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A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
- Narrated by: George Saunders, Phylicia Rashad, Nick Offerman, Glenn Close, Keith David, Rainn Wilson, BD Wong, Renée Elise Goldsberry
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Bloomsbury presents A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, read by George Saunders, Phylicia Rashad, Nick Offerman, Glenn Close, Keith David, Rainn Wilson, BD Wong and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
From the Man Booker Prize-winning, New York Times best-selling author of Lincoln in the Bardo, a literary masterclass on how to become both a better writer and reader, on what makes great stories work and what they can tell us about how to live.
In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders guides the listener through seven classic Russian short stories he's been teaching for 20 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.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Critic Reviews
"A morally passionate, serious writer.... He will be read long after these times have passed." (Zadie Smith)
"George Saunders makes you feel as though you are reading fiction for the first time." (Khaled Hosseini)
"What warm, kindhearted and radical writing. Such delicacy, such serious wit. I love it." (Max Porter)
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What listeners say about A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 25-04-2021
Joy
Incredibly insightful, Saunders describes the art of storytelling in novel and honest lessons. A wonderful book for all those interested in what makes good writing and what gives it the power to move us.
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- Marita
- 04-11-2023
Outstanding. Top drawer
I'm so glad I found this book. I was interested as I wanted to become a better reader. I'm now tempted to have a go at writing. It was wonderful to hear the Russian classics, and to have help in interpreting them. We know so much about what we read, and our views are valid, but sometimes we don't actually recognise or trust what we know. I would so love to meet the author - he sounds like a truly insightful and humble person. I loved his analysis of the various stories. I even started to form my own views after a while. In the Alyosha story where Alyosha was dying and looking surprised - I really felt that he was recognising what he already knew about, but perhaps hadn't seen for a long while. I think he saw how it really is when free of the body. The readers, were exceptional. And the author did a great job of narrating.
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- Anonymous User
- 29-07-2022
The kind words I needed
I’m not a writer, but this book, with it’s accompanying essays to some of the greatest Russian short stories, drew out of me how much I love to read. This book reminded me why I, no… we, all fell in love with reading. George’s insight (while only one perspective) struck my core. A core that had long been buried and confused and scared by life. His words were that of a friend I had known for years and words that finally clicked life into place. Learning the nuts and bolts of what makes stories tick also provided me a lot of “Ah-ha” moments that I take immense pleasure in.
I recommend this book to anyone: writer, reader, human.
To George Saunders, all I can say is:
Thank you
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4 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 05-06-2021
Thoughtful swim
This was quite a swim. The Russian short stories are interesting but become much more than that when George Saunders gives his thoughts on completion of the reading of each one of them. If you were to do nothing but hear his final afterthought as the book comes to an end you’ll be pleased to have acquired this fine book
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3 people found this helpful
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- Alison
- 17-07-2021
Marvelous reflections on the short story form
The stories of Chekov, Tolstoy and the like can be challenging for the modern reader, but George Saunders' commentary on them is superb - particular in the final chapter. I wanted to transcribe it word for word.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Robert
- 29-04-2022
Wonderful
Beautiful book, beautifully read and conceived. It made me go out and buy the hard copy to I could savour it again, slowly.
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- Felicity
- 28-02-2021
This is wonderful
If you like books about books, or books about creative writing, this is for you. George Saunders has the most beautiful voice and he talks in an engaging, unpretentious way about these stories, really unlocking what's special about them. For years I've avoided Russian short stories, regarding them as boring. But now I see I just needed a good teacher. As a bonus, Saunders encourages us to be more open and patient people. I was sad when this ended, but glad that I can listen to it again. (Note: some of these stories are quite long, but they are narrated well, so you find yourself just going with it.)
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3 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 14-05-2021
Excellent book for both writers and readers
Brilliant reading from Phylicia Rashad (In the Cart) and Keith David's reading of Master & Man might be the best thing I've heard on Audible . Highly recommended
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 27-05-2021
Or 'How I Fell in Love with Russian Short Stories'
Sublime narration and performances. An engrossing commentary on some of the best fiction ever written.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-06-2021
Amazing
This book gave me so much joy and hope. Thank you, George, for your generosity in writing it.
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