What makes a narrative interesting, sometimes even exhilarating, and what do some stories from the great Russian classics tell us about ourselves and the world around us? George Saunders, one of the most important contemporary American fiction writers, has been teaching creative writing at Syracuse University for the past twenty years. In Swimming in the Pond in the Rain, he shares some of these lessons, enriched by insights and comments from his students.

The seven (relatively short) essays that accompany stories and novellas by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol concern, obviously, not only aspiring writers but also anyone interested in literature, and specifically in what makes a reader "unable to put down" a book.

In his introductory text, Saunders writes: "We will delve into seven vignettes of the world, carefully constructed, which their authors wanted to respond, even indirectly, to some of the great questions that, even if our era does not consider them equally important, still constitute the purpose of art. How should we live? What is our destiny on earth? What is important and what is not? What is truth and how can we distinguish truth from lies? How can we remain indifferent when some have everything and others have nothing?"

By examining the seven stories of the book thoroughly yet in a completely understandable and accessible way for the reader, Saunders not only points out some keys and techniques that make a narrative more interesting but also "educates" the reader on how to enjoy the hidden virtues of literary writing.

Swimming in the Pond in the Rain, a valuable tool for any literature lover, better illuminates the relationships between the sometimes not immediately obvious virtues of a work of fiction and its reader.

"The magic of words... A wonderful book where the great novelist and storyteller explains what makes classic stories what they are. This book is a true delight and is about the delight itself. How necessary, especially at this time." The Guardian

"A generous, entertaining, and incredibly insightful book by one of the most original and enjoyable writers today." Vanity Fair