I picked this up because I thought it'd be a fun read during the Olympics.The underlying story is that swimming is a refuge for Philomena when her family life is a landfill of tragedy. Yet, despite this premise (and, um, the title of the book), the author doesn't seem very interested in swimming at all. Philomena doesn't get to her first Olympics until halfway through the book. The Barcelona Olympics is covered in a scant 15 pages. Most of the time, you don't even know what event she's swimming in.Instead, you spend all your time stuck in her head, and in the company of her unpleasant relatives. So this book is really about a neurotic teenager and a dysfunctional family, and not about athletics at all. The book wasn't all bad, but it failed to deliver what it promised me at the outset. I really don't know what to make of this book. It was definitely different, but I couldn't figure out its purpose. I wouldn't say I really liked it, but I did enjoy learning about what must be a pretty truthful look into elite swimming. I sped through the book as I tried to understand where the author was sending us, but no real answers appeared. So in a way it succeeded in holding my interest, but failed in the final payoff at the end.
What do You think about Pływanie (2011)?
Well written and deeply boring. I just can't get interested in the world of competitive swimmers.
—lilber11
Singular book. Takes one into the mind of a competitive athlete. Fascinating journey.
—Neki
