George Saunders

In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders guides the reader through seven classic Russian short stories he's been teaching for twenty years as a professor in the prestigious Syracuse University graduate MFA creative writing program. Paired with stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, these essays are intended for anyone interested in how fiction works and why it's more relevant than ever in these turbulent times. Saunders approaches each of these stories technically yet accessibly, and through them explains how narrative functions; why we stay immersed in a story and why we resist it; and the bedrock virtues a writer must foster. For the process of writing, Saunders reminds us, is as much a craft as it is a quality of openness and a willingness to see the world through new eyes. Funny, frank, and rigorous, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain ultimately shows how great fiction can change a person's life and become a benchmark of one's moral and ethical beliefs.

From the Man Booker Prize-winning, New York Times-bestselling author of Lincoln in the Bardo

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

Entirely worthwhile. About to tackle a boatload of Russian lit with this book inside Me.

Adam Scharf

maryam

not for me. short story selection 4/5, saunders’ rambling analysis that he made to seem definitive 2/5

From the Man Booker Prize-Winning, New York Times-bestselling Author of Lincoln in the Bardo

Jesse Morley

Saunders rallies against the idea that the best writing flows from the author fluidly, riding on wings of sudden inspiration. Instead he argues that the real process lies in incremental revision, and that finding your voice as an author comes from the intuition guiding these countless small changes and refinements.

The main satisfaction in reading this, for me, was gaining a greater appreciation of what it is that made these Russian masters so good at their craft.

An extremely intelligent yet generous author. This is more than a book about writing or an appreciation of Russian literature- a highlight from this year’s reading.

Sarah Erle

Great book. It made me think a lot about ways to improve my storytelling and writing skills. This and Pinker's book on writing are some of the best tools to improve the craft.

Andres Leon

Paired with stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, these essays are intended for anyone interested in how fiction works and why it's more relevant than ever in these turbulent times.

In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life

Nelson Zagalo

“A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: in which four Russians give a master class on writing, reading, and life” (2021) de George Saunders é um livro sobre a arte de contar histórias, em particular sobre arte do conto, em particular do conto russo. Não é um livro sobre "como escrever histórias", é um livro que discute a arte e ofício de quem escreve e os resultados do que se escreve. Saunders não apresenta um guião, nem uma estrutura para a desconstrução dos contos, antes apresenta os mesmos completos sobre os quais realiza, depois connosco, uma leitura próxima (close reading) de certas partes que podem focar-se: na forma, no estilo, no conteúdo, na relação com a vida dos autores, ou ainda em aspetos da tradução do russo. Ler e ouvir Saunders (o audiobook é narrado pelo próprio) falar sobre escrita e contos russos é um pouco como olhar para os olhos de uma criança quando se lhe coloca um prato cheio de doces na frente. A paixão transborda, oferecendo particular deleite a todos os comentários que vai fazendo a cada um dos contos ao longo da viagem proposta que nos oferece 7 contos (3 de Chekhov (In the Cart; The Darling; Gooseberries), 2 de Tolstói (Master and Man; Alyosha the Pot), um de Gogol (The Nose), e um de Turgenev (The Singers)).

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Cindy Lieberman

If you have ever wanted to write a short story, or to be better able to appreciate one, read this excellent book by George Saunders! This accomplished writer dissects several short stories by Russian masters (Tolstoy, Chekhov, etc), enabling us to better understand some rules of story structure. Saunders also freely suggests why these writers might have made the choices they did in their stories, why those choices worked or didn’t, and what might have been done differently....then asks us to think about the effect different choices might have. Truly a masterclass in an audiobook

Bryce Taylor

Great stories, great thoughts on the stories, great insights for writing and for life. I love George Saunders.

Nadine 

A perfect book for those of us who in our hearts has never left the classroom & the desire to learn & know more on the inner workings of life & literature

Maytal

George Saunders articulates exactly why I (or any book lover, really) read, and what is so magical about fiction.

Jack Baty

I enjoy everything Saunders writes. This wasn't my usual thing, but I dug it anyway.

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain From the Man Booker Prize-winning, New York Times-bestselling author of Lincoln in the Bardo

Reviews