A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

Saunders more or less aims to recreate one of his upper level literature classes in this book. He takes you through some classic Russian short stories and gives his analysis and opinions. It starts out a little dry, but it's certainly worth sticking with, especially if you are interested in the craft of writing. As a musician and composer myself, I found it to be a fascinating look into another medium and how artists in that medium operate. Saunders is direct and concise, while still offering beautiful prose. His writing goes a long way to make stories from another time and another culture enjoyable and relatable to modern audiences.