A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

Great stories and engaging commentary by George Saunders. Lots to think about, for aspiring writers to hone their craft.

Very informative and educational for writers. I haven’t read much of Russian fiction and I didn’t know it was this delightful. Thanks to the author for selecting some of the best of Chekov, Tolstoy etc. I really found the afterthoughts and analysis by the author very useful.

The books deciphers the method of narration. What makes a story more intriguing and intersting and how simple construction of narration can add depth to the story line. How each Russian classic story is interpreted and how can one learn form this form of ''Story-Telling'.!!

The book has really tiny font and makes it difficult for the reader to have a smooth reading experience. I would recommend to increase the font and make it a much more comfortable reading experience.

This is essential reading for wannabe writers and passionate readers. For the former it provides inspiration and confidence. For the latter it provides sheer joy. Much gratitude for the author. Wish had attended a class of his in person. Sigh.

“These days, it’s easy to feel that we’ve fallen out of connection with one another and with the earth and with reason and with love. I mean: we have. But to read, to write, is to say that we still believe in, at least, the possibility of connection. When reading and writing, we feel connection happening (or not). That’s the essence of these activities: ascertaining whether connection is happening, and where, and why.” I’ve taken so long to write about this book because does one really review a textbook? This book was actually created out of a course on Russian Literature that George Saunders teaches at the Syracuse University. By example of seven short stories written by four Russian authors - Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy and Gogol, Saunders takes us along on a journey to help us read better, identify the structure, pattern and variation that makes a story interesting and for those interested, to write better. Only after reading this book have I understood what “craft” in the context of writing means. (Interestingly, I’ve also been able to identify these elements in some of the children’s books that I read to my son at bedtime!) Towards the end of the book, Saunders tries to answer what the purpose of fiction is. “... that’s what fiction does: it causes an incremental change in the state of a mind. That’s it. But, you know—it really does it. That change is finite but real. And that’s not nothing. It’s not everything, but it’s not nothing.” No. It is something. As is this book.

I read in leisure time only. Not yet completed reading. Author has given valuable tips in how to read a story to grasp the imort of what the author wants to convey. And, how to write a story to make it absorbing to the reader.

An excellent read for serious readers of fiction and those who want to learn to write better stories.

This is not a book I had heard a lot of people talking about. I found it through a friend's recommendation and adored it. I've read dozens of "how to write novels" etc books. Some good, some bad. I would consider this a Writing 102 course. You won't get the fundamentals but if you're looking to really step up your craft this is a really insightful and detailed explanation of what makes great stories great and how to construct something like that by walking you through why those stories work so effectively. The example stories discussed are included within too which made this a one stop shop!

For whatever reason, I have never really sought out short stories - but I loved George Saunders' "Lincoln in the Bardo" so I was excited to check out "A Swim in a Pond in the Rain". By the end of the book I have slotted in a couple of books of stories - one by Saunders and another set of Russian classics - into my reading queue. The book is essentially an on-paper class on the short story form and analysis of classic Russian fiction as taught by Syracuse professor Saunders. Does that sound pretty awesome to you? It did to me, and it still does - and I highly recommend it! In terms of structure, you read the original (translated, obviously) story and then Saunders digs into all aspects of the story thoroughly, followed by an afterword where he brings additional context. For the first story he takes things apart one page at a time, which was actually incredibly instructive and sets your mind into an analytical frame for the remainder of the book. That was important for me, as the style and importance of each word and sentence of a short story is much greater than in a longer novel or analysis book. There is some really great stuff here - from disparate stories such ‘Master and Man’ to ‘The Nose’, you are taken on a journey of wildly varying styles, narration, subjects, intents, and translational difficulties. These are clearly masters of the form - in ‘Master and Man’ I put the book aside for a couple of days because I knew bad stuff was coming and wasn’t ready yet! If I had a single complaint - and of course I do - it is that the combined story analysis and afterthoughts started to ‘overstay their welcome’ for the stories in the middle of the book. A couple of times I found myself saying “I GET IT” and had to slog through the extended analysis - but it wasn’t that I disagreed or had issues with Saunders’ takes on things, just that I was already ‘there’ in terms of understanding the story and nuances. While reading these stories and the analysis I learned a ton about the form - every sentence had a purpose, every paragraph advanced the action - and wondered why I never got into them before. I am excited to read collections of stories soon! Make no mistake - this is as much a college course as it is a set of short stores. There are exercises and side-studies for the reader to do, such as reworking paragraphs of text. If you are interested in not just reading great stories, but also learning about the form, authors and individual stories in depth I strongly recommend checking it out!

I only recently learned of this writer, much to my chagrin, as he is a five-star, go-with-gusto writer and teacher. I learned so much about writing in his Master Class notes after each story. Make a cup of tea or coffee and settle in for an amazing reading experience.

Certo Saunders scrive bene. Ma questo libro è troppo testo scolastico, analisi che non mi piacciono. Non credo che gli autori di questi esemplari di narrativa hanno pensato come Saunders. Ho imparato qualcosa, ma non è un libro che leggerò una seconda volta.

nice insights.