| Vendor | |
|---|---|
|
Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher |
| Original language | |
| English | |
A SWIM IN A POND IN THE RAIN
In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class On Writing, Reading, And Life
From the New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo and Tenth of December, a literary masterclass on what makes great stories work, how to write them yourself, and what they can tell us about our world today.
In Reading the Russians, George Saunders guides the reader through seven classic Russian short stories he's been teaching for twenty 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, Reading the Russians ultimately shows how great fiction can change a person's life and become a benchmark of one's moral and ethical beliefs.
SEVEN ALL-ORIGINAL ESSAYS, PAIRED WITH CLASSIC SHORT STORIES FROM RUSSIAN MASTERS: "In the Cart" (Chekhov); "The Singers" (Turgenev); "The Darling" (Chekhov); "Master and Man" (Tolstoy); "The Nose" (Gogol); "Gooseberries" (Chekhov); "Alyosha the Pot" (Tolstoy). Translations of the stories appear alongside each of Saunders' essays.
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FOLLOW UP: This is the first new book from Saunders since he won the Booker Prize for Lincoln in the Bardo, which broadened his base of readers and established him as one of our generation's most important literary voices. BESTSELLING TRACK RECORD: Saunders has had three New York Times bestsellers in six years: Lincoln in the Bardo (which was a #1 New York Times bestseller, and has sold nearly 600k), Tenth of December (over 400k sold), and Congratulations by the Way (over 80k sold).
A BELOVED WRITING PROFESSOR: Saunders's dedication to his writing students at Syracuse University is legendary, and now he'll be able to impart some of that expertise and passion for the craft to a broader audience.
A video of Saunders, talking about the art--and the mystery--of writing, for The Atlantic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-1xNNrABw8
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, Reading the Russians ultimately shows how great fiction can change a person's life and become a benchmark of one's moral and ethical beliefs.
SEVEN ALL-ORIGINAL ESSAYS, PAIRED WITH CLASSIC SHORT STORIES FROM RUSSIAN MASTERS: "In the Cart" (Chekhov); "The Singers" (Turgenev); "The Darling" (Chekhov); "Master and Man" (Tolstoy); "The Nose" (Gogol); "Gooseberries" (Chekhov); "Alyosha the Pot" (Tolstoy). Translations of the stories appear alongside each of Saunders' essays.
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FOLLOW UP: This is the first new book from Saunders since he won the Booker Prize for Lincoln in the Bardo, which broadened his base of readers and established him as one of our generation's most important literary voices. BESTSELLING TRACK RECORD: Saunders has had three New York Times bestsellers in six years: Lincoln in the Bardo (which was a #1 New York Times bestseller, and has sold nearly 600k), Tenth of December (over 400k sold), and Congratulations by the Way (over 80k sold).
A BELOVED WRITING PROFESSOR: Saunders's dedication to his writing students at Syracuse University is legendary, and now he'll be able to impart some of that expertise and passion for the craft to a broader audience.
A video of Saunders, talking about the art--and the mystery--of writing, for The Atlantic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-1xNNrABw8
| Available products |
|---|
|
Book
Published 2021-01-12 by Random House, Inc. |