Nearly teared up at one of the stories in an auto shop lobby. It was truly a touching moment that I didn't expect to have in such an unexpected place. The power of a good story is just amazing. It can reach into our hearts and evoke emotions we didn't know we had.

Now, I'm excited to check out the Altman movie. I've heard great things about it and I'm looking forward to seeing how it unfolds on the big screen. I'm sure it will be a visual and emotional treat.

And more Carver stories! Raymond Carver's works are always a joy to read. His simple yet profound stories have a way of making us see the world in a different light. I can't wait to dive into more of his stories and explore the human condition through his eyes.

I came across the film "Short Cuts" and immediately rushed to the Raymond Carver books on my shelves. Renowned film director Robert Altman had selected several of his short stories to create a tale of woe and despair set in 1980s Los Angeles. That's right, the land of sun, sand, limousines, and a plethora of drugs and alcohol - Altman delved into the heart of Carver's stories and brought us all home.

Often, I assume that because Carver's stories are non-traditional, most readers are eager to discuss his minimalism. He has the ability to touch on everyday life in a meaningful way without embellishment. Chekhov once said, "Friend, you don't have to write about extraordinary people who accomplish extraordinary and memorable deeds."

Carver writes about the rest of us. He knows all about failure. These stories are less about minimalism and more about alcoholism. Who better to write about it than Carver, whose own alcoholic life led him to police stations, courtrooms, emergency wards, and recovery centers. His stories reek of liquor.

"Will You Be Quiet Please" presents a typical Carveresque character: a young, idealistic romantic who drinks like a fish. Ralph is married to a beautiful woman and has a house full of kids. The problem is that his head is filled with "mystery and excitement" that he'll never get from his marriage. To compensate, he invents a jealous streak that adds to his complexity, even with the beauty of his wife. Of course, that never works, so the next best thing is nasty alcohol-fueled binges to take the edge off. He not only strives to destroy himself but also causes his family to disintegrate in his wake. There are no heroes here, not even close.

Carver once said, "In some lives, people always succeed; and I think it's grand when that happens. In other lives, people don't succeed at what they try to do, at the things they want most to do, the large or small things that support the life. These lives are, of course, valid to write about, the lives of people who don't succeed. Most of my own experience, direct or indirect, has to do with the latter situation."

In "Vitamins," Carver is a little more charming but still cuts to the bone. The story is about the wife of the narrator - she sells vitamins for a living and hates life because of it. Ironic? While she is on the road giving her all for health and prosperity, Carver's narrator is guzzling scotch and milk and following around his wife's girlfriends. The narrator tries to come off as sensitive, as if he has special insight and is a good conversationalist, but the more drinks he has, the less he listens. It's all a front. When he cheats on his wife with her best friend in the wrong type of bar, he runs into two unsavory black dudes. One of them brings a phony smile to the table. The other has just returned an ear from Vietnam. Here's more irony: Carver's narrator is built up to handle complex situations, but when he looks at the black dudes and the ear on the table, he has nothing to say.

"Short Cuts" is loosely based on these stories and others like them. Altman takes many poetic liberties to bring the action from the Pacific Northwest to the wasteland of L.A., but he does what he has to do to bring plenty of meaning along with him. My favorite part of the film revolves around two characters who don't even appear in any of the Carver stories I've read. Tess and Zoe, mother and daughter, connect the stories with the sounds and rhythms of their music. Zoe plays an intense cello while Tess is a drunk and battered nightclub singer. Her voice is nicotine-soaked. Her eyes are glazed over. She belts out blues from a bygone era. She clearly has soul, but no one listens.

One morning, after completing an all-night gig, she tries to describe to her daughter the time she was called to a friend's apartment to rescue her husband from a heroin overdose. The two, mother and daughter, are completely displaced and alienated from each other, but for one shining moment, Tess is able to describe Zoe's father to her. She's still drunk while telling the story. He was a prick, she says: When she arrived at the apartment, his face was already turning, "Blue 26.blue 26blue."

