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A review by metalmakubex
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Do you ever run into those books that make you think “I didn’t know what a 5 star read was until I read this”? That is The Swimmers for me.
First off, this is beautifully written. When you hear someone say that, you normally think of flowery prose that is meant to impress you. That is not the case with Otsuka’s writing. Her prose is understated, but uses the perfect word choice to make you feel exactly how the characters feel. The beginning of the book follows the daily motions of the swimmers that go to the pool, and the repetition and seemingly useless information included makes you feel the mediocrity. When I put it that way, it sounds like a bad thing, but it is the opposite. I didn’t want to stop reading, because I knew there had to be “more to life” than this.
And then, about halfway through, we follow Alice’s perspective, an elderly woman with dementia. This is when the waterworks started, and they never stopped until some time after I finished. I felt so frustrated and depressed alongside her when I imagined myself in her shoes. And you are forced to imagine it, because the second is written in 2nd person. YOU are Alice. A trick that is not easy to pull off, and Otsuka did it perfectly.
For such a short book, Otsuka packed so much into it with her writing. It is actually impressive.
I’m still trying to gather my thoughts about this book, because it impacted me so much. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put it into words exactly. What I can say is that this is easily my favorite book I’ve read so far this year, and I’m still trying to decide if it’s my favorite of all time.
I would recommend this for everyone who wouldn’t be triggered by the subject matter. I know that dementia and Alzheimers affects a lot of people, so if that is something that would harm you, I would stay away.
First off, this is beautifully written. When you hear someone say that, you normally think of flowery prose that is meant to impress you. That is not the case with Otsuka’s writing. Her prose is understated, but uses the perfect word choice to make you feel exactly how the characters feel. The beginning of the book follows the daily motions of the swimmers that go to the pool, and the repetition and seemingly useless information included makes you feel the mediocrity. When I put it that way, it sounds like a bad thing, but it is the opposite. I didn’t want to stop reading, because I knew there had to be “more to life” than this.
And then, about halfway through, we follow Alice’s perspective, an elderly woman with dementia. This is when the waterworks started, and they never stopped until some time after I finished. I felt so frustrated and depressed alongside her when I imagined myself in her shoes. And you are forced to imagine it, because the second is written in 2nd person. YOU are Alice. A trick that is not easy to pull off, and Otsuka did it perfectly.
For such a short book, Otsuka packed so much into it with her writing. It is actually impressive.
I’m still trying to gather my thoughts about this book, because it impacted me so much. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put it into words exactly. What I can say is that this is easily my favorite book I’ve read so far this year, and I’m still trying to decide if it’s my favorite of all time.
I would recommend this for everyone who wouldn’t be triggered by the subject matter. I know that dementia and Alzheimers affects a lot of people, so if that is something that would harm you, I would stay away.