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Why short-stories and I don’t get along…


The winner of the
Folio Prize 2014 was announced last week, a collection of short-stories by American George Saunders called Tenth of December.

Excited by the fresh approach of the Folio Prize, I trotted off to the bookshop straight away, bought it and started reading. Quickly, I found myself stuck in a way I often am when I read short-stories; flipping back and forth, reading a bit of this and a bit of that without really getting sucked in to any of the stories.

It is a shame, as Saunders have received mostly rave reviews and is widely considered one of the most brilliant short-story writers of our generation. For me, there is something slightly unsatisfactory about this genre. Short-stories always seem to end just as you were about to get to know the characters or get interested. I wish I enjoyed them as they are perfect accompaniments to a busy life, ten minutes here and five minutes there…It is probably just me. Short-story fans out there, I would like to hear from you! Perhaps I can be taught how to enjoy them?

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In the meantime, for those of you who like this genre, I have attached a review of the Tenth of December from The New York Times.