A review by monalyisha
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

emotional reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

This slim novel begins in the cool, blue tranquility of an underground pool. Silence is the way of this subterranean world, and each busy swimmer is quietly grateful for it. By the time we reach the end, however, the silence has been relocated and transformed. It becomes infused with such a desperate (but commonplace) sadness. In between, there’s a spot of anxiety and utter absurdity. And, Otsuka asks (in not so many words), isn’t that life? A masterful piece of writing…but heartbreaking.
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