Book Review: Fox 8 by George Saunders

Title: Fox 8

Author: George Saunders

Genre: Magical Realism/ Short Story

Number of Pages: 21

Rating: B

Recommended?: Yes

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I had seen a lot of mixed reactions to this story online and I was careful not to let my expectations get too high. It’s true that due to the length of this story just about any price for a physical copy seems unreasonably steep, and I’d never read anything by George Saunders so I really didn’t know what to expect. I finally downloaded it to my Kindle (also too expensive) after several months of reluctance but in the end I was really glad I did.

 

Fox 8 is narrated by a curious, tender-hearted fox who is considered overly naïve and lacking in common sense by the rest of his pack. He is particularly fascinated by humans and their technology and ingenuity. However, his life changes dramatically when people start doing construction on the stretch of land where his pack lives. Although his pack is going hungry, Fox 8 (the foxes are identified by numbers rather than names) remains optimistic that he can help fix everything until he witnesses a brutal act of violence against his friend and begins to question all he thought he knew about human nature.

 

Fox 8 was one of those books that initially left me thinking ‘OK, that was kinda cool’ but after thinking about it for a little while it gradually became more and more meaningful and kept lingering in my mind. I understand that it’s occasionally been shelved with children’s literature at libraries because of its length and animal protagonist, but I don’t think it’s particularly appropriate for middle school-age readers.

 

It’s generally described as an ‘environmental fable’ but I consider it to be more of a story about the protagonist’s loss of innocence. The canine narrator was adorable and I actually didn’t mind his broken English-filled narrative, I didn’t find it annoying because it felt like part of what made him feel unique. This is obviously an extremely quick read but it’s made me interested in George Saunders’ lengthier reads. Be forewarned that while Fox 8 has no graphic violence it’s not exactly a happy read; it’s deceptively simple but ultimately packs a punch.