A review by maxgardner
Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders

challenging emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

What isn't to love about George Saunders' writing. With a lot of the stories in this collection, I wondered at the start if I was reading from the perspective of an alien, but as the story progressed, I got a better understanding of the character and realized the inner voice, though odd, just clicks and works well. He's got such a distinct voice that makes the stories in this collection feel fresh and unique, even if the concepts aren't necessarily new, and he skillfully weaves in these emotional gut punches and laugh-out-loud moments between often odd prose. Many of the stories explore the idea of family—the different forms that can take, what we owe to the members of it, how those relationships can affect us for better and worse—as well as what responsibility we have to those around us. Some of my favorites from the collection are "Victory Lap", "Escape from Spiderhead", "The Semplica Girl Diaries", and the titular "Tenth of December".