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A review by nigel_hakeem
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
3.75
Great book to read to get introduced to Russian literature. Also a great book on the mechanics of the short story. I'd recommend to anyone I terested in writing fiction.
Saunders is really good at getting to the heart of each story and describing piece by piece how it's put together. You start understanding the beats and flow of storytelling, what makes a story work, and why some stories just don't.
I enjoyed Saunders' essays on each of the 7 stories, but I must admit, when he started injecting his own world views and philosophies, my eyes couldn't stop rolling. Very much a subscriber to the thought that if we all hold hands and sing kumbaya, all the worlds problems will be solved. Other than those moments, the book was very enjoyable.
Saunders is really good at getting to the heart of each story and describing piece by piece how it's put together. You start understanding the beats and flow of storytelling, what makes a story work, and why some stories just don't.
I enjoyed Saunders' essays on each of the 7 stories, but I must admit, when he started injecting his own world views and philosophies, my eyes couldn't stop rolling. Very much a subscriber to the thought that if we all hold hands and sing kumbaya, all the worlds problems will be solved. Other than those moments, the book was very enjoyable.