While I usually write my blog posts in German, I decided to switch to English for reviews on books which I read in English. Many of the older books I own (or inherited from my family) are written in German. With newer books that I buy myself, I tend to read novels in their original language – if I am fluent enough in it.
„A Swim in a Pond in the Rain“ by George Saunders is not a novel, but rather a non-fiction book – which I read rather rarely. It contains seven short stories by Russian writers, which are then analyzed by the author. Within the analyses Saunders interprets the way the stories might once have been developed, but also teaches us readers a lot about what makes a short story a great short story.
The short stories covered include works by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol. I especially admire Gogol – „The Nose“ has long been one of my favorite short stories. But in the course of this book I also developed a liking for Tolstoy, particularly the story of „Master and Man“. In this story about two men (repeatedly) getting lost in a snow storm, I could almost feel the cold, the wind, and the desperation while reading the text.
I have rarely been so impressed by a book. Although I had read many of the stories discussed before, George Saunders completely transformed my understanding of them, unveiling entirely new layers of meaning and interpretation. I picked up this book to better understand what makes great writing. Now that I’ve finished it, I can hardly wait to sit down at my desk and start writing more short stories.
This book is highly recommended to anyone who looks to improve their writing, or even just considers picking up writing for the first time.
Rating: ★★★★★
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