A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: A Reader's Guide for The Wild Gentleman Book Club
Meeting #4 - November 18th, 2025
"We are going to enter seven fastidiously constructed scale models of the world, made for a specific purpose that our time maybe doesn't fully endorse but that these writers accepted implicitly as the aim of art—namely, to ask the big questions..."
The Wild Gentleman Book Club
After exploring Santiago's quiet determination in The Old Man and the Sea last month, we shift from action to attention—from what we do to how we perceive. George Saunders's A Swim in a Pond in the Rain uses seven Russian short stories to explore something fundamental: How the quality of our attention determines the quality of our lives.
On the surface, this is a book about the craft of writing and Russian literature. But deeper exploration reveals a guide to living more fully—about noticing what's actually there, evolving our assumptions, and opening ourselves to beauty and complexity in art and in life.
Meeting Details
We are meeting on Tuesday, November 18, at 6 PM at Copper House Tavern in Waltham (380 Winter Street). Whether you've finished the entire book, read a few stories, or simply want to discuss the ideas Saunders raises about attention and meaning, come ready for conversation.
Details for this book club meeting have been shared via this newsletter, The Wild Gentleman Instagram account, and through private email. If you'd like to join us, you can find all the information here: The Wild Gentleman Book Club - Meeting #4.
You can also get a printable version of this reading guide here: Printable Reading Guide.
Why A Swim in a Pond in the Rain for Men in 2025?
In our age of constant distraction, quick takes, and algorithmic feeds designed to capture our attention without enriching it, Saunders offers something radical: A lesson in how to read—and by extension, how to live—with full presence.
I take two-fold joy out of reading this book. First, there is the depth and beauty of the Russian short stories themselves. But even more enriching are the ways Saunders writes with warmth and humor about what happens in each tale. His insights about reading become insights about leadership, about relationships, about navigating the gap between our intentions and our actions.
For men committed to growth and wisdom—who've spent careers being decisive and action-oriented—Saunders pushes us to pay deeper attention to all that surrounds us.
What we can get from engaging with this book are essential skills for thoughtful men navigating complex lives—as fathers, partners, leaders, and human beings trying to live with intention.
Discussion Guide
Key Themes to Consider
The Art of Attention
Saunders argues that reading well means noticing what's actually there—not what we expect or assume. This kind of attention is rare and transformative.
"We need to learn to be patient, to trust that meaning will emerge if we give it time."
- Where do you find yourself "skimming"—in relationships, at work, with your children?
- How can you apply the framework of looking at situations more deeply to life more broadly?
Intention vs. Execution
Throughout the book, Saunders explores the gap between what writers intend and what actually appears on the page. The magic happens when we notice this gap and revise. Take, for instance, Saunders's realization about what love means as a human, as pulled from the tale of Olenka."
"'The Darling' is about a tendency, present in all of us, to misunderstand love as 'complete absorption in' rather than 'in full communication with.'"
- What gaps exist between the man you intend to be and the man you're actually being?
- Can we bring the same non-judgmental attention to our own failures that Saunders brings to these stories?
Pattern and Escalation
A key insight: stories work by establishing patterns, then varying them. Life works the same way. We establish patterns, and growth comes from how we respond when they break.
- What patterns define your daily life? Your relationships? Your career?
- Are you stuck in patterns that once served you but no longer do?
The Moral Dimension
Saunders suggests that what makes art "good" has a moral dimension—not in a preachy way, but in how it reveals truth, creates empathy, and expands our humanity.
- How does the art we consume shape our character and values?
- What role does beauty play in developing wisdom?
Reading Questions
About the Stories:
- Which of the seven Russian stories resonated most with you? Why?
- Did Saunders's analysis change how you read the stories?
About Application to Life:
- What does "revision" look like in real life?
- Where do you need more authenticity?
- How do you notice when you're off-track?
- When was the last time you experienced unselfconscious joy?
About Masculinity:
- What parallels do you see to modern masculine challenges?
- How do these "quiet" virtues relate to strength?
About Craft:
- Which of Saunders's craft observations struck you as applicable beyond writing?
Looking Ahead
For December's meeting, we're letting the group decide. Vote for one of these four options:
- Flesh by David Szalay - This year's Booker Prize winner, sparking controversy about literary masculinity
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Classic tale of creation and responsibility, relevant with del Toro's new adaptation
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - Seasonal read about transformation and second chances
- The Stranger by Albert Camus - Meditation on alienation and emotional disconnection
Cast your vote here. Meeting likely December 16th, location TBD.
Final Thoughts
Saunders wrote this book to share what he's learned from decades of teaching. But it's not really about Russian literature or even about writing. It's about developing the kind of attention that makes us more fully human.
For Wild Gentlemen—men committed to wisdom, growth, and authentic living—this book offers essential lessons:
On presence: How showing up fully changes what we see and experience
On revision: How the strongest men are those willing to look again, think again, admit they were wrong
On patience: How meaning emerges not through force but through careful, sustained attention
On beauty: How engaging with art isn't frivolous—it's how we develop the perceptiveness that makes us better at everything else
This Tuesday, we're asking: How does the quality of our attention shape the quality of our lives? What would change if we brought the same care Saunders brings to reading to our relationships, our work, and our daily choices?
Bring your marked-up book, your favorite passages where Saunders surprised you, and your thoughts on how these ideas about reading connect to how we live.
See you at Copper House Tavern.
The Wild Gentleman Book Club. Where thoughtful men gather to explore literature, meaning, and authentic masculinity.
Wild at Heart. Refined in Mind.
