Mark Porton’s Reviews > A Swim in a Pond in the Rain > Status Update

Just finished one of the best, Gogol's The Nose - magic. Now for the analysis.

Reading a book like this, with Saunders explaining what these short stories mean, what the writer is doing and even how to write, makes me think.

At school I should've stopped dreaming of playing football for Leeds United, or cricket for England and spending all the crazy hours associated with that, and just mucked around writing ✍️

Oh, and maybe I shouldn't have dropped out of English at 15 😬

I know I like to call something early - a wee bit premature one might say - but this WILL BE in my top 5 for 2026. Foolish to call it on the 3rd of January????

This is good - THANKS LISA!!!!!