The Swimmer is a short story about upper-class swimmer Neddy Merrill who decides one day to swim home from a friend's by traversing every one of the area's many pools. The narrative is surreal, showing an impossible progression of time as Neddy ages into relative infirmity during the course of his journey while also progressing from summer to autumn at an incredible rate. Neddy experiences initial highs and warm welcomes, but his journey ends at his own house, now abandoned and decrepit.
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The most popular website for book notes. SparkNotes was created by students for students, and their summaries are accessible and extremely well-written. Besides the usual plot overview, chapter summaries, and character analysis, SparkNotes differentiates itself with a section discussing themes, motifs, and symbols.