Tenth of December is a short story collection by an author who has mastered the art of the interior monologue. Alienated, damaged and disaffected characters are rendered understandable and likable by George Saunders’ insights into the workings of their minds. A young prisoner comes to understand the immorality of the pharmaceutical experiments he and others are being subjected to. A repressed young man must decide whether to ignore his father’s rules and help a neighbor. A veteran returns from the war, seething with resentment. A most endearing young boy and a middle-aged man with heart-breaking problems unwittingly put each other in grave danger. Suspense is created by the empathy Saunders’ readers feel for these and other characters. We hope all will turn out well but, as in real life, it might not.
