The Ringleader of Short Stories

In Tenth of December, a collection of short stories by George Saunders, Saunders creates a sentiment of enchantment through his ability to keep the reader's knowledge on the same level (if not lower) as the character. His artistic finesse reminds me of a Circus Ringleader of sorts; slowly revealing a hidden gem as the story unfolds.

In Escape From Spiderhead, a short story within Tenth of December, Saunders' style of writing allows for the reader to act as a bystander inside of the new world. The reader's undeniable confusion parallels the confusion that Jeff experiences throughout the story. Saunders hints at bits and pieces of Jeff's past and the environment he exists in to give us a sense of this "new world," however we can only understand the new world by completely involving ourselves in the story. By exposing details periodically throughout the tale, Saunders effectively drives the reader to yearn for more information and subsequently continue to read the story until the very end.

This potent artistry employed by Saunders enables the reader to fully captivate what Jeff is experiencing without the necessity to identify with the character, as Nabokov would censure.