This book is fantastic for anyone who wants an insight into the craft of writing, it would suit a student of literature or a curious layman. Saunders shows us what it might be like to be in one of his literature classes, dissecting Russian short stories one by one and providing an easy to understand analysis of the intentions of their authors.

George Saunders brings his usual wit and warmth to this critical, yet accessible, look at the greats of Russian short stories. Asking the reader to learn how to pay attention to not just what a story is saying but how it is saying it. A book sure to be of great interest to writers and students but which a general reader will also find much to enjoy.

George Saunders is the kind of professor whose classes I daydream about going to, when I pretend to be an accomplished short story writer, attending MA in Creative Writing in Syracuse, discussing my ideas with a lucky dozen of students and George himself in his class.

Reality: I hold in my hands an advance copy of his short story criticism/teaching, sort of in the form of class activity, focusing on Russian Classics as examples. Reality is not bad at all.

George Saunders can’t benefit from reading and commenting on my unwritten but incredibly original and witty stories, but I surely feel like I’ve sat in his class and listened with teacher’s pet attention about Tolstoy’s, Checkov’s, Gogol’s, Turgenev’s literary genius and bottomless Russian soul, ‘according to George’ 😊

Although all studied short stories are provided within the book, I preferred to read them in Russian, and had to look them up in Bookmate. With the exception of the first story - In the Cart by Anton Chekhov, for which George Saunders provides page by page analysis, all the other stories are discussed after you have finished reading them. The second I would finish a story on Bookmate in Russian,I would rush back to the book, impatient to read what he has to say about it.

It is all incredibly inspirational. The stories, the commentary, the writing tips. Many times I have stopped and thought - I would love to try this out right now. But then went back to reading, because it felt so indulgent. How often do you get a chance to hear an intelligent, funny, kind person talk TO YOU about the magic of writing and the skill of reading? Not often enough at all.

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders is out 12 January 2021 by @bloomsburypublishing and if you love short stories or want to know how you can learn from them, then you absolutely have to get it.

I love everything George Saunders writes! This wonderful little book is no exception. The way he takes you through the stories; it's like savouring a favourite Literature lesson from a master over & over again. It will also send you straight back to your own bookshelves,scouring them for every Russian classic you own. A brilliant read!