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Fox 8  By  cover art

Fox 8

By: George Saunders
Narrated by: George Saunders
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Publisher's summary

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of Lincoln in the Bardo, a darkly comic short story about the unintended consequences unleashed by our quest to tame the natural world.

Fox 8 has always been known as the daydreamer in his pack, the one his fellow foxes regarded with a knowing snort and a roll of the eyes. That is, until Fox 8 develops a unique skill: He teaches himself to speak Yuman by hiding in the bushes outside a house and listening to children’s bedtime stories. The power of language fuels his abundant curiosity about people - even after danjer arrives in the form of a new shopping mall that cuts off his food supply, sending Fox 8 on a harrowing quest to help save his pack.

Told with his distinctive blend of humor and pathos, Fox 8 showcases the extraordinary imaginative talents of George Saunders, whom The New York Times called “the writer for our time”.

©2013 George Saunders (P)2013 Random House Audio

What listeners say about Fox 8

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Sly Foxes, Wise Owls, Mean Dudes

This title appeared in Howard Polskin's (CEO & Editor in Chief of Thin Reads) 2013 Best Summer Reads. The criteria for selections were: the stories had to be published within the last year, short--between 100-200 pages, something light, engaging--quote: "easy to finish, sort of like a cold Amstel beer on Main Beach in the Hamptons." If I could spend the summer on any beach in the Hamptons (or for that matter any beach anywhere)...the warm slobber-infused water left in my bulldog's bowl would be easy to finish, but what has that got to do with books...

I would toss into that equation: well-written, thought provoking, enjoyable. $1.95/George Saunders/ 37 minutes, you can't go wrong. I found this funny, charming, then alarming and sad (as is always the case when animals go head to head with *Yumans*), but always crisp and entertaining, and for any audience. Use your cash, save your credit, and if for some reason you don't like it...close your eyes and pretend you're on Main Beach--you'll still have $$ left for a cold brewski. *Highly recommend.


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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A quirky modern-day fable

The thing I liked most about Saunders' quirky fable is how innocent and honest his writing can be without becoming saccharine. He manages with his simple narrative and his prose ticks to walk up to the line of absurdly sentimental and overdone, but then slinks backs down.

Obvious comparisons should probably be made to David Sedaris' modern bestiary: 'Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk' and Dahl's 'Fantastic Mr Fox'. Saunders's story 'Fox 8' seems to belong to that same family group descended from the Aesopica. Not my favorite genre, but Saunders could write a phone book and I'd go out and buy it and read/listen to it.

While Saunders might consider his narration style to Leo Kottke's singing voice ("geese farts on a muggy day"), I think his voice is a perfect compliment to his writing.

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I cried

This was much sadder than I expected it to me. I loved it a lot.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Works well with wispersync

Would you consider the audio edition of Fox 8 to be better than the print version?

No, this is a great treat to have both the audio and the print together.

What other book might you compare Fox 8 to and why?

Compares to a modern fable.

What about George Saunders’s performance did you like?

Well read.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Not a young child's story.

Any additional comments?

Anyone who wants to experience the dynamics of audio and print together can with this.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

It's, like, kind of annoying

I really could have enjoyed this book. Talking animals, particularly those with a sense of humor, are among my favorite literary characters. But when every other sentence includes the word "like" I have to throw in the towel. Too bad! It could have been fun.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Crafty Story

I loved this story; I listened to it on my ipod, so I can't comment on the grammar style used in the written form that seemed to bother many reviewers. This is a very short story told from the point of view of Fox 8; he's a fox who was named that way because his pack used numbers as their names. He starts out thinking that humans are smart and kind; however, do to circumstances created by humans and after witnessing an act of cruelty by humans, his thinking evolves in this regard. As I listen to the news and go about my daily life, I find myself also asking the very same question that Fox 8 asks in his letter to the humans: "What is WRONG with you people?"

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Made Me Cry

This story started out so cute and quirky and funny, and I love the author, so I snapped it up But there is shocking violence and death. I'm sure the author intended to make us think about mankind's casual violence and how we ignore the grievous harm it does, but it was just too sad for me. I cried and am still sad every time I think about it. Not for animal lovers.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Perfectly Sad

This is a well written modern parable. Saunders reads it himself, and I don't think anyone else could have done as good a job. It is worth listening to as well as reading.

Not the happiest story, but truth hurts!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fox 8 is pretty fabulous

I heard about this story today and knew I needed it in my life. Next thing I knew I was downloading it from Audible and the rest is history.
It's the story of a fox, Fox 8, who observes and admires the people in the world around him. He learns to speak "Yuman". This is impressive yet unsettling to the other foxes but he has always been the sort of odd one of the group. Then the Yumans start to build a shopping mall. Thing start to change for the foxes and not for the better.
Fox 8 is an admirable young fox. He has a positive outlook on life and loves his fellow foxes. He has a thirst for knowledge and answers that many of the other foxes don't. I immediately wanted to pick him up and give him the adoring cuddle that he deserved.
Anyway- all cuteness and Yuman speak aside this story did have a serious side. It was rough for a bit and there were a few moments that really had you shaking you're head at Yumanity. I know, I get it what animal book doesn't? But still I felt for Fox 8. Foxes should have rights too. Maybe even justice. Look how cute and smart they are. Why don't they deserve the same things that Yumans do?
Ok now I'm getting a bit off track. Foxes and their adorableness just get me so riled up! So kawaii with their big eyes and ears and their fluffy white tipped tails! Plus they're all smart and playful to top it off. Ugh I have to stop! I'm like totally obsessed with them!
The author narrated this story in the Audible version. I think that can sometimes make or break a book. In this case it totally made it. He dove in head first and knew exactly how he wanted it to come out and how he wanted Fox 8 to sound. It was his creation coming to life perfectly (or at least I imagine it to be!)
Anyway. Great story. Read it and hopefully you will love it just like I did!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Saunders is my favourite.

Fox 8 is a beautiful work on perspective and the destructive force of human development.

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