Have you ever been swimming on a regular basis? Then the first part of Julie Otsuka’s novella will feel familiar. The unwritten pool etiquette, which most, but not all, swimmers adhere to. The feeling of not knowing the other swimmers – may not even recognise them in “real life” – but still be familiar with their swimming style, speed, lane preference, distance and every other little habit and quirk relating to the pool environment. The archetypes, you may meet at the pool.
I thoroughly enjoyed these descriptions. Otsuka has great observational skills and the community of swimmers really came alive.
The pool is described as a comfort zone, a fix point for the life of the swimmers. On the negative side, it also serves as an escape; swimmers prioritise the pool and use it as an excuse not to deal with “the real world”.
One day a crack appears in the pool, which causes uncertainty and even anxiety amongst the swimmers. Why did this happen? Will it escalate? Is this the beginning of the end? Can we mend the crack? Will it perhaps disappear again of its own accord?
At some point, the story started to feel a tad absurd and I realised it should probably be read as an allegory for how cracks appear in our lives. The language used to describe the crack gave me strong associations to how a crisis or even a decease may develop.
The progression of the novella supports this interpretation. We move on from the group of swimmers to focus solely on one member. Alice suffers from dementia and we follow her decline and how it affects the relationship with her daughter.
Alice’s story felt quite personal. In an interview with World Literature Today Otsuka confirms it is based on her own mother. That explains why the author so accurately conveys the small warning signs, the frustrations and the questions relating to dementia. If you – like me – know someone with dementia, you will probably be nodding in recognition when reading.
The writing style is unusual. First, we are introduced to the swimmers via the collective “we”, i.e. first person plural. Transitioning to Alice, we move to third person. Then a second person narrative follows, where the care home as an entity speaks directly to Alice. Finally, we hear from the daughter’s point of view, still using second person. Otsuka says in the interview, she can’t write about herself in first person.
A clear rhythm flows through the prose. Some chapters almost feel like poems or even chants. If you can cope, audio-format is an excellent way of experiencing Otsuka’s writing.
A small criticism is perhaps that the starting point for The Swimmers is three different short stories, which shows. Even if thematic links bind the novella together, it feels slightly disjointed.
My Verdict
With its rhythmic prose, sharp humorous observations and vulnerable storytelling, The Swimmers delivers a powerful and unusual reading experience in less than 200 pages. Being a swimmer yourself or knowing someone with dementia may enhance the impact of this novella. Regardless, I would absolutely recommend.
Title: The Swimmers [2022] Author: Julie Otsuka Format: Audiobook, narrated by Traci Kato-Kiriyama Genre: Contemporary Fiction
OK, I’ll take the recommendation, though I’m no lover of swimming, especially in municipal pools, and don’t -yet- know anyone with dementia.
I am with you regarding municipal pools or crowded pools in general. I think you may enjoy the descriptions of the swimmers, nevertheless.
OK. Point taken!
There’s something about the writing and structure that makes it all seem so frustrating but I’m glad to see that it turned out to be a pretty good and unique book in the end. Great review!
Yeah, sometimes experimental writing and structure can frustrate me endlessly, but in this case, it actually worked well and I enjoyed the story. Thanks!
He Who Eats All of Our Leftovers is a swimmer who gets very cross when other swimmers don’t follow the unwritten rules (space yourselves out in when in the same lane, if someone is on your feet let them pass etc). Glad the story turned out okay.
I think there is one of those in The Swimmers as well. It is annoying though, when other swimmers block the lane. Kinda similar to being stuck in traffic or tourists blocking the pavement without any concern for other people. Oh dear, I sound like an old grumpy curmudgeon now… 😆
I know exactly how you feel. It is bad enough that tourists are on holidays while I am working, but blocking my path to do touristy things when I’m on my way to work is unforgiveable!
Exactly! At some point the council did a “suggestion box” where locals could post suggestion for improvements. “A fast track through the area for people who actually live here” was one of the more popular ones. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been implemented.
What a great suggestion!
Nice review. Yes it took me awhile at first to get used to Otsuka’s writing style of Listing things. It drove me a little crazy at the beginning. But then as the story transfers to Alice and the daughter it became more poignant to me. I felt the daughter has many regrets that she didn’t treat her mother better earlier in life & wasn’t closer to her … and now unfortunately it is too late since her mother has dementia. I agree that having a parent in this situation (like I do) makes the novel more impactful and meaningful … so I chose it among my 10 favorites of 2022. I’m glad you liked it as well.
Thanks. Yes, it certainly is quite an unusual writing style. I think, she has used the same style in her other books. I agree the daughter had regrets. It is quite a personal story it seems and I am sure, everyone who knows someone with dementia can relate to some of it. Still early days, but I guess it could potentially end up on my best-of-2023 list.