You couldn't tell where her songs began and her life ended. She is so out of it that she passes out halfway through the story. Her daughter leaves, and she's singing into her pillow.

Everyone is hurting. No one is listening. That's the essence of Carver.

Carver's cruelty is unpayable and unreachable. Always.

His actions are so heinous that they seem to exist beyond the realm of human comprehension.

Perhaps it is the result of a warped mind, a twisted soul that finds pleasure in inflicting pain on others.

Or maybe it is a manifestation of his own inner demons, a way for him to assert power and control in a world that he feels has wronged him.

Whatever the reason, his cruelty leaves a trail of destruction and heartbreak in its wake.

Victims are left traumatized, lives are forever changed, and the world is a darker place because of his actions.

It is a cruelty that cannot be forgiven, cannot be forgotten, and will always be a stain on the fabric of humanity.

There isn't a Carver story that I've read which I didn't consider to be absolute genius and highly representative of modern American sensibilities.

I read this particular story before watching the Altman film for two main reasons. Firstly, to show respect for Carver and his work. Secondly, to avoid any incongruities between Carver's original works and Altman's interpretation of those works.

I guess this review is more about exploring the relationship between these two artists' works. I firmly believe that Altman's goal with "Short Cuts" was to present his own vision of Carver's stories, envisioning them as tales that occur within the same universe.

When we think about Carver's stories in the context of character studies, I believe he crafts variants of the same character rather than fully dynamic individuals. Most of his male characters grapple with some form of loss, while his female characters tend to be more sensible and act as a foil to the way the men handle their losses.

This isn't to say that his characters lack idiosyncrasies or unique qualities. We can see these personalities come to life on the screen when Carver's dialogue is used verbatim. Altman's movie is an imaginative take on the characters of these stories and how they would interact with each other, adding another dimension to Carver's work that he perhaps didn't have the opportunity to explore.

The film is both interesting and loyal to Carver, but it does try to cram these stories in every possible way. I would recommend reading this story before watching the film, but someone could just as easily use the film as a more accessible introduction to Carver's world. However, it should be noted that any Carver text is the superior introduction.

This gentleman knows how to fathom daily life and the detestable things that come with it.

He has a unique perspective on the ordinary aspects of existence. He can see beyond the surface and understand the hidden complexities and the less pleasant elements that often lurk within the seemingly mundane.

Perhaps it is his keen观察力 and his ability to look at things from different angles that allow him to have such insights.

He may have experienced various hardships and challenges in life, which have given him a deeper understanding of the detestable aspects.

Nevertheless, despite being aware of these unpleasantries, he still manages to find meaning and value in the midst of it all.

His knowledge of daily life and its detestable side serves as a reminder that life is not always easy, but it is also full of opportunities for growth and discovery.

The big duh: Raymond Carver is indeed one of the masters of the contemporary short story.

What's truly remarkable about Carver is that his stories are deceptively easy. You can breeze through them as if they were a pop novel, without skipping a beat, and yet emerge on the other end fully aware that you've just read something of great significance. They are SIMPLE, but by no means SIMPLISTIC.

This collection is actually a movie-to-book edition. In the 1990s, Robert Altman, the renowned director of M*A*S*H and Nashville, crafted a film that combined 9 of Carver's short stories and one of his poems. He made slight alterations to the characters to ensure that the stories would flow seamlessly into one another.

I had been eager to see this movie for the longest time, but I wanted to be certain that I had read all the relevant stories first. However, I had no idea which stories were included in it, and I didn't relish the thought of sifting through Carver's approximately 6 collections to find the correct ones. Fortunately, I discovered this little gem at the Gordon Street Library book sale. It arranges all the stories in the proper order. Perfect! Now it's time to watch the movie!

This is one of my favourite styles of writing, if not my true favourite.

Raymond Carver's work is truly captivating. It continually draws upon what I perceive as a dark curiosity. There is something about his writing that just hooks you in and doesn't let go. It's quite inspiring to see how he can create such vivid and thought-provoking stories with just a few words.

I will be thinking about this collection for a long time to come and will continually dissect it in my head. I've noticed that he usually has those one or two lines that sort of tie the story or message of the story together and stop you for a moment. These lines are like little gems that make you think and reflect on what you've just read.

Overall, Raymond Carver's work is wonderful. It's a testament to his talent as a writer and his ability to touch the hearts and minds of his readers. I can't wait to read more of his work and see what other treasures he has in store for us.

I almost awarded this collection a mere 1 star as I experienced extreme discomfort throughout the entire reading process.

The stories within it were strange and seemed rather dated, being filled with casual violence that was quite disturbing.

However, perhaps this is precisely the intended point. True crime occurs on a daily basis and involves ordinary individuals.

In this regard, it is slightly thought-provoking, making one consider the darker aspects of human nature.

Nevertheless, despite this potential for thought, I simply did not enjoy reading any of it. The overall experience left me with a sense of unease and dissatisfaction.

It's possible that others may find value in these stories, but for me, the discomfort outweighed any potential benefits.

Maybe with a different perspective or a more open mind, one could appreciate the collection in a different light.

But as it stands, my initial reaction of almost giving it 1 star still holds true.

The writing was truly excellent.

The stories, however, are unfortunately unfinished.

Reading this collection was very much like driving past a row of houses with their windows wide open.

As you pass by, you manage to catch a brief glimpse of the ongoing and often fascinating saga of the lives of complete strangers.

But then, just as quickly as you saw it, you are past the house and there is no resolution at all.

I am well aware that a great many people actually enjoy this kind of experience, the sense of mystery and the opportunity to imagine what might have happened next.

However, I, on the other hand, have a burning desire to know what really happened.

These stories seem to me to be nothing more than a tease, leaving me frustrated and longing for the full and complete tales.

It's as if I have been given a taste of something wonderful but then it has been snatched away before I could fully savor it.

I hope that at some point, the author will decide to complete these stories and give us the satisfaction of knowing the whole truth.

Until then, I will continue to be left with this sense of incompleteness and a longing for more.

Carver is truly remarkable as he never misses.

Among his works, a few stand out for their unexpectedly dark and extremely chilling nature.

It seems that he has an obsession with neighbors, which adds an extra layer of mystery and unease to his stories.

Perhaps it is through exploring the relationships and secrets of neighbors that Carver is able to tap into the deepest fears and desires of his readers.

His ability to create such a vivid and disturbing atmosphere is a testament to his talent as a writer.

Whether it is the quiet suburban street or the bustling apartment complex, Carver shows us that there is always more going on beneath the surface than meets the eye.

His works continue to captivate and haunt us long after we have finished reading them.

Carver is the writer to turn to when you wish to understand the distinction between simplicity and simplistic.

The minimalist tales assembled here possess a potent emotional impact. In particular, "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?"

On the surface, it appears to be an effortless read, attributed to Carver's pared-down style. However, there is a great deal to contemplate and experience.

The characters and their lives will linger in your mind long after you have closed the book.

Carver's ability to convey profound emotions and complex themes through simple language and concise narratives is truly remarkable.

His stories invite readers to look beneath the surface and discover the hidden depths within.

Whether it's the quiet desperation of a marriage, the longing for connection in a lonely world, or the struggle to find meaning in the ordinary, Carver's tales touch on universal human experiences.

They make us question our own lives and relationships, and leave us with a sense of both sadness and hope.

In conclusion, Carver's minimalist tales are a testament to the power of simplicity in literature.

They prove that sometimes, less is indeed more.

I am gradually becoming fond of this bitter style. At first, it might have seemed unappealing, but now, there is something about it that draws me in. Maybe it's the complexity that lies beneath the bitterness, like a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. It could also be the way it makes me feel, a strange mix of emotions that I can't quite put into words. Each time I encounter this bitter style, it's like a new adventure. I find myself exploring different aspects of it, trying to understand what makes it so unique. And with each exploration, my affection for it grows stronger. I don't know where this newfound love will lead me, but I'm excited to see where the journey takes me.