Where I'm Calling From: New and Selected Stories

It took me a few of these short stories to truly get the hang of it.

They often have a tendency to end abruptly, either on a pregnant pause or some other type of cliffhanger that leaves you hanging.

However, there are other times when they leave you with this lingering feeling of warmth that spreads through your heart.

By the halfway mark, I suddenly realized that I was reading a new favorite book.

The tone of these stories is so genuine, and it's the unassuming nature of them that gives them such an authenticity.

Each one is like a snapshot into real life and the way we live it.

Raymond Carver has such a generous way of observing people and the way we relate to ourselves and others.

The brilliance of this book lies in how it captures the way that ordinary people are essentially fumbling their way through life, trying to make sense of what they can, and taking in both the good and the bad as they journey along.

It's a remarkable collection of stories that truly touch the soul and make you think about the human experience.

In the story ‘Fever’, a teacher of watercolour painting offers valuable advice: “Delicately. Like a breath of air on paper. Just a touch… Suggestion is what it’s all about.”

Re-reading the thirty-seven stories that the terminally-ill Carver chose from his life's work, it becomes clear that this is a reasonable manifesto not only for his own writing but also for that of his recognized mentor, Chekhov.

Suggestion is all about what remains unsaid or undepicted. The emphasis is on the telling detail rather than the whole, as exemplified by Chekhov's famous glint of light on a bottle-neck representing a moonlit night. Additionally, the endings are often inconclusive and ambivalent.

Chekhov and Carver also share a common canvas of characters. These individuals are frequently trapped in dead-end jobs, involved in broken marriages, communicate poorly, and, out of desperation, turn to alcohol and adultery.

It has been noted that many of the Russian master's characters lack distinct, idiosyncratic speech. Similarly, these stories are dominated by the archetypal Carver male - a hard-drinking, divorced man at odds with the mediocrity that looms large.

The best of these stories, and there are numerous classics, possess the economy and impact of a Hopper painting. Everyone will have their own personal favorites. My top ten would include:

Are Those Actual Miles?

A Small, Good Thing

So Much Water So Close to Home

Why Don’t You Dance?

Neighbors

Cathedral

What We Talk about When We Talk about Love

Vitamins

The Third Thing that Killed My Father Off

Nobody Said Anything.

Retrato de la América real a modo de patchwork hilvanado con retazos de vidas ordinarias.

These seemingly uninteresting lives, however, become universal due to their proximity and everyday nature.

Regarding the author's style, I like how he sums it up himself here when talking about the hatred he feels towards what he calls "tricks" when reading and writing.

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The cinematographic adaptation by Robert Altman, Vidas cruzadas (1993), is also recommendable.

*I haven't read the indicated book but an anthology of short stories that I found on the internet.

This gives us a unique perspective on American life, pieced together like a patchwork quilt. The ordinary lives described hold a hidden universality that draws us in. The author's thoughts on reading and writing styles add an interesting layer to our understanding. And the film adaptation offers yet another way to experience this exploration of America. Even without reading the specific book, the anthology provides a taste of the author's work and the themes he explores.

SHOW, DON’T TELL

Before his death in 1988, Raymond Carver selected thirty-seven stories for his last anthology during his lifetime, presumably those he considered his best. For me, they are the best of the best. There is no one like Carver. And if there were, Carver would still be better.

His stories are about ordinary people, men and women, damnably ordinary, without any plot twists. They are short narratives, taut like a violin string, suspended over the abyss of existence, dripping with cold emotion. Fragments, slices of life, snapshots, insignificant facts. With complex, multifaceted characters, more real than reality itself.

Loneliness, pain, despair, impotence, incommunicability, the end of love, violence, hopeless lives, along with tenderness, sharing (the real kind, before the internet), generosity of feelings, pietas. Humble occupations, poverty, difficulties in getting by, alcohol abuse, troubled relationships. A lot of autobiography.

The narration and writing are pared to the bone (but no, not minimalist), the everyday becomes extraordinary, the banal transforms into the extraordinary, with neutral tones and colors but clear and indelible. Raymond doesn't push the pedal, doesn't accelerate, doesn't press the hand: he immortalizes scenes of ordinary life in moments of inescapable light, just like in the paintings of Edward Hopper.

Some of these stories are among the nine (plus a poem, “Lemonade”) chosen by Robert Altman for his splendid 1993 film Short Cuts – America today: “Neighbors”, “They’re Not Your Husband”, “Creditors”, “So Much Water So Close to Home”, “Vitamins”, “A Small, Good Thing”. Another one, “Why Don’t You Dance?” was adapted by Dan Rush in his first (and so far only) 2010 film Everything Must Go.

Robert Altman and Tess Gallagher, Raymond Carver's widow, during the filming of the movie.

Poster photo of “Short Cuts”, 1993. The movie is in color, but I preferred to select black and white images.

Robert Altman prepares a scene with Julianne Moore and Madeleine Stowe.

Tom Waits and Lily Tomlin starring in the episode “They’re Not Your Husband”.

Robert Altman in the makeup room with Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Altman explains a shot to Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison and Lyle Lovett, a famous country singer-songwriter.

I started reading this collection about two years ago. At that time, I knew more or less who Carver was, but I had no specific idea of what to expect. I knew he had a minimalist style, a realistic setting, and that he talked about the drama found in the daily life.

I really enjoyed this book very slowly. I would only read it when I truly felt the need. I think I did the right thing, otherwise I wouldn't have enjoyed it in the same way.

Carver is Carver, there's not much to be done. You may like him or not, but the fact that he is one of the most important American writers is an almost undeniable fact.

There is an extraordinary finesse in describing the dynamics of conflicts and dependencies that I haven't found anywhere else.

I can't tell you which of these stories I liked the most. There are at least five that are true masterpieces of the art of writing.

The only flaw in this jewel is the fact that it is too disjointed a collection of stories written throughout his career. Of course, anyone who reads this text can say they have a very clear idea of the author's narrative impulses, but perhaps, as happened to me, they might regret not having read the other collections individually.

I'm sure I will recover more from this fundamental author, because although some stories left me dry-mouthed, others managed to give me what I needed, reminding me of the true power of literature.

Some really good stuff here, yet it's a bit of a hit or miss situation.

On one hand, there are aspects that are truly remarkable and engaging. But on the other hand, there are also moments that don't quite land as well.

Another point that keeps crossing my mind is whether I enjoy drunk Carver or sober Carver more.

Drunk Carver might bring a certain wildness and unpredictability, which could be exciting and add a unique flavor to the experience.

However, sober Carver might offer a more focused and refined perspective, allowing for a deeper exploration of the subject matter.

It's a tough call, and perhaps it depends on the specific context and my mood at the time.

Both versions of Carver have their own charm and potential to provide an interesting and memorable encounter.

Only time will tell which one I'll ultimately lean towards more.

This review focuses more on this specific edition of Carver's stories rather than the stories themselves. Regarding the stories, I can only say that I find them strangely powerful, deceptively so, and they often have an impact long after I finish reading them. If you haven't read any Carver before, he's definitely worth a try. People seem to have strong reactions to his stories, one way or another. I find them powerful, while my wife can't stand them.

Carver writes about people who are slightly confused by the life happening around them. His characters look around and suspect they are missing something, that others seem to have life figured out or at least have a concept. Carver's people aren't losers; perhaps they are losing though.

Carver illustrates this with tiny, layered details. A man waking up to find his toaster not working would be great material in Raymond Carver's hands. By the end, we'd feel like we'd caught a glimpse of this person's essence, his hopes, and maybe Carver had touched on how we've felt at some point.

That is, of course, if you find that Carver appeals to you. I suspect that those who don't like Carver never feel that affinity. I also wouldn't recommend anyone to read too much Carver all at once. I've found that reading one story a day for the last week was perfect and left me wanting to pick up one of my other collections. Too much at once might overwhelm me. (One last word about the book this review is ostensibly for: I'm very glad I picked it up. The new stories collected here were excellent.)

But if you're new to Carver, knowing where to start can be confusing. There were four short story collections published before Carver died, and several compilations since then, usually with both new and selected stories (like this one), and also a Library of America edition that collects all his shorter fiction. Lastly, there was also a collection designed as a tie-in to the Robert Altman film.

Of these, I've read Cathedral and Short Cuts, plus the new stories collected here. Approximately a third of the'selected' stories in Where I'm Calling From are in those two, and the others are from What We Talk About and Will You Please Be Quiet.

Why is all this important? Well, if you have a lot of books like I do and find that several volumes are nearly duplicates of one another, you might resent the lost shelf space. Or, if you find that you're a fan of Carver like I am, you might like to have one convenient place to find all his fiction. Or, if you want to give Carver a try, you might like to start with a collection that, if you decide to read more of him later, you won't be buying something that repeats what you've already read. Or, you might not care at all.

First off, there's nothing wrong with Where I'm Calling From. In fact, casual readers are likely to find all the Carver they need here, and they'll get some of his best. But since I own the other three collections from which stories have been drawn to make up this volume, I'm left with just the seven 'new' stories, and although they are very good stories, it's hard for me to sacrifice the shelf space.

If you enjoyed the Robert Altman film Short Cuts, then you might try the companion collection. Again, that might be all the Carver one needs. It's really neither here nor there, but I didn't like the Altman film at all, and I didn't even think the stories were standouts, so it wouldn't be my first choice in recommendations, but I know others have enjoyed it.

Personally, I think the best solution is Cathedral. I feel like I can recommend it without reservation, and I think it will also present Carver in a favorable light. If Cathedral doesn't make you a fan (and make you eventually run out and get the rest of his output), then none of the others are likely to either. That, at least, is what happened to me, and now I've been keeping an eye out for Collected Stories.

This book found me one summer when I was around 20 years old.

From that moment on, I've been a Raymond Carver fan (and collector) ever since.

This collection is truly remarkable as it features some of Raymond Carver's best short stories.

What makes his works so unique is the minimalist style he employs, presenting emotionally charged snapshots of ordinary lives.

These lives are often filled with quiet desperation, yet there are also those fleeting moments of connection that give a glimmer of hope.

It is a great read for fans of literary realism, as it offers a brutally honest and understated look at the human condition.

The storytelling is masterful, drawing the reader in and making them feel as if they are a part of these characters' lives.

Moreover, it is a wonderful exploration of human vulnerability, showing how we all struggle and how even the smallest of connections can have a profound impact on our lives.

If you're looking for a collection of short stories that will touch your heart and make you think, this is definitely one to add to your library.