Almost makes you smell the pool.

Yes, I'm still (slowly) making my way through some books that were considered 2012's best. I continue to be a bit underwhelmed.

Swimming Studies
by Leanne Shapton

The latest such title I brought home was Leanne Shapton's Swimming Studies. Other than it appearing on a lot of the year's best lists, I can honestly say I probably wouldn't have looked at it otherwise--I hate swimming and always have. I learned, a bit, when I was little, but I never did learn to tread water and I never really did get used to the sensation of being in a pool. I forget where I was or if it was during lessons or what, but I clearly remember once trying to do the crawl the length of the pool, and no matter how far to the side I turned my head, I kept getting water in my mouth when I was trying to breathe. And I thought, this is stupid. Why I am making it harder to breathe? I don't think I've been in a pool willingly since.*

Anyway. This is a memoir of sorts, of the time Shapton spent swimming, training, and competing in swim tournaments in her youth and throughout her adulthood, even participating in the Canadian Olympic trials (and finishing respectably, although she did not make the Olympics cut). Interspersed throughout the chapters are samples of Shapton's art--including a series of "swimming studies" paintings; a couple of pages of what looks like paint splotches, which correspond to certain smells; and photos of swimming suits she's owned and for what purposes she's used them. If you like your nonfiction a bit eclectic, and you enjoy highly descriptive writing (and the idea of pools doesn't make you throw up) you might actually enjoy this. To her credit, the fact that she could make me remember how pools smelled and felt, really viscerally, says good things about the power of her writing:

"Here is what it sounds like to lane three at the wall: A low thump as her hands hit the touchpad. Brief cheering at an intake of breath, collapsing into bubbles as her head, aligned and steady, dips back and under again at the turn. This is followed immediately by quiet. There is a rippling during the long stroke of her underwater pullout, a tight, thin sigh of effort, a gruff exhalation of air, a grunt at the dolphin kick." (p. 33.)

Shapton is also the author of the humor book Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry, which I read seemingly a million years ago and wasn't all that fond of. Although she seems like a very nice person (and she's Canadian--my favorite!), Shapton always leaves me feeling that I am not quite smart enough or artistic enough for her. Actually, I'm sure that's true. And it's okay.

In other review news: Mr. CR hated the cover. Mr. CR's been starting to talk up a bit lately with his nonfiction opinions, and I must say it's been lovely to hear them. Even if it's just on the cover art.

*My goddamn high school installed a pool LITERALLY the last year I had to take a gym class. I refused to get in and told my gym teacher I had my period for the four week duration of the unit. By the third week she said, "You do not." And I said, "Are you going to check?" And that was the end of that. I got an F for the unit but it was so, SO worth it. Stupid phys ed.

Comments

[bybee]

I agree with Mr. CR about the cover.

[Citizen Reader]

Bybee,
I'll tell him!
I didn't know if I liked the cover, but I thought it was effective. Just looking at that shade of blue made me nauseous; I thought it really evoked pools and swimming. Maybe it doesn't work on people who like swimming and pools?

[Venta]

You made it to the 2012 books?!? I'm still in 2010. And that doesn't count the arcs I brought home from way too many ALA conferences!

[Ruthiella]

I love to swim...but don't do it enough...well, not at all right now. When you find a book that will kick my a** back to the gym by reading it, let me know. Maybe this book would do the trick? One thing that really bothers me at my age about swimming is the fact that the impressions from the goggles don't go away for HOURS. Something about the elasticity of skin and aging. But I guess healthy with racoon eyes for a few hours is preferable to fat...

[Citizen Reader]

Venta,
Well, just a few of the 2012 books. And I'm sure I missed a ton of the 2010 ones (not to mention the 2011s)!

Ruthiella,
Good on you for loving to swim--it really is a great form of exercise, I know. I don't know how this book would work on you, as a swimmer (Mr. CR is a swimmer too but didn't read enough of it to tell me if it worked for him as a pleasant reminder of pools) but her descriptions of the water and how she just kept going back to it might just "get you in the mood" to go back.
And so sorry about the goggle lines. As with the rest of our physical shortcomings, I'm sure other people don't notice as much as you think they do (other people are all aging too, after all--and have their own worries to preoccupy them!).