Fox 8: A Story

This is a fairly standard cautionary tale about malls, wildlife and people (good, bad, human and fox people). The phonetic dialect is easy to read, although it would be overdone in a longer story. Some good points about malls that cut down every tree and flatten out hills before building but add 'streams' and 'hills' inside the completed mall as decoration. I'm saving this one for my environmentally conscientious grandson to read next time we visit.

Fox 8 eISBN 9780812995329, Random House by George Saunders is a short, unusual, quasi-allegorical tale in which a fox has acquired the ability to verbalize and write. The fox recounts an incident and brings into question often conflicting, human activity and its resulting consequences. Subconscious, or conscious Aesop like presentation? Reviewed by John H. Manhold, award winning fiction/non-fiction author.

I appreciate that Saunders is experimenting with the boundaries of fiction. I applaud his efforts. I think the story could have been more palatable in the third person rather than in the voice of a semi-literate fox.

An enjoyable read with somewhat of an environmentalist message. The story is a funny, quick read that many will find very entertaining. The improper grammar, while cute, actually becomes a bit of a nuisance as you keep reading.

could not keep up with the language. do not even know the purpose of the story. i have never been this slow when it comes to books. i put it down after a couple pages. do not think i will continue to read.

Given a cute premise, the writer could have done much more. I looked forward to reading this. I found the story details really stupid -- for example at the mall -- I also did not enjoy the "FOX ENGLISH SPELLING."

this time he broke the cardinal rule of good fiction -- writing a story specifically to preach a message. There were lines that I enjoyed - the story's tone was almost identical to that of some of his other stories. I'm really disappointed in this. But he's a great writer, CivilWarLand is one of my all time favs!

The problem with this kind of story is that even though I consider myself sympathetic to the environmental problems, this annoys me so much it adds to the desensitization of the problem.

this time he broke the cardinal rule of good fiction -- writing a story specifically to preach a message. There were lines that I enjoyed - the story's tone was almost identical to that of some of his other stories. I'm really disappointed in this. But he's a great writer, CivilWarLand is one of my all time favs!

The problem with this kind of story is that even though I consider myself sympathetic to the environmental problems, this annoys me so much it adds to the desensitization of the problem.

This is possibly the most powerful story told in a minimal format I have ever encountered. The only other book mildly similar would be The Tao of Pooh, but it is nowhere near as succinct or evocative. Initially its a little banal in terms of how its presented just because the language used takes some getting used to. However, it builds to an impressive apex of social commentary and adaptive commitment to character. Not only is Fox 8 funny and naively heartwarming but his maturity become an actual character that successfully conveys the story's message. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys compelling and unique perspectives. I truly hope this will eventually be continued or a story similar will be released.

I really enjoyed this story. It's brilliant - very funny, but also touching. I particularly liked how Saunders was able to imagine how the world would look to a fox (albeit an anthropomorphic one) - it demonstrates Saunders' comic brilliance. Great.

Fabulous! A sweet and sour modern fable that touches us deeply, makes us look in the mirror and lingers in our consciousness long after read. Aesop would be proud. Saunders is one of the best writers of fiction we have and his subjects are deeply human, even when they are foxes.