Tenth of december by george saunders in his new collection, tenth of december, shortstory master george saunders quirky blend of dystopian fiction and dark satire is tempered by a. But his latest book, tenth of december, feels more desolate and. This is an edited transcript of the book club discussion. Even after all the acclaim tenth of december has gotten, i was a little iffy about jumping into the collection for fear that i was going to get what ive come to think of as the worst stereotypes of new yorker short stories stories about rich white people that focus so much on malaise and angst that they forget to have a story or much beyond a setting and some character beats.
The short story exhortation in tenth of december consists of a single memorandum exhorting employees to satisfy top management. Email format well, it aint no whered you go, bernadette. Tenth of december locates a new and striking humanity. Oct 27, 2019 george saunders deeply moving story tenth of december originally appeared in the october 31, 2011 issue of the new yorker. Alison pope is the damsel in distress character in the story victory lap. Premise ten december by george saunders is a rare case of difficult reading text that immediately rises to the top of the sales charts at least in the usa, where it has been censored by several magazines, including that of the ny times. It was later included in his wellreceived 20 collection, tenth of december, which was a best seller and national book award finalist. One thing is certain while reading most of these stories. In tenth of december by george saunders is the short story exhortation. In the taut opening, victory lap, a boy witnesses the attempted abduction of the girl next door and is faced with a harrowing choice. The more fantastical stories in tenth of december are also the ones which seem to have the most to say about complicity. One story in the new volume, exhortation, is literally just a memo from. Saunders, widely regarded as the best short story writer in.
Few writers can encompass that range of adjectives, but saunders is. Help us create the kind of literary community youve always dreamed of. Exhortation june 4, 2017 by nirmala in books, short story collections 6 comments now im not sure what this was all about. His latest, tenth of december, won the prestigious folio prize. In his latest collection, tenth of december, wounded characters confront situations that range from slightly skewed to downright orwellian. George saunders is one of the masters of the difficult art of the short story. The relatively large proportion of stories in tenth of december that are more or less straight realism only reinforces this conclusion. And what often separates the issues that get read from the ones that gather in the basket next to the coffee table is a quick glance down the contents page. Tenth of december by george saunders tenth of december is the book ive read this year that i wanted to enjoy more than i did. Robin plays makebelieve as he heads to a pond in the woods.
Tenth of december by george saunders columbia journal. I have been having a hard time with george saunders lately. In exhortation, a lengthy ferverino by a corporate employee urges his underlings to shed their moral misgivings about the nature of. The book was published on january 8, 20, by random house.
On that day, the new york times published an article with the title, george saunders has written the best book youll read this year, a pretty bold declaration given that 20 still had 359 days to go. Tenth of december from the new yorker, 103111 a just recompense november 12, 2011 at 10. George saunders deeply moving story tenth of december originally appeared in the october 31, 2011 issue of the new yorker. This study guide consists of approximately 43 pages of chapter summaries. Exhortation by george saunders, 2000 the magic trick. Mar 12, 2015 exhortation by george saunders, 2000 the magic trick. Tags exhortation, george saunders, tenth of december. Exhortation by george saunders short story magic tricks. In this memo to his staff, todd birnie informs his employees that they have an agreement that they will do a.
And briefly ramble one about my first saunders collection. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of tenth of december by george saunders. Tenth of december 20 by george saunders is a collection of short stories that had. Tenth of december is a collection of short stories by american author george saunders.
Thanks to those who have already posted questions on the catholic book. To be fair, this little epistolarian pistol predates maria semples similarly emaildriven novel by more than 10 years. In exhortation, a lengthy ferverino by a corporate employee urges his underlings to shed their moral misgivings about the nature of their work and go about. Length varies dramatically, from a couple of pages to much longer. Last night i finished my 11th book of the summer a series of short stories by george saunders, entitled tenth of december. The rumpus book club chats with george saunders about tenth of december, sudden celebrity, why escalation matters if youre a writer, and how to stick with a story for twelve years.
Mar 31, 2014 the following topics are just a beginning to form a conversation around tenth of december. He talks about how he writes, what he looks for in a story, examples of his editing process, and has plenty of humor to share. Discussing tenth of december today the catholic book club begins its discussion of tenth of december by george saunders. The rumpus book club discussion with george saunders the. Jan 03, 20 tenth of december is a collection of ten short stories. Tenth of december, saunders performs the most rigorous of. In tenth of december, his fourth and best collection, readers will encounter an abduction, a rape, a chemically induced suicide, the suppressed rage of a milquetoast or two, a veterans. We all know that one way to do a job poorly is to be negative about it. Aug 07, 20 last night i finished my 11th book of the summer a series of short stories by george saunders, entitled tenth of december. Im intrigued by the question of how people understand their own bad. Since then, saunders has found himself in the limelight talking about tenth of december, his. Jan 05, 20 tenth of december presents 10 visions of america mostly filtered through the eyes of losers with onesyllable names such as al and kyle and jeff. Tenth of december shows george saunders at his most subversive, hilarious, and emotionally piercing. Rochester tenth of december thailand the first person and other stories the lottery and other stories the persephone book of short stories the refugees tinder.
The story below comes from his new collection tenth of december. Exhortation by george saunders the short story of my day. It is a collection of stories written in a very nonclassic way, to paraphrase harold brodkey. So, im the first to admit that im not a fan of the short story so i probably have to business reading this collection. Tenth of december is a fresh, compelling contemporary story that shifts constantly from the real to the ideal, to the imagined, to the remembered. George saunders tenth of december 20 saunders is funny, conversational, and matches michaels enthusiasm for discussion. One of the stories, home, was a 2011 bram stoker award finalist. The opening story, victory lap, is one of the strongest the author has ever written. A letter from a man named todd, the boss of a group of men who do mysterious work in room 6. Owners of a subscription to the new yorker also tend to own a sizable stack of unread new yorkers. It stands as a reminder that there is always another option. Few writers can encompass that range of adjectives, but saunders is a true originalrestlessly inventive, yet deeply humane.
If there is one story or one theme that is particularly captivating for your group start there and see where you wander. It includes stories published in various magazines between 1995 and 2009. In tenth of december, saunders fourth short story collection, his sharp satire and visions of a dystopian future are tempered with warmth and humanity. Exhortation a short story from tenth of december by george saunders, winner of the inaugural folio prize by george saunders december 12, 2012 leave a comment. Martins press stone mattress stories from the kitchen tea with mr.
The 10 stories in tenth of december, by george saunders, are all about people. Cover definitively not most opportune starting place. Time out new york tenth of december, the latest collection of short fiction by george saunders, revives the unique comedic poignancy of his best early work and adds even greater emotional depth. In his collection of short stories, tenth of december, george. Saunders doesnt reach for sciencefictional plot devices, by and large, as. Tenth of december by george saunders in his new collection, tenth of december, shortstory master george saunders quirky blend of. In the distance, he spots an emaciated man who appears to be wearing only pajamas. George saunders new book shows just how terrible first. Victory lap, the first story in tenth of december, his bold and moving fourth collection of short stories, opens when a girl. Saunders, widely regarded as the best short story writer in english, is admired for dark, sharp, playful satire that forces readers to question their assumptions and examine their actions. Although it was actually my least favorite book of the eleven i read, a few stories and points stuck with me.
Adrian and dalton continue their way through the short story collection the tenth of december with a unique twist on a memo. Tenth of december by george saunders originally published in the october 31, 2011 issue of the new yorker. In the short stories of tenth of december, the impression of chaos belies. These tensions between abstraction and immediacy, between. Jan 17, 20 because, after reading tenth of december, thats how one feels, and this strain of feeling is wondrous, and one should strive to share feelings re wondrous feelings with as many people as possible, so they too can feel.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Tenth of december 20 by george saunders is a collection of short stories that had appeared in numerous periodicals between 1995 and 2009. Dec 28, 2015 the 10 stories in tenth of december, by george saunders, are all about people. Tenth of december presents 10 visions of america mostly filtered through the eyes of losers with onesyllable names such as al and kyle and jeff. George saunders new book shows just how terrible first world. In exhortation, a lengthy ferverino by a corporate employee urges his.
Few writers can encompass that range of adjectives, but saunders is a true original restlessly inventive, yet deeply humane. The new york times named the collection one of the top ten books of 20. Jan 20, 20 the american writer george saunders was eulogised by david foster wallace, whose irreverence and humour he shares, and jonathan franzen and zadie smith are also fans. Feb 03, 20 in tenth of december, his fourth and best collection, readers will encounter an abduction, a rape, a chemically induced suicide, the suppressed rage of a milquetoast or two, a veterans. Because, after reading tenth of december, thats how one feels, and this strain of feeling is wondrous, and one should strive to share feelings re wondrous feelings with as many people as possible, so they too can feel. A family member recollects a backyard pole dressed for all occasions. So it is a happy occasion to be able to say that his latest collection of short stories, tenth of december, shows the writer in excellent form and will surely rank as one of his best books to date. A short story from tenth of december by george saunders, winner of the inaugural folio prize. The american writer george saunders was eulogised by david foster wallace, whose irreverence and humour he shares, and jonathan franzen and zadie smith are also fans. It would seem that sometimes saunderss effort to capture the degeneration of american life requires the surreal satire of semplica girl or civilwarland, while in other cases the realism of. Where i once looked forward to his stories in the new yorker, and have recommended his earlier story collections to others, i was a bit saddened when i saw his name in this weeks issue. Stories community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author. Tenth of december, by george saunders the independent. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them.
Stories community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. The following topics are just a beginning to form a conversation around tenth of december. 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. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Stories community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and.
George saunders george saunders, named on times 20 list of the 100 most influential people in the world, has published four short story collections. Let your group channel the discussion in ways meaningful to your members. A chubby boy with a vivid imagination and a terminally ill man intent on suicide share an adventure in survival on an extremely cold day. But saunders balances his trenchant sociopolitical observations with a deep sense of empathy and, especially in tenth of december, hope. In victory lap, a teenaged boy prevents a catastrophe by breaking all the rules his smothering, controlfreak parents have laid down for him. Review exhortation george saunders stripped cover lit. Tenth of december, by george saunders the new york times. Exhortation was also fantastic, blending elements of curiosity, the scientific method, sexuality, pain and the rights of prisoners into a powerful morality tale. March performance stats we have a job to do, we have agreed to do it well. If not, it just seems like a ridiculous pep talk to me. Jan 08, 20 so it is a happy occasion to be able to say that his latest collection of short stories, tenth of december, shows the writer in excellent form and will surely rank as one of his best books to date.
It also was awarded the 20 story prize for short story collections and the first folio prize in 2014. With an introduction from the new york times by joel lovell. Jennifer egan, pulitzer prizewinning author of a visit from the goon squad. George saunders most wryly hilarious and disturbing collection yet, tenth of december illuminates human experience and explores figures lost in a labyrinth of troubling preoccupations. Saunderss new collection of short fiction, tenth of december, manifests. Why george saunders needs to stop repeating himself. Every month the rumpus book club hosts a discussion online with the book club members and the author and we post an edited version online as an interview.
A short story from tenth of december by george saunders, winner of the inaugural folio prize by george saunders december 12, 2012. Tenth of december, won the prestigious folio prize. Tenth of december by george saunders the boston globe. This study guide consists of approximately 43 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of tenth of december. The title story tenth of december is so powerful and important that i feel compelled to write this essay exploring saunders vision and insight. Today is the tenth of december, a date celebrated by american short story writer george saunders in his collection published this year. No matter how weird the setting a futuristic prison lab, a middleclass home where human lawn ornaments are a. A short story from tenth of december by george saunders, winner of the inaugural folio prize by george saunders december 12. Explaining the idea behind the story, saunders writes.
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