Official Review: Swimming Lessons and Other Stories

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 14 Dec 2020, 05:38

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Swimming Lessons and Other Stories" by Suzanne McNear.]

3 out of 4 stars

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A short story is a glance from the side to a story. So it does not have a definite beginning or an end, but it contains some story. Reading a short story is a different experience, and different readers can have different interpretations for the same short story. With that brief introduction follow me to review a collection of short stories, Swimming Lessons and Other Stories by Suzanne McNear.

First of all the basic details of the book. My copy came with 150 pages, so it is quite a small book. The book contains 13 short stories and a poem. Some of the short stories are previously published work by the author, but the rest is brand new.

I will not summarise each and every story since it will give out spoilers, but will give out a basic layout for a few of them. The short story named "Swimming Lessons", which is the main story of the book, is about a widowed lady who is learning to swim and ultimately learning something far more valuable. "Road Trip" is a story about a couple getting into trouble during a road trip and being saved not only from the trouble at hand, but from the troubles of their lives as well. "Lifesaving" is the story of a playwright whose plays depict the emotional aspects of her life. Along with these, the book contains a poem as well, of a man who had many wives by whom his funeral was converted into a feast.

The general theme of this collection is human thoughts, acts and behaviours. Though all the stories are woven around that general theme, they are unique from one another. They are short and simple, yet carry deep meanings. I read some of them several times and each time I ended up with further understanding. The language used is simple. No too many sophisticated words. So it is an easy as well as a quick read. Wherever needed the author has included different slangs to keep the natural feeling of the story. The editing of the book is exceptionally well. I found no grammatical errors or typos.

With all those good aspects, what I disliked about the book is the gloomy nature of the majority of the stories. Many are related to either death or loss. And the book is lack of dialogues as well. So most of the times it felt like reading a report. And I still wonder why the author has included a poem into a collection of short stories. Though I identified it as a poem, it just felt like another short story since I hardly found any poetic qualities in it.

Having said all the above, I would like to rate this with 3 out of 4 stars. I am deducting one star for the personal dislikes that I mentioned above. This will be appealing to those who prefer short stories about human nature. But be warned that the whole book is a bit gloomy. It contains some profane words, which are used appropriately, and sexual content, though not graphically described. So the book will be more suitable for a mature audience.

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Swimming Lessons and Other Stories
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Fozia RYK · Post by **Fozia RYK** » 20 Dec 2020, 06:40

You have told the easy writings and easy words used in this book which you have selected for your review. So congratulations for your good work and thanks for it

Raluca_Mihaila · Post by **Raluca_Mihaila** » 20 Dec 2020, 08:04

The name of the book reminder me of a friend who learned to swim reading a book

.
Also, your review has picked my interest. I don't mind some gloomy atmosphere sometimes. Great job!

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 21 Dec 2020, 11:26

Fozia RYK wrote: ↑20 Dec 2020, 06:40 You have told the easy writings and easy words used in this book which you have selected for your review. So congratulations for your good work and thanks for it

Thank you for the kind comment

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 21 Dec 2020, 11:27

raluca_mihaila wrote: ↑20 Dec 2020, 08:04 The name of the book reminder me of a friend who learned to swim reading a book .
Also, your review has picked my interest. I don't mind some gloomy atmosphere sometimes. Great job!

I would love to see your friend's swimming skills

. Thank you for reading and commenting

Daisy Deeh · Post by **Daisy Deeh** » 29 Dec 2020, 06:44

Your review have sustained my interest,i can't wait to add the book to my bucket list, good work over there

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 29 Dec 2020, 09:07

Daisy Deeh wrote: ↑29 Dec 2020, 06:44 Your review have sustained my interest,i can't wait to add the book to my bucket list, good work over there

I am glad that my review was useful for you. Thank you for the kind appreciation

Post by **Alice Heritage** » 31 Dec 2020, 07:29

Thank you for your interesting introduction to this book. I get the impression that the characters learn profound life lessons from everyday experiences, like swimming or a road trip. I appreciate the power short stories can have.

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 01 Jan 2021, 01:28

ButterscotchCherrie wrote: ↑31 Dec 2020, 07:29 Thank you for your interesting introduction to this book. I get the impression that the characters learn profound life lessons from everyday experiences, like swimming or a road trip. I appreciate the power short stories can have.

Yes, they, as well as the reader, get important life lessons from ordinary activities. Thank you for stopping by

Suzer6440 xyz · Post by **Suzer6440 xyz** » 01 Jan 2021, 01:29

i like the detail that this review offered . I’m deciding weather I will be 100 % invested in it or not. I never read a book filled with short stories. Sounds like it could be a great reading experience.

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 01 Jan 2021, 01:39

Suzer6440 xyz wrote: ↑01 Jan 2021, 01:29 i like the detail that this review offered . I’m deciding weather I will be 100 % invested in it or not. I never read a book filled with short stories. Sounds like it could be a great reading experience.

If you have no issues with gloomy stories, then you will be fine after reading this one. Thank you for reading and commenting

ankushavhad · Post by **ankushavhad** » 01 Jan 2021, 05:23

The title initially seemed a self-help guide on swimming! but reading your review, I understand the book is a collection of short stories including poems, and "swimming lessons" itself is the name of one of the stories --the main story. Well, I am sure the collection is forming a set of inspiring life lessons. Nice review, Sushan. Thanks.

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 01 Jan 2021, 08:45

ankushavhad wrote: ↑01 Jan 2021, 05:23 The title initially seemed a self-help guide on swimming! but reading your review, I understand the book is a collection of short stories including poems, and "swimming lessons" itself is the name of one of the stories --the main story. Well, I am sure the collection is forming a set of inspiring life lessons. Nice review, Sushan. Thanks.

I am glad that my review was useful for you. Thank you for the kind comment

Tarilan · Post by **Tarilan** » 05 Jan 2021, 15:09

I love the theme behind the stories. From the title, I was beginning to think that it was a children's book. Am glad to know that I can get to relate to the human thoughts embedded in the tales. Thanks for the awesome review.

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 05 Jan 2021, 20:25

Tarilan wrote: ↑05 Jan 2021, 15:09 I love the theme behind the stories. From the title, I was beginning to think that it was a children's book. Am glad to know that I can get to relate to the human thoughts embedded in the tales. Thanks for the awesome review.

I am glad that my review gave you a good understanding about the book. Thanks for the kind appreciation