George Saunders Books

From the 'New York Times' bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author comes a literary master class on the mechanics of great storytelling and its relevance to our lives today. For two decades, George Saunders has taught a class on the Russian short story at Syracuse University. In this work, he shares insights from that class, paired with iconic stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol. The seven essays aim to engage anyone curious about how fiction operates and its importance in contemporary society. Saunders introduces the essays by inviting readers to explore intricately constructed narratives that address fundamental questions about life: How should we live? What are our purposes? What do we value? He examines stories with both technical precision and accessibility, revealing how narrative captivates us or provokes resistance, while highlighting essential virtues for writers. Writing, he argues, is not only a technical skill but also a means of cultivating openness and curiosity about the world. This exploration delves into the cognitive processes involved in reading and writing, emphasizing how stories foster genuine connections.

From the New York Times bestselling Booker Prize-winning author comes a literary master class on storytelling and its relevance in today's world. For two decades, George Saunders has taught a class on the Russian short story at Syracuse University. In this work, he shares insights from his class, exploring what he and his students have learned. The book features seven essays paired with iconic short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, aimed at anyone curious about the mechanics of fiction. Saunders introduces the essays by stating that they serve as "scale models of the world," designed to address fundamental questions about life and purpose. He examines how narrative functions, why we engage with stories, and the essential virtues writers must cultivate. Writing is presented not only as a technical craft but also as a means to develop a more open and curious perspective on the world. This exploration delves into how great writing operates and how reading and writing foster genuine connections. Ultimately, it offers a profound look at the interplay between storytelling and the human experience.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Booker Prize winner George Saunders presents his first collection of short stories since Tenth of December, showcasing his inventive storytelling that delves into the complexities of our national character. This masterful collection, hailed as one of the best books of the year by multiple prestigious outlets, explores themes of power, ethics, and justice, revealing what it means to coexist with others. With his signature prose—wickedly funny, unsentimental, and finely tuned—Saunders invites readers to confront both joy and despair, oppression and revolution, as well as bizarre fantasy and harsh reality. Among the stories, “Love Letter” features a grandfather's heartfelt message to his grandson amid a dystopian future, emphasizing our obligations to ideals and one another. “Ghoul” follows Brian, a lonely character in a Hell-themed amusement park, as he questions his reality. In “Mother’s Day,” two women confront their shared love for a man during a hailstorm. “Elliott Spencer” tells of an eighty-nine-year-old victim of a scheme that brainwashes the vulnerable for political purposes. Lastly, “My House” poignantly addresses unfulfilled dreams and the inevitability of decay. These nine profound stories encourage readers to view the world with generosity and clarity, even in absurd circumstances.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Tenth of December, a 2013 National Book Award Finalist for Fiction, and the novel Lincoln in the Bardo. A New York Times Notable Book Six short stories and a novella. Set in a dystopian near-future in which America has become little more than a theme park in terminal disrepair, they constitute a searching and bitterly humorous commentary on the current state of the American Dream. Funny, sad, bleak, weird, toxic - the future of America as the Free Market runs rampant,the environment skids into disarray, and civilization dissolves into surreal chaos. These wacky, brilliant, hilarious and entirely original stories cue us in on George Saunder's skewed vision of the legacy we are creating. Against the backdrop of our devolvement, our own worst tendencies and greatest virtues are weirdly illuminated.

Tenth of December is the most honest, moving, and critically acclaimed collection yet from George Saunders, one of the most important writers of his generation. These stories take on the big questions and explore the fault lines of our own morality, the characters vividly and lovingly infused with Saunders's signature blend of exuberant prose, deep humanity, and stylistic innovation. (back cover)

An inspiring message from the inaugural Folio Prize winner, George Saunders, one of today's most influential and original writers

A stunning collection including the story "Sea Oak," from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Man Booker Prize-winning novel Lincoln in the Bardo and the story collection Tenth of December, a 2013 National Book Award Finalist for Fiction. One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century Hailed by Thomas Pynchon as "graceful, dark, authentic, and funny," George Saunders gives us, in his inventive and beloved voice, this bestselling collection of stories set against a warped, hilarious, and terrifyingly recognizable American landscape.

The stories In Persuasion Nation are easily his best work yet. "The Red Bow," about a town consumed by pet-killing hysteria, won a 2004 National Magazine Award and "Bohemians," the story of two supposed Eastern European widows trying to fit in in suburban USA, is included in The Best American Short Stories 2005. His new book includes both unpublished work, and stories that first appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, and Esquire. The stories in this volume work together as a whole whose impact far exceeds the simple sum of its parts. Fans of Saunders know and love him for his sharp and hilarious satirical eye. But In Persuasion Nation also includes more personal and poignant pieces that reveal a new kind of emotional conviction in Saunders's writing. Saunders's work in the last six years has come to be recognized as one of the strongest—and most consoling—cries in the wilderness of the millennium's political and cultural malaise. In Persuasion Nation's sophistication and populism should establish Saunders once and for all as this generation's literary voice of wisdom and humor in a time when we need it most.

An enchanting and darkly comic fable of human greed and nature, from the Man Booker Prize-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, exquisitely illustrated by Chelsea CardinalFox 8 has always been curious, and a bit of a daydreamer. And, by hiding outside houses at dusk and listening to children's bedtime stories, he has learned to speak 'Yuman'. The power of words and the stories built from them is intoxicating for a fox with a poetic soul, but there is 'danjur' on the horizon: a new shopping mall is being built, cutting off his pack's food supply. To save himself and his fellow foxes, Fox 8 will have to set out on a harrowing quest from the wilds of nature deep into the dark heart of suburbia.

The breakout book from "the funniest writer in America"—not to mention an official Genius—a trade paperback original and his first nonfiction collection ever. George Saunders's first foray into nonfiction is composed of essays on literature, travel, and politics. At the core of this unique collection are Saunders's travel essays based on his trips to seek out the mysteries of the "Buddha Boy" of Nepal; to attempt to indulge in the extravagant pleasures of Dubai; and to join the exploits of the minutemen at the Mexican border. Saunders expertly navigates the works of Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, and Esther Forbes, and leads the reader across the rocky political landscape of modern America. Emblazoned with his trademark wit and singular vision, Saunders's endeavor into the art of the essay is testament to his exceptional range and ability as a writer and thinker.

A story of a brave girl and her efforts to do battle against the evil gappers terrorising Frip by brilliant adult novelist George Saunders and award-winning children's illustrator Lane Smith.

This collection marks the first short story release in a decade from the acclaimed author known for his Man Booker Prize-winning work. Celebrated for his humor and narrative skill, the writer returns with a series of stories that reflect on our troubled world, following the success of his previous bestseller. Recognized as one of the best short story writers in English, he presents a masterful exploration of power, ethics, and community. His trademark style—witty, unsentimental, and finely crafted—delivers a collection rich in emotional depth, juxtaposing joy with despair and fantasy with harsh reality. In "Love Letter," a grandfather's heartfelt message to his grandson unfolds against a dystopian backdrop, urging reflection on our ideals and connections. "Ghoul" features Brian, a morally complex character in a Hell-themed amusement park, who begins to question his understanding of reality. "Mother's Day" depicts an existential confrontation between two women linked by their love for the same man during a hailstorm. Meanwhile, "Elliott Spencer" follows an elderly man grappling with memory loss as he becomes a pawn in a political scheme. These nine profound stories invite readers to view the world with the same generosity and clarity that the author embodies, even amidst absurdity.

The prize-winning, New York Times bestselling short story collection from the internationally bestselling author of Lincoln in the Bardo 'I think he's the greatest writer since Salinger' Richard Ayoade 'I love this collection and it has one of my favourite stories of all time in it' Elizabeth Day 'The best book you'll read this year' New York Times 'Dazzlingly surreal stories about a failing America' Sunday Times WINNER OF THE 2014 FOLIO PRIZE AND SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2013 George Saunders's most wryly hilarious and disturbing collection yet, Tenth of December illuminates human experience and explores figures lost in a labyrinth of troubling preoccupations. A family member recollects a backyard pole dressed for all occasions; Jeff faces horrifying ultimatums and the prospect of Darkenfloxx(TM) in some unusual drug trials; and Al Roosten hides his own internal monologue behind a winning smile that he hopes will make him popular. With dark visions of the future riffing against ghosts of the past and the ever-settling present, this collection sings with astonishing charm and intensity.

In the same vein as his much-loved weekly column for the Guardian Magazine, this is a hilarious and incisive collection of essays from George Saunders.

On February 22, 1862, two days after his death, Willie Lincoln was laid to rest in a marble crypt in a Georgetown cemetery. That very night, shattered by grief, Abraham Lincoln arrives at the cemetery under cover of darkness and visits the crypt, alone, to spend time with his son's body. Willie finds himself in a strange purgatory-- the bardo-- where ghosts commisserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance ... and where a struggle erupts over his soul

A novel that subverts the jargon of business proposals, scientific theses and customer relations.

A rural, working class New England town elects as its mayor a New York hedge fund millionaire in this urgent and inspired novel for our times.

George Saunders erzählt in seiner aufrüttelnden Geschichte von der Zerstörung durch einen Populisten in dem fiktiven Land Innen-Horner, das nur einen Bürger gleichzeitig aufnimmt. Als die Bevölkerung schrumpft und viele in das Nachbarland Außen-Horner gedrängt werden, entsteht Angst vor einer Invasion und die Herrschaft des machthungrigen Phil beginnt.

Serena lebt mit ihrem Vater und Ziegen in der Küstenstadt Frip, wo die niedlichen, tennisballgroßen Gapper ein Problem darstellen, da sie die Ziegen attackieren. Nachdem ihre Nachbarn Serenas Hilfe benötigen, zeigt sie Großherzigkeit und löst das Problem, sodass am Ende alle, sogar die Gapper, zufrieden sind.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch, übrigens … … zu diesem besonderen Buch. Es beinhaltet eine kurze Rede des großen Schriftstellers George Saunders, die dieser 2013 vor Studenten der Universität von Syracuse gehalten hat. Diese Rede ging anschließend um die Welt und wurde innerhalb weniger Tage von mehr als einer Million Menschen gelesen. Sie füllt nur wenige Seiten, doch was auf diesen wenigen Seiten steht, ist ein unvergleichliches Geschenk: Saunders sagt, worauf es im Leben wirklich ankommt – und hat dafür beflügelnde Worte gefunden, die jeder Mensch gelesen haben sollte.