ABANDONED. Jumping in a lake and thinking of Mr. Blandings builds his dream house

[Elsmith]

I am trying to remember a book I read a long time ago and all I can remember about it is this:
There was a passage wherein the narrator remembers a moment from childhood where he jumped into a lake, and the water's so cold he thinks his heart has stopped, and he's convinced he's going to die and he was really looking forward to getting to watch "Mr. Blandings builds his dream house" on TV that afternoon but now he won't get to.
I read it probably between fifteen and twenty years ago, and I feel like it was contemporary to that time. It might be someone in the same wheelhouse as Stephen King or Neil Gaiman--heck, it might even be one of them.

[Kris]

Elsmith, what's the genre (which we need to add to topic header/title)? For adults?

[Elsmith]

This passage is literally everything I remember. I think it was a book for adults, but genre? any other details? whether it was a flashback or something that was happening in the present? Completely gone. I'm sorry I can't be more specific!

[Kris]

Elsmith, please post a new comment if you're still looking for this book - or if you found it.

Elsmith (OP) was last active on the site in September 2020. Moving to Abandoned folder.