A collection composed of stories from other of his books, I had already read some of them. Among those I didn't know, the ones I liked the most were "Neighbors", "So Much Water So Close to Home" and "Jerry, Molly and Sam". The anthology closes with the poem "Lemonade", which is really good and, in a way, condenses something of the fracture that runs through all the characters in the stories. I still have to watch the homonymous film by Robert Altman (who compiled these stories and the poem because he wrote the script based on them), although I don't expect it to be an "adaptation", since he himself says in the prologue that writing and directing both constitute acts of discovery. In the end, the film is there and the stories are there, and one hopes that the mutual influence is fruitful. And yet, during the direction of Short Cuts some things emerged directly from his own sensibility, which has its peculiarities, and that's the way it should be. I know that Ray Carver would have understood that he had to go beyond the mere act of paying tribute. Something new happened in the film, and perhaps this is the truest manifestation of respect.

The anecdote is truly singular:

In the midst of a flight, on his way back to the United States after visiting Italian lands (in a frustrated attempt to make a film about Rossini), director Robert Altman begins to read the stories of Raymond Carver.

Upon landing, Altman knows that his cinematic project lies in the writing of the iconic author, a model for an entire generation of writers.

Altman says: “Raymond Carver made poetry out of the prosaic. A critic said of him that ‘he revealed the strange that lies hidden behind the banal’, but what he was really doing was capturing the wonderful idiosyncrasies that occur within the randomness of life experiences. And human behavior, with all its mystery and inspiration, has always fascinated me.”

The nine stories that Altman adapted come from three books by Carver: “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?”, “Cathedral” and “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”; “Lemonade”, the poem that also served as the basis for the script, was taken from “Under a Marine Light”.

All of it, prose and poetry, retains the wonderful qualities that make Carver an author comparable to Chekhov, Maupassant or Katherine Mansfield: they speak of simple and everyday things using a common language, but in reality they achieve an intimate and sublime closeness with the reader.

I don't know if I will see the film; at most, it can aspire not to detract from Carver's laconicism. The only certain thing is that I'm dying to read, in their entirety, the three books of stories and the one of poems. Absolute guarantee.

The rating is anticipatory as I haven't started yet.

I've only read one Carver book so far (there aren't that many, sadly), but it was a five all the way.

Never saw this movie though I've seen many of RA's films, especially the earlier ones.

'Bout halfway through after reading "Will You Please Be Quiet. Please." this morning - a perfect rendering of a male betrayal fantasy.

Be careful who you hand your ass to. It might come back hamburger.

It was a bit of a come down to realize that I'd already read about half of these stories in "Where I'm Calling From", but let's face it, RC didn't have much output due to his sad and early demise.

We make the best of what's there...

My reading has been interrupted by work. Hate it when that happens!

Just back from perusing the transfer station recycle trailer. Plenty of books, about half of them written by Danielle Steele. Whoever he/she may be.

Read "So Much Water, So Close To Home" again a couple of nights ago.

Devastating look at a woman awakening (finally) to understanding of what an asshole she's married to and what assholes (sometimes violent) in general men can be.

Made into the Australian movie "Jindabyne."

All done now. Most of the stories were re-reads for me.

If you've already read "Where I'm Calling From" and bought this, you'd be disappointed since most of the stories in this book already showed up in the previous one.

The final story is a further example of the deadly consequences of misunderstood male sexual anger and violence towards women.

In general, Carver's characters smoke and drink a lot and have very little understanding of their own lives and selves.

Dysfunction junction dryly and succinctly delivered by RC.

All I can say is that I truly missed reading Raymond Carver!

This collection contains some of the most moving and emotionally wrecking stories that I have read thus far. It's难以置信 that I postponed reading this for years.

I'm still in a state of shock from "A Small, Good Thing,” which would likely be my favorite story from this collection.

The way Carver weaves his tales, with such simplicity yet profound depth, is truly remarkable. Each story seems to peel back the layers of human nature and expose the raw emotions and struggles that we all face.

His characters are so real and relatable, and the situations they find themselves in are both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time.

Reading these stories has been a truly eye-opening experience for me, and I can't wait to explore more of Carver's work.

I highly recommend this collection to anyone who loves a good story that will touch their heart and make them think.

Rarely has a book title been more apt. I had never read anything by Raymond Carver before, and to be honest, I didn't know a great deal about him. However, after reading this collection, I am definitely going to seek out more of his work. He is like the story behind Hopper's paintings; each tale here is like an ice cube, drenched in scotch-flavoured melancholy.

The first story in this collection, Neighbors, is a kind of desperate little farce. It wrong-footed me into thinking this might be a comedy of sorts. But while there are a few absurdly hilarious moments, for the most part, this is desperately sad stuff. Failure is omnipresent. Love, careers, parenthood: all are stripped of any romance or glamour. It could be fairly depressing. But even as the subject matter hits new lows (So Much Water So Close to Home; A Small, Good Thing, and the closing poem, Lemonade), the writing soars. This means that I finished each story emotionally bedraggled, as if I had just got home after being out in stormy weather.
I think, like most of Carver's creations here, I could use a drink.

His stories have a way of pulling you in and making you feel the pain and the longing of the characters. They are simple on the surface but complex and profound beneath. Each story is a snapshot of a moment in someone's life, a moment that is both ordinary and extraordinary. Carver's writing is spare and economical, yet it manages to convey so much emotion and depth. It is a masterclass in the art of storytelling. I can't wait to read more of his work and see what other gems he has in store for us.

There were a couple of stories within this collection that truly stood out and were quite memorable.

However, overall, it simply wasn't my absolute favorite collection of stories.

The tales did possess a certain charm and complexity, with numerous underlying themes and deeper meanings hidden within the words.

This aspect would likely have made it a favorite among English teachers.

They would no doubt appreciate the opportunity to analyze and dissect the stories, uncovering the subtleties and nuances that lay beneath the surface.

For me, while I could recognize the value and artistry in the collection, it didn't quite resonate with me on a personal level as much as I would have liked.

Nevertheless, it was still an interesting read and one that I'm sure many others would find captivating.

I feel rather dumb when it comes to rating a book that served as the inspiration for a film boasting such an array of amazing actors, yet giving it such a low rating.

Perhaps my lack of a well-developed critical sense is the reason I despised these stories. Whether it's due to personal failings or not, the fact remains that I did hate them.

These stories had a profound impact on me, making me feel extremely hopeless, with no glimmer of hope for any kind of uplift.

This is a feeling that I simply do not like. It leaves me with a sense of dissatisfaction and a longing for something more positive and inspiring.

I understand that different people have different tastes and interpretations when it comes to literature and film, but for me, this particular book and its associated film failed to resonate on a meaningful level.

Maybe with time and further growth in my critical abilities, I will be able to appreciate the value and significance that others see in these stories. But for now, my initial reaction stands.

Raymond Carver is, without a doubt, one of the finest short story writers.

This collection serves as an excellent starting point for those new to his work.

The stories are simple yet quirky, masterfully crafted to capture the full spectrum of human traits and emotions.

As one reads through these tales, the word "insecurity" immediately comes to mind.

It is a prevalent theme that Carver explores with great depth and sensitivity.

The characters in his stories often struggle with self-doubt, uncertainty, and a lack of confidence.

However, despite their flaws and insecurities, they are relatable and endearing.

Carver's writing has a way of drawing the reader in and making them feel as if they are a part of the story.

Once you start reading these stories, you will find yourself unable to put the book down and will undoubtedly want to read more of Carver's work.

His unique style and ability to capture the essence of the human experience make him a must-read for any lover of short stories.

My typical reaction upon finishing any one of these stories in "Short Cuts" was to gently set the book down, puff out my cheeks, and gaze ahead into the silence for a few moments, allowing the story to truly sink in. In the case of "Tell the Women We're Going," my reaction was one of more shock than deep contemplation. Carver is a master at crafting beautiful, powerful closing lines.

His prose may not be filled with fireworks, but each sentence is carefully weighted with a poetic grace. His writing is simple, spare, and elegant, without a single wasted word. However, the world of his characters is often a bleak one. Impending disaster seems to lurk around every corner. Typically, nothing is resolved by the end of each story. Life continues on amidst great sadness. We learn that due to the capricious nature of our ruling gods, as humans, we must learn to take what we can get, or whatever we are accustomed to, even if we are long past tired of it. As much as we try to escape through drinking, infidelity, or, in the case of "Neighbours," by living vicariously through others, everything in life usually regresses to the ordinary. If it doesn't fall apart, that is. "Jerry and Molly and Sam" was perhaps one of the few stories where a character receives anything close to redemption, but even then it is tinged with melancholy.

The stories reminded me of loss, yet in the superb, heartbreaking story "A Small, Good Thing" and the short poem "Lemonade," they also reminded me of how words that reflect on our deepest thoughts can actually shed prisms of light, meant to give us some perspective on our pain.

This is truly a masterpiece of a collection that I would gladly award 5 stars multiple times over.

I had never delved into the works of Carver before, and perhaps I won't explore further, despite my admiration and fondness for his concise "just-telling-what-happened" style.

Most of these stories are like slices of life, presenting the dark nights of the soul of drinking men, the unhappy women in their lives (even when the narrator is a woman), male violence, and the ultimate pointlessness of existence.

However, there was one particular story titled "A Small Good Thing" that dealt with the death of a child, and it truly took my breath away. It was equally dark, but there was so much more to it. It was definitely worth reading the entire book just for this one story.

Carver's ability to capture the essence of these complex and often tragic human experiences in such a straightforward manner is both impressive and haunting. His stories make you think about the deeper meaning and significance of life, and the choices we make along the way.

Even though some of the themes may be difficult to swallow, there is a certain beauty and truth in his writing that cannot be ignored. "A Small Good Thing" is a prime example of this, and it leaves a lasting impression on the reader long after the final page has been turned.

I've always been in the habit of reading Carver's stories one by one. Usually, I encounter them in short story collections that feature a diverse range of authors. When I read a collection of his stories together, it truly gives me a profound sense of their power and precision. Carver has a unique writing style. He never resorts to using overly effusive language or creating convoluted plots. Instead, through his straightforward and often dry prose, he manages to provide readers with a remarkable insight into the often rather ugly nature of human nature. This kind of insight is something that no other author has been able to offer with such clarity and impact. His stories have a way of making you look at the world and the people in it in a completely different light, and for that, he is truly a master of the short story form.

Raimond Carver, one of the masters of "dirty realism" as well as the short form, wrote dozens of stories that can be found in various collections. Most of these have been translated into Greek (from the Metaxy editions, a comprehensive volume with many stories is now in circulation). This particular book contains nine stories and one (sort of) poem, on which the famous 1993 movie of the same name, directed by Robert Altman, was based.

This is my first encounter with the work and writing of Raimond Carver and I can say that I was completely satisfied. I wasn't 100% sure that I would like the style of his writing or the content of his stories, but after reading the first stories in this collection, I understood that I would like him as a writer. Generally, I like this kind of stories that highlight various social problems and don't beautify situations. Carver's writing, with its conciseness and simplicity in descriptions and natural dialogues, was just what was needed for this particular type. Moreover, the whole melancholic atmosphere.

Of course, it's not to everyone's taste: Essentially, these stories don't have a particular plot, they just present us with some characters and we see moments from their daily problems. And, not everyone likes this, no matter how we do it. Anyway, I want to read this kind of stories, as long as they keep my minimum interest from beginning to end. And this happened with all the stories in the collection. So, the only certain thing is that I will buy the comprehensive volume from the Metaxy editions and, of course, that I will watch the movie of the same name by Robert Altman.