Review: The Swimmers

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Perhaps because I’m a swimmer that I didn’t find the beginning half of the book too strange. Although the swimmers’ believes about the crack led me to think perhaps this was going into some sort of fantasy or magical realism story. That it did not. Rather, the second half of the book should have a warning for any elderly person for disturbing content! Whilst I myself frequently go in and out of aged care facilities and I can certainly understand the potential for despair, loneliness in such settings, I felt it exaggerated. It felt like she was describing a dystopian state controlling these old people and manipulating these fragile vulnerable old people for their money. I sometimes I do feel like these facilities are inhumane and money grabbing but I fail to see the point the author wants to make with the story - is it to say that anyone of us ordinary person can develop dementia and die not knowing ourselves anymore??

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