Typically, he reserves his commentary until the end, although in this particular story, he interrupts the narrative a page at a time to explain what Chekhov is doing and the effect it has on us as readers. Saunders, the best-selling author of "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline," "Tenth of December" and "Lincoln in the Bardo," is the best possible guide to have on this invigorating tour through FictionLand because although he thinks like the MacArthur "genius" that he is, he talks like the guy sitting next to you at the bar.įor instance, in Chekhov's "In the Cart," he refers to a character as "an amiable doofus" - not exactly a literary term of art, but in this case, a spot-on description. "A Swim in a Pond in the Rain," billed as a master class in how to read and write, is effectively two books in one: seven classic Russian short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy and Gogol paired with funny, lively, profound essays by Saunders explaining their art, craft and enduring appeal.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |