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A review by pattydsf
Swimming Studies by Leanne Shapton
3.0
“Being pool-trained, I'm used to seeing four sides and a bottom. When that clarity is removed I get nervous. I imagine things. Sharks, the slippery sides of large fish, shaggy pieces of sunken frigates, dark corroded iron, currents. I can swim along the shore, my usual stroke rolled and tipped by the waves, the ribbed sandy bottom wiggling beneath me, but eventually I get spooked by the open-ended horizon, the cloudy blue thought of that sheer drop-the continental shelf.”
It took me forever to learn to swim. I had lessons in elementary school, but failed to acquire any skills. I eventually learned not to be afraid, but I am a lousy swimmer. The fact that swimming is difficult for me contrasts with the fact that I read two books about swimming in the last year. Is my subconscious trying to tell me something? The two books were very different and they were both good.
I have had this book on my TBR for several years. I encountered Shapton with her novel, Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry, which has to be one of the weirdest books I have ever read. (You can read my review here: https://tinyurl.com/yckef7bx ) I don’t know why it took me so long to get to this title, but finally I have read it.
This is Shapton’s own story, not fiction. She was a competitive swimmer and this memoir looks back at that time in her life and how it has affected her very being. The narrative is not straightforward and Shapton has illustrated this book. So sometimes it felt choppy and disjointed. However, by the end I had a full picture of what competitive swimming was like for Shapton. I also had an image of how Shapton’s family, boyfriend, coaches and others in her life influenced Shapton herself.
I feel like I am not conveying a good idea of the strengths and depths of this memoir. If you are interested in reading about people’s lives, in learning how people grow and change, this might be the book for you.
It took me forever to learn to swim. I had lessons in elementary school, but failed to acquire any skills. I eventually learned not to be afraid, but I am a lousy swimmer. The fact that swimming is difficult for me contrasts with the fact that I read two books about swimming in the last year. Is my subconscious trying to tell me something? The two books were very different and they were both good.
I have had this book on my TBR for several years. I encountered Shapton with her novel, Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry, which has to be one of the weirdest books I have ever read. (You can read my review here: https://tinyurl.com/yckef7bx ) I don’t know why it took me so long to get to this title, but finally I have read it.
This is Shapton’s own story, not fiction. She was a competitive swimmer and this memoir looks back at that time in her life and how it has affected her very being. The narrative is not straightforward and Shapton has illustrated this book. So sometimes it felt choppy and disjointed. However, by the end I had a full picture of what competitive swimming was like for Shapton. I also had an image of how Shapton’s family, boyfriend, coaches and others in her life influenced Shapton herself.
I feel like I am not conveying a good idea of the strengths and depths of this memoir. If you are interested in reading about people’s lives, in learning how people grow and change, this might be the book for you.