When Carver writes, I find myself there, within the pages, catapulted into that infinity of microcosms that only he can create in just a few lines.

I will never tire of repeating it. I'm not an unbridled fan of short stories, but with Carver it's impossible not to be stunned.

Ah, let's not forget that this was his first collection.... Out of 22 stories, perhaps two-thirds are modest, and the rest are pearls that tear at the heart.

His writing style is so unique and powerful. It has the ability to draw you in and make you feel as if you are part of the story.

Each character he creates is so vivid and real, and the situations they find themselves in are both relatable and thought-provoking.

Carver's work is a true masterpiece, and it continues to inspire and touch readers around the world.

Whether you're a fan of short stories or not, I highly recommend giving his work a try. You won't be disappointed.

Haruki Murakami translated this book (and many of the works of Scott Fitzgerald) into Japanese... and with good reason. Raymond Carver is an excellent distiller of the middle-class suburban American experience. This book contains 22 short stories that begin without a distinct beginning and end without a clear ending. The characters' subtle underlying tensions hold the readers' attention. They fit wonderfully into Japanese expectations of contemporary storytelling.

The short stories captivated me from the start. However, some are better than others. For example, "What's in Alaska?" is simply an overture to stereotypes.

If a reader only had a short amount of time, I'd recommend the following stories from this collection: "Fat," "Neighbors," "They're not your husband" (which is good enough to thoroughly evoke a pissed-off me), "Jerry and Molly and Sam," and "Why, Honey?"

I greatly recommend Carver's short stories. They are delightful. However, the loose ends of the narratives do become repetitive after a while. It's like a beautiful melody that starts to play the same note a few too many times. But overall, the charm and power of Carver's stories still shine through.

I vividly remember that moment when I was working in the senate. I was sitting at my desk, and there it was, right in front of me. I couldn't resist the urge to start reading it.

It was like a hidden treasure that had suddenly been discovered. The words seemed to dance on the page, captivating my attention and drawing me in.

I became completely engrossed in what I was reading, oblivious to everything else around me. The world outside my desk seemed to fade away, and it was just me and this wonderful piece of writing.

It was truly a perfect moment, one that I will always cherish and remember.

What is most astonishing about Carver's stories is his ability to tell the essential clearly and concisely with surgical precision, reaching the reader directly and evoking emotions.

The 22 stories in this collection draw inspiration from episodes and facts of daily life, of which Carver is a skilled storyteller. These are stories that tap into the quotidian and speak, describing couples on the margins who live relationships on the verge, almost by force of inertia. The subjects are also unemployed people who try to give meaning to their lives as in "Collectors" or again the prevarication and distance in "They Are Not Your Husband" or again the past that returns in the last story that gives the title to the collection.

Carver proves to be a fine observer of life in all its facets and aspects, to which he knows how to give a different nuance and color each time, just as it belongs to him.

I'm not entirely certain whether I have ever awarded five stars to a compilation of short stories in the past. However, this particular collection was truly outstanding.

Carver's incisive portrayals of the mundane and extraordinary challenges within married life are refreshingly forthright, raw, and disconcerting. He uncovers simple moments that are replete with nuanced implications. Moreover, he has this unique approach of simply walking away and leaving the most crucial element of the story unspoken. This compels the reader to embrace the anguish of the characters and denies any cathartic relief.

These are profoundly powerful stories that linger with you long after you've turned the last page. They have a way of seeping into your consciousness and making you reflect on the complex nature of human relationships and the often-hidden turmoil that lies beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives.

Carver, Carver...

I just can't decide whether you have been my greatest disappointment or my greatest love. I have read your stories, and the life in provincial America has something symbolic. It is a condition of existence common to all of us, the sad normality of life, the quiet desperation of the days...

It is useless to dig into your stories. There isn't much more than what you say. And this, I must confess to you sometimes, drives me crazy. But the people you write about and the way you do it are so human, so real. I believe that in this lies the surprise. Even normality can be an object worthy of a story, of so many small stories told by one of the greatest American short story writers.

His works seem to unfold a hidden world, a world that we are all familiar with but often overlook. Through his words, we can see the ordinary people's joys and sorrows, their hopes and disappointments.

Carver's writing style is simple and straightforward, yet it has a profound impact on readers. His stories are not just about the events that happen to the characters, but also about the emotions and thoughts that lie beneath the surface.

In conclusion, Carver's works are a treasure trove of human nature and life. They deserve to be read and studied carefully to understand the true essence of his writing.

What a sad and truly heart-breaking collection of little stories! Each one of them is masterfully built, weaving a web of emotions that draw the reader in and leave them with a sense of profound sadness.

I remember back in the 80's, when I wasn't reading literature, how Carver was mocked by many in the media for his minimalist style. They failed to see the emotional intelligence contained within his writings, dismissing it as simplistic. But now, as I have grown and developed as a reader, I can see the beauty and depth in his work.

It's also a small personal triumph for me, as I'm learning finally how to read short story collections. I used to struggle with the brevity of the form, but now I understand that every word counts and that a great short story can say more than a thousand-page novel.

Anyway, this collection is great stuff. It's a must-read for anyone who loves literature and wants to experience the power of the short story.

4.5 stars.

This is a truly compelling, realist, and poignant collection of 22 short fiction stories that revolve around ordinary people. The dialogue is crisp, and the language is precise, making the stories feel like genuine snippets of everyday life.

The characters are diverse, including farmers, salesmen, cooks, assembly line workers, and the unemployed. Each story offers a unique perspective into their lives and the challenges they face.

In ‘Neighbours’, the Millers, a happy couple, are entrusted with looking after their neighbours' apartment and feeding the cat while the Stones couple is away for ten days. However, the Millers soon start taking liberties in their neighbour's apartment, leading to unexpected consequences.

In ‘They’re not your Husband’, a man loses his job and begins to spend his time at the cafe where his wife works as a waitress. When he overhears some men at the cafe commenting about his wife's weight, he feels compelled to advise her to lose weight, which causes tension in their relationship.

In ‘What’s in Alaska’, a couple's relationship starts to fracture when the wife is offered a job in Alaska. The distance and the new opportunities pose a threat to their once-solid bond.

In ‘Will you Please be Quiet, Please’, a young couple who have been happily married for over five years and have two children face a crisis when the husband discovers his wife's one-off infidelity a couple of years ago. The husband's reaction leads to a series of events that test their relationship.

This book is a prime example of short story writing at its best. It was first published in 1976 and was the author's first published short story collection. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys reading about the human experience.

There it lay in the sale books section, presenting me with a golden opportunity.

Finally, I could discover what everyone was raving about when they mentioned Raymond Carver. It was his first story collection, and the price was incredibly cheap. Moreover, it had a great title. Alas, that's where the joy came to an abrupt end.

But for one uproariously hilarious story titled "What's in Alaska?", I found nothing in this collection that made me rejoice in my decision to read it. Although, I must admit, I am now glad to be able to proclaim, "Yes, of course I've read Raymond Carver. I don't have a particular affinity for him myself."

I'll concede this much to the local Northwest writer: he excels at portraying emotion. And if the entire spectrