Or, “George Saunders study course of exemplary Russian short stories.” In paperback.

The title comes from Chekhov’s “Gooseberries” when the character Ivan does exactly that: he takes a long dip. There is a metaphor at work here, involving happiness, venturing, immersion. But enough of that right now.

Derived from his creative writing class at Syracuse University, the book is a thorough examination of the form. As the reader reads each story, Saunders offers literary analysis and specific remarks on the author’s technique.

Saunders’ analysis preaches efficiency and relevance. He reminds us that every line and every detail counts. His perspective on story beginnings (“juggler pins are thrown in the air, and later must be accounted for”) and forward movement (“a series of calls and responses”) gets the reader involved and engaged in the early pages.

The first two model stories are presented in segments followed by Saunders’s discussion, and the rest are presented in full at the beginning of each chapter, with Saunders’ color commentary and “afterthoughts” presented in subsequent pages. All the included stories are terrific. This will renew your enthusiasm to read Chekhov, Tolstoy, or Gogol.

The overall effect is like taking the course itself. The reader is a student studying without papers to turn in or a classroom of writers to kibbitz with. In the appendices there are three exercises which are largely mental calisthenics more than short story drills. I found Saunders’ format similar to a University of Iowa short story course (which I took via Distance Learning) that featured the same basic setup of example story plus analysis. The difference in that course is, the stories under the microscope were by James Joyce — and students had to write and submit three original short stories.

I’ve been in the fiction-writing ballpark since the 1970s and believe it’s never too late to learn or get refreshed. I devoured the course during one of my getaway-from-the-draft breaks when I often venture into some sort of accelerated, self-inflicted writer’s boot camp or rehab. Largely however, I believe the book is aimed at new writers eager to learn the form, grind through their MFA program, get in the submissions game and have their short fiction recognized.

Recommend highly!