rest of it even more disturbing, but it instead waters down the tale with what turns out to be tired humor. (2 stars)

    AL ROOSTEN: A story that has a fantastic, character-driven feel to it -- poor Al is one of Saunders' classic sloop-shouldered middle-class losers -- but which ends up not really going anywhere at all. (3 stars)

    THE SEMPLICA GIRL DIARIES: Much has been made of this story in various trade journals and publications, and after reading it, I thought it was so weird that I ended up looking up an interview with Saunders just to make sure I understood what I had read. Written in a stilted syntax from the journal of yet another brow-beaten blue collar type (whose job is ambiguously degrading), it talks about how hard it is to keep up with the Joneses, the Joneses in this case being multi-millionaires. Taking place in a re-imagined future (or present), the battle for status includes some rather gruesome lawn ornamentation. The symbolism of the story is so glaring and ridiculous that it's hard to take it seriously or to accept the potency of its grim finale. Many have loved this tale, but I found it mawkish to distraction. (2 stars)

    HOME: This is the story of a war veteran who's returned to a depressing home life. After the previous tale, this story's subtlety is a refreshing change of pace. It's easy to think there's not a whole lot going on with it, but the careful timing and phrasing and character development make it one of the most resonant pieces. (4 stars)

    MY CHIVALRIC FIASCO: Highly reminiscent of his CivilWarLand stories, this tale follows the beleaguered employee of a kind of Medieval Tymes Fantasy Theme Park. Granted a promotion under less than desirable circumstances, the employee must deal with a secret as well as the strange drugs that his new job entails. Let's just say the two clash. It's sad that Saunders feels compelled to reuse ideas (the theme park worker and the drugs), but he does it effectively. (4 stars)

    THE TENTH OF DECEMBER: Okay. It's no wonder they chose this for the title of the collection. It's definitely one of the best short stories I've ever read. If you're on the fence about this book and can't find any of the individual bits for sale anywhere else, then I almost (almost!) recommend buying the entire collection just for this one tale. I won't give much away, other than to say that Saunders makes excellent use of changing viewpoints, especially when those viewpoints are impaired. It's dizzying to read and has as much intensity as the first tale, if not more. It's probably no accident that they chose to bookend the collection with two pieces that are about what it means to approach the precipice of death, and what it takes sometimes to both embrace and defy your own mortality and morality. I also wonder if all of the five star rave reviews weren't weighted in part because of this phenomenal closing tale. (5 stars)

    Taken all together, I give the collection a 3.5, rounding it up to 4. Not the stunning masterpiece that the lists say, but in parts it certainly comes close.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • STEF
    5.0 out of 5 stars Parfait
    Reviewed in France on July 7, 2024
    Parfait
  • Cliente Amazon
    3.0 out of 5 stars Te deja un poco loco
    Reviewed in Spain on September 2, 2020
    No está mal. Historias cortas pero que te dejan un poco loco. Tienes que pensar bien el significado que hay detrás
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply affecting
    Reviewed in Australia on October 3, 2018
    Beautiful stories. "Victory Lap" is superb. Enjoyed every sentence. Audio version perfect. Thank you George
  • jj
    5.0 out of 5 stars Astonishing, fun and disturbing
    Reviewed in Canada on April 10, 2014
    I loved this book, as well as CivilWarLand in Bad Decline. I bought and devoured all of Saunder's books after reading the Tenth of December. I recommend him to everyone who relates to a sense of the absurd and is looking for a sliver of hope in today's banal-seeming rat-race. Saunders puts us directly into the minds of the simple, down-trodden, isolated and invisible people; we feel and think what they do, and it is scarily relatable (there but for the grace of god...). These stories can be very, very dark, but somehow, with everything crashing down, with all the chaos, fear. poverty and badness out there, Saunders managed to make me regain a belief in the basic goodness of people and to smile and feel a tiny bit more optimistic. He is a genius at dialogue, self-talk, and wry humour. He made me feel like writing.
  • I K CREASEY
    5.0 out of 5 stars Genuinely superb
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2015
    This book is a collection of stories that's been widely praised, won prizes, etc.

    As with all collections, the quality is variable and there are a couple of weak pieces. But overall, I was impressed by it. I can actually understand why the book has been acclaimed, which makes a pleasant change from wondering (as I so often do) "Why is this mediocrity being so highly praised?"

    The author's main technique is the extended use of interior monologue narrating the viewpoint character's thoughts at length, often incorporating abrupt changes of mood and tone as the character is buffeted by emotions. It's quite amazing just how much of each story is spent inside the characters' heads. The effect is both funny and sad, a difficult combination to pull off. The narrative is extremely vivid, managing to seem raw and unmediated.

    Although the stories are marketed as literary fiction (having originally appeared in The New Yorker and Harper's), some of them use science-fictional devices, in particular the concept of tailored drugs that make people experience specific states of mind. "Escape from Spiderhead" is reminiscent of Robert Sheckley's "Pilgrimage to Earth", but Saunders' story is more complex and the ending is very different. The emotion-eliciting drugs also turn up in another story, "My Chivalric Fiasco", set in a theme park where an employee takes pills in order to play the role of a knight, with the attendant feelings and code of conduct. The experience of being human is turned into a commodity.

    This ties into the collection's broad theme: the alienating effects of capitalism, depicted as a barrage of brand names (which manage to seem both satirical and authentic) and an underclass of desperate workers forced into appalling jobs. In "Semplica Girls", women are imported from third-world countries to be used as garden ornaments. This is described in an understated, even banal way, as it's a practice the characters take completely for granted. After all, it's not such a stretch from using immigrants as gardeners to using them as the actual garden.

    In summary, this is an excellent collection. There is enough resonance between the stories to make the book feel like a cohesive whole, rather than a random set of stories.