Take a photo of a barcode or cover
1.51k reviews for:
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life
George Saunders
4.52 AVERAGE
1.51k reviews for:
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life
George Saunders
4.52 AVERAGE
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
A wonderful informative and thought- provoking book guiding me through Russian short stories and also through the building blocks of what makes stories work. One I savoured and will come back to.
Although George is an American, as a Professor at Syracuse University, he teaches students how to write fiction short stories through the works of Russian authors like Chekov & Tolstoy.
In this book, he has taken a total of 7 stories from 4 Russian authors (Chekov, Ivan Turgenev, Leo Tolstoy and Nikolai Gogol) After each story, he describes the authors thought process while writing that story. He also explains how we can learn from those stories in our own writings. His explanations are funny and it’s almost like you’re in a classroom with him.
The questions he’s attempting to answer are : what makes a story great? Why do certain stories stick longer than others? How does an authors individual style impact that story?
The overall strategy he recommends is to ignore all the advice & let the words flow :) He definitely has a teaching ability and maybe that’s why this book was so special. I doubt I will read any of his other works tbh .. he seems more suited as a teacher than a writer
I’m not looking to write anything in the near future (although this knowledge would be great for blogs & tweets too tbh). Regardless, I feel it has made me a better reader as I’m appreciating the authors individual style without imposing my prejudices.
The stories by Anton Chekov were particularly remarkable and I’m looking forward to reading more of his works.
This was a non-fiction book about fiction stories and I’m glad I came across it.
In this book, he has taken a total of 7 stories from 4 Russian authors (Chekov, Ivan Turgenev, Leo Tolstoy and Nikolai Gogol) After each story, he describes the authors thought process while writing that story. He also explains how we can learn from those stories in our own writings. His explanations are funny and it’s almost like you’re in a classroom with him.
The questions he’s attempting to answer are : what makes a story great? Why do certain stories stick longer than others? How does an authors individual style impact that story?
The overall strategy he recommends is to ignore all the advice & let the words flow :) He definitely has a teaching ability and maybe that’s why this book was so special. I doubt I will read any of his other works tbh .. he seems more suited as a teacher than a writer
I’m not looking to write anything in the near future (although this knowledge would be great for blogs & tweets too tbh). Regardless, I feel it has made me a better reader as I’m appreciating the authors individual style without imposing my prejudices.
The stories by Anton Chekov were particularly remarkable and I’m looking forward to reading more of his works.
This was a non-fiction book about fiction stories and I’m glad I came across it.
It was great fun using my brain again! Albeit briefly and under supervision. Nonetheless, thank you George. Sincerely.
funny
informative
reflective
‘The Nose’ is at the top of my list of short stories for all of time now.
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Really enjoyable, whether you want to write short stories or just get more from reading and thinking about them. My only complaint was that some of the stories are quite long (one clocks in at around 50 pages), leaving less room for analysis and Saunders's own (fun and insightful) digressions. But overall a great read. I read one short story per weekend and found myself enjoying the slower pace and time to reflect. As somebody who enjoyed school, it was fun to feel like a fly on the wall of one of his lectures.
Some books take a while to finish because they're bad, and some take a while because you're just enjoying being in them. This one is, I am happy to say, the latter of the two.
This can't be the first or only book that has this form, and yet for me, this is the first and only book to do what this book does. In it, Saunders shares some of his favorite short stories by Russian authors and then talks about them. Teaches with them. Uses them as a springboard for a conversation about writing. And it does feel like a conversation. So often artists and writers claim they're having a "dialogue with the audience," and while that may be true in a way, it rarely feels like it. So this was something of a revelation.
I don't know, though. It's possible that if I'd taken a literature class beyond high school I wouldn't be so smitten with this book. But I didn't, and I am.
This can't be the first or only book that has this form, and yet for me, this is the first and only book to do what this book does. In it, Saunders shares some of his favorite short stories by Russian authors and then talks about them. Teaches with them. Uses them as a springboard for a conversation about writing. And it does feel like a conversation. So often artists and writers claim they're having a "dialogue with the audience," and while that may be true in a way, it rarely feels like it. So this was something of a revelation.
I don't know, though. It's possible that if I'd taken a literature class beyond high school I wouldn't be so smitten with this book. But I didn't, and I am.
Forewarning: My review will not do this book justice!
I procrastinated reading this for so long because I felt intimidated by the concept. Reading Russian literature and analyzing it for lessons on writing, reading, life? Yikes. That seems a lofty goal!
I'm here to tell you there is no 'yikes' necessary and that Saunders achieves his goal (and more). Saunders is a fantastic, unpretentious host throughout this book. I read it slowly, one short story and essay per day. I have never read Russian literature before and feel like I just received the best intro course ever.
With each day that I sat reading this book, I felt changed, as Saunders points out is the purpose of fiction. I felt changed and more in touch with the life around me and inside my head.
(Half-done review... will come back later to finish).
I procrastinated reading this for so long because I felt intimidated by the concept. Reading Russian literature and analyzing it for lessons on writing, reading, life? Yikes. That seems a lofty goal!
I'm here to tell you there is no 'yikes' necessary and that Saunders achieves his goal (and more). Saunders is a fantastic, unpretentious host throughout this book. I read it slowly, one short story and essay per day. I have never read Russian literature before and feel like I just received the best intro course ever.
With each day that I sat reading this book, I felt changed, as Saunders points out is the purpose of fiction. I felt changed and more in touch with the life around me and inside my head.
(Half-done review... will come back later to finish).