The Swimmers | 
pickA heartbreaking, meditative look at memory, a daughter‘s relationship to her mother, and what makes up a life and a human being. The structure of this novel (novella?) is unique, and while some reviewers seem not to like it, I found it the perfect way to explain dementia and its effect on the person and their family. Also, I think the author may pull from her own experiences, which makes me recommend it that much more.
pickA unique writing style, juxtaposing the calming sameness of routine and the jarring panic of the unexpected and unexplained in different settings. I'll be thinking about this one, and feeling its grip on my heart, for a while.
pickThis is more like 2 connected short stories rather than 1 novel.
I can see how this might be divisive, it is not your traditional novel form, there is a lot of theorizing, often one after another on many topics (mostly the pool and it's crack, and then about Alice's memory) but overall it is about aging, and memory loss. It is a sad but not heavy read. Uniquely told and gives much to ponder. This is not a book for people who need lots of plot.
pickThis slim novel begins in the cool, blue tranquility of an underground pool. Silence is the way of this subterranean world, & each busy swimmer is quietly grateful for it. By the time we reach the end, however, the silence has been relocated & transformed. It becomes infused with such a desperate (but commonplace) sadness. In between, there‘s a spot of anxiety & utter absurdity. And isn‘t that life? A masterful piece of writing…but heartbreaking.
so-soThe writing style was enjoyable in the beginning when focused on the group of swimmers. However when the spotlight moved to Alice and her dementia it kept me feeling as if I were being kept at arm‘s length so this book ultimately did not have the emotional impact that was I anticipating. It was a quick audiobook and I liked it but was left feeling as if something was lacking.
pickSo well written and so heartfelt. I have a big lump in my throat.
so-soI just wasn‘t feeling this, I think the writing style was just putting me off. There is some beautiful writing and some brilliant insights, but overall just didn‘t satisfy me.
so-so#DoubleSpin This is more of a novella than a book and the collective we worked well for the first 30 pages but once it split into Alice‘s story I found the format less successful. I almost wished more of the book was about the “swimmers” and less about Alice and her decline into dementia. A creative way to tell an otherwise less than original story.
pickAchingly lovely, this one ultimately broke my heart. Dementia is a cruel, cruel mistress and I grieve for those who are caught in its clutches as well as those left behind.
pickThe second half of the book read like memoir and it was a beautiful real account of dementia and maternal love. The first part was strange - not sure if it fit so well with the later half - perhaps a different way to tell about lost and uncertainty and changing perceptions of reality? Grey writer
so-soA story of a pool, a bunch of strangers, and a woman who has memory loss. I didn't care for Otsuka's writing style at all or maybe it didn't translate well to audio. The asides were distracting, the repetitive questions were frustrating. This is absolutely a book club type book, just not my book club. Lol
You may at times—dusk, Sunday evening, the middle of winter—find yourself suddenly overwhelmed by an intense physical desire to go home. All you want to do, you tell yourself, is sit down in front of the TV with your husband on the ugly brown couch and eat cold lo mein noodles one last time. And that would be enough. Just one ordinary day 🛋📺🍜
I waited about 3 months for this to come in and I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to be getting out of this... 🤨
so-soSo far, I‘ve had a pretty decent summer for reading but it has also been full of disappointments. This was definitely one of them. To me, this felt like an outline to a really great novel, not a great read. It‘s short, choppy, and I didn‘t like the third person point of view. There were some very poignant sentences, a few laughs, and some gut punches. I can‘t “pan” it but I didn‘t love it as I was expecting. #unpopularopinions
pickThis is such a beautiful, heartfelt novella. I wasn't sure where the story was headed, but I didn't expect the second half to break my heart the way it did.
There is some truly gorgeous writing in this book about how we interact with others, the things we notice, and the relationships between mothers and daughters.
pickThe book begins with a story about a Swim Club. Swimming has played a big part in my life. Limited experience for me as an actual swimmer, but a massive amount as a “swim mom”. I could easily relate. What I was not prepared for was the turn away from the Club and the new focus on one of the swimmers. A Japanese woman who is losing memory. Deeply emotional. Spare, beautiful writing. A big thank you to my IRL Book Club for choosing this book. 5 ⭐️‘s
pickA short novel that will have a long lasting impact on me. Otsuka has a unique writing style especially her point of view & her beautiful sentences & spare words. Alice is a long-time swimmer at a lap pool where there is camaraderie among the regulars. Then a crack appears in the pool. Meanwhile, Alice's memory is diminishing & her daughter to whom she is not particularly close begins to deal with her mom's condition. A stunningly beautiful novel!
pickThe swimmers is a devastating account of the decline of Alice, a dementia sufferer. We learn how Alice will experience her care home from the perspective of the commercial provider and how her family deal with her slow disappearance. The story‘s heart and humour lies in the opening of the book when the pool used by swimmers including Alice closes because of an inexplicable crack. That crack frames Alice‘s demise in a moving and powerful way.
August begins like a slow shattering dream. Heat rises up from the dusty sidewalks. Lawns bake. Trees droop. The flowers have all lost their smell. A lone Good Humour truck, illegally double parked near the entrance to the school playground, drones it‘s slow maniacal song. But down below, at the pool, we throw ourselves into the cool, clear blue water and we carry on.
Morning visit to the Library to pick up my reserves for various book groups. Very happy that none are chunksters! 🥳
pickI loved the narrative style of this book, which made me smile quite a bit in the first part of the story. I went in without really reading the blurb and so it definitely took a turn I wasn‘t expecting, although I liked it despite ending in a darker place than it began. Pictured here with the lavender that is one of the only things still alive in the drought-stricken yard at the moment. ☀️ Thanks for putting this one on my radar @Megabooks !
This line made me cry, too. This whole beautiful story is making my heart hurt.
#BookReport 25/22
On audio I finished a #ReadingAfruca2022 book. In print, I read those three. All were good, but this week‘s favorite is Greengates!
This book is starting out weirdly with the whole population occasionally swimming underground in a large pool. What?! I have no idea what to expect of this story. 😮 Ever onward...!
pickThis was not what I was expecting, but the meditative writing was just what I needed. What begins as a story about members of an underground swimming pool quickly became a collection of short stories about a woman with dementia. It felt deeply personal and raw. Otsuka‘s unique writing style draws attention to the small details that make up or every day lives. There‘s a link in the comments to a fascinating interview with the author.
pickThe swimmingpool is an escape for each of the regulars who go their frequently. Alice is suffering from Dementia but when she emerges from the pool she is always enlivened and alert.
When the pool closes permanently it‘s no longer possible for Alice to come up for air. Slowly she disappears below the surface in a world similar the the underwater one.
(Pic: Train in Switzerland)
pickThis starts off as a love story to the local swimming pool, where people go to forget their real lives. After the pool closes down, the book refocuses onto just one of the swimmers, Alice, who suffers from dementia, which seems to worsen after the pool‘s closure.
This was such a sad book, but it‘s beautifully written, the portrayal of Alice is very sensitive and I loved it.
pickI‘ve read Otsuka‘s previous work but this one is my favorite. I love how unsettling the shift from pool life to “after the crack” is and how the shift became so meaningful, sad and personal. She is a keen observer with so much packed in few words.
pickThis book, about a woman with dementia and her connection to a neighborhood pool, is incredibly sad. The writing style is also odd and poetic but fitting for the topic. Continuing to listen to The Fifth Avenue Story Society. It is written in 2020 and set in the present. Do people really still ask women if they‘d rather have the title of Mrs than CEO? I was insulted for the character! #audiowalk
bailedI really wanted to enjoy this. It started out amusing, but then it became clear that I‘d be spending 176 pages reading paragraphs of what are essentially lists. Bailed at pg. 45.
pickA beautiful and heart-wrenching book, dealing with memories past and present. When a local swimming pool is permanently shut down, a woman with dementia begins to unravel. It's a short novel that can be read in a day.
pickMoving, beautiful and just so brilliant. What starts as a lovely story of a community, of the bond of strangers at an underground swimming pool, becomes a devastating portrayal of one swimmer Alice, and her progressive dementia. It‘s a unique way to tell an all-too-familiar story of this terrible condition that slowly steals our loved ones from us.
(Continued in comments ⬇️)
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Otsuka‘s shifting narrative style works brilliantly! Through scant details, the group of swimmers, and community atmosphere, feel genuine. And the crack. Oh, the crack. Such clever storytelling! The scope then narrows to one particular swimmer and her experiences with memory loss. The snarky, yet accurate, chapter that reads like a long-term care brochure is satire at its absolute finest. A super emotional read for me. ⬇️
pickI loved the first section. I am a swimmer and the descriptions of those who use the pool really rang true. The section about a mysterious crack at the bottom of the pool was sort of sci-fi like. The last part - her mother‘s dementia - is sad. The book is written in a very sparse style. Many ideas and themes circle round and round…kind of like a swimmer doing laps and ruminating about the daily insignificant tedium and existential questions.
pickAutofiction about a writter who is losing her mother to dementia. Beautiful and heart breaking writting. 💔 4.5 🌟
pickA superbly written and nuanced look into, first, the swimmers and secondly, Alice‘s battle with dementia and the effects it has on her husband and adult daughter. I loved this book! ❤️
How in the world does this book about a pool closing have me tearing up right now?! ‘…—the lifeguard lifts his hand and says, quietly, “One more lap.”‘ 😩😭😭😭❤️.
Like my favorite podcast, I‘m “diving in.” 🤓🤩🌊
pickThis is a very fresh way to write about dementia. A little Rachel Khong and a little Jenny Offill, Otsuka captures what it‘s like for families and what it must be like for patients. I don‘t want to go into the symbolism in the book because for me that‘s a spoiler, but I can stop thinking about its brilliance!
pickThis is a lovely novel in two parts. The first part is told from the first person plural viewpoint, and it describes the people who swim at a community pool. The second part focuses on one of those people who is suffering from dementia. My mother had Alzheimer‘s and my father had dementia after a series of strokes. Books about these diseases do not always resonate with me, but this one is lovely.
pickA spare yet affecting story. The book starts out with a collection of swimmers at a particular pool - their habits, motivations, routines. An incident disrupts life for all the swimmers, throwing them all into new orbits. And then the story homes in on Alice, one of the elderly pool dwellers, as she gets swallowed up in her growing dementia. It is a great novel, a unique existential exploration of mortality and meaning.
