A Swim in a Pond in the Rain : : in Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life

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Includes texts of seven short stories.
We begin -- In the Cart -- Anton Chekhov. A page at a time: thoughts on In the Cart ; Afterthought #1 -- The Singers -- Ivan Turgenev. The heart of the story: thoughts on The Singers ; Afterthought #2 -- The Darling -- Anton Chekhov. A pattern story: thoughts on The Darling ; Afterthought #3 -- Master and Man -- Leo Tolstoy. And yet they drove on: Thoughts on Master and Man ; Afterthought #4 -- The Nose -- Nikolai Gogol. The door to the truth might be strangeness: Thoughts on The Nose ; Afterthought #5 -- Gooseberries -- Anton Chekhov. A swim in a pond in the rain: Thoughts on Gooseberries ; Afterthought #6 -- Alyosha the Pot -- Leo Tolstoy. The wisdom of omission: Thoughts on Alyosha the Pot ; Afterthought #7 -- We end.
"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"-- Provided by publisher.
Contents: Nos. -- Kryzhovnik. -- Na podvode. -- Dushechka. -- Pevt͡sy. -- Alësha Gorshok. -- Khozi͡ain i rabotnik.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

I learned so much from this book! submitted by TeacherN on June 28, 2021, 9:36am I found this book fascinating! I'd never read any of these Russian short stories, but I feel richer from the reading and analysis done in the book. If you've ever wished you took more literature and/or writing classes in college, this book will make you feel more fulfilled. It's also quite entertaining.

As useful for readers as for writers submitted by gpapp on August 1, 2022, 4:29pm This is one of my top 5 craft books, ever. But even if I never wrote a word, this book would be amazing. It's essentially like taking a seminar in the art of the short story from (arguably) the finest short-story writer of our lifetimes. He makes it very clear just why we should care about the Russian short stories, and how they got to be that way.