A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life

Saunders suggests that “The Nose” is truthful, even if it is also a fantastical. How are the experiences of the characters relatable, even if they are strange? How is the voice in the story relatable?

“The Singers” is structured in an unusual way. How does its construction strengthen the story?

In “The Cart,” the character of Marya is revealed gradually, through her exchanges with Hanov and her driver, her rest in the pub, and her sighting of the train at the story’s end. How does each revelation color what we already knew?

In “Master and Man,” Vasili undergoes a sudden, but believable transformation. How does the rest of the story signal this change?

Saunders describes “The Darling” and “Master and Man” as pattern stories. What differences and similarities are there between the way Chekhov and Tolstoy use plot patterns?

What questions does “The Darling” raise about love? How does Olenka become a complicated character, despite having one predominant trait?

In “Gooseberries,” why does Ivan find happiness objectionable? How does his strong moral stance contrast with the rest of the story?

Saunders suggests that since a story is often smarter than its writer, a writer should not have intentions, but should rather write line by line. How does “Alyosha the Pot” reflect this advice?