While revealing the intense thought that the Russian writers put into their writing, he also emphasizes the joy they infuse into every paragraph. In “A Swim in the Pond in the Rain,” Saunders enthusiastically brings all the genius and joy they hold to the light. The authors Saunders includes are authors that, for younger readers, may have had their magic dimmed by vague claims that their stories are masterpieces, though exactly why they are so renowned is never explained. His essays left me feeling like the foggy lens of a camera that had just come into focus. And after reading Saunders’ comments, the formerly hidden wisdom and depth within the Russian short stories feel as if they are screaming from off the page. It is hard to pick up all the beautiful details of these stories on a first read, as they are deceptively straightforward but actually full of complexities. In Tolstoy’s the “ Master and Man ,” he explores plot and character with Gogol’s “The Nose,” he celebrates how an irrational story about a man who loses his nose illustrates reality in Turgenev’s “ The Singers,” he commends how a clunkily written story shines, despite its apparent flaws. They are able to realize how a good story is a constantly evolving event until the very last line. By stopping after each page, he teaches the reader how to be more aware of how their feelings are being affected as the story unfolds. He begins with Chekhov’s “ In the Cart ,” pausing after each page to give a commentary on the state of the story as it changes and develops. “A Swim in the Pond in the Rain” includes each translated short story in full, with Saunders’ analysis of each one, as well as his afterthoughts, which are meditations on writing and life inspired by each work. He writes with a voice so intimate, warm and unpretentious that it is like listening to the words of an old friend. Saunders examines what these stories have to teach us about good storytelling in paragraphs that are easy to understand, compelling and highly enjoyable. “A Swim in the Pond in the Rain” is full of lessons on life, art, death and the power of fiction. His latest book, “ A Swim in the Pond in the Rain ,” is a condensed version of that class, where Saunders gives a moving analysis of seven Russian short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy and Gogol.

George Saunders, Booker prize-winning author of “ Lincoln in the Bardo,” has taught a class on the Russian short story in translation at Syracuse University in New York for over 20 years.

George saunders swim in a pond