“Tenth of December” by George Saunders – A Rediscovery of the Soul

George Saunders, for those who do not know him, is one of the most original and eye-opening writers of this generation, at least in my opinion. Every single one of his works exudes style and intelligence, something very few authors out there are actually capable of. It seems that he has taken a liking to writing books with multiple stories in them centered on a main theme, and his latest novel, Tenth of December, is no exception to that.

The first story, titled “Victory Lap”, follows the story of a young boy who suddenly witnesses an abduction attempt on the girl next door. However, years and years of sheltered and restrained upbringing force him into an internal battle with himself; can he force himself to break the psychological shackles keeping him at bay before it’s too late?

The second story, titled “Home”, is about a soldier who returns home with his mother after having been damaged by the war; his life has become all about trying to make the transition into the world he left a long time ago, which seems so strange and distant to him now. 

Finally, the last story, sharing the same title as the book, is more of a meditation and reflection on life, love, death, memory and loss, by a middle-aged man at the mercy of cancer who decides to commit suicide in the forest… however, an encounter with a troubled boy changes his mind.

Needless to say, Tenth of December isn't exactly a light read, dealing with some very heavy themes and subjects. You can’t go through this book and expect your cookie-cutter, happy endings where all is resolved. Instead, it seems as if George Saunders is doing all he can to stay grounded in reality and bring as much clarity as possible to the situations the characters are in. 

Even though the three stories are a bit of extreme, I have no doubt that many of you can identify with them one some level or another (I know I did), and that’s what makes them truly interesting; at their root, they are an exploration of the human nature. The writing is, as usual, simply brilliant, with every character having something worthwhile and unique distinguishing them from the rest of the cast; all of them were absolutely unforgettable.

Also, despite the book dealing with some heavy topics, there is still some humor and light-heartedness to be found in this piece of literature, perhaps reminding us that in the end, humor is really our best weapon for dealing with the unsolved “whys” of this life. All in all, Tenth of December is a very deep and thought-provoking read, one I would recommend to anyone who doesn't shy away from thinking.

---

George Saunders Personal site George Saunders is an American writer who dabbled in essays, children's books, novellas and short stories, in addition to which his writing was featured in The New Yorker, amongst other publications. He won multiple National Magazine Awards for fiction, received a MacArthur Fellowship, in 2013 won the PEN/Malamud Award, and is equally-known for his works of fiction and non-fiction, which include Pastoralia, Tenth of December and The Braindead Megaphone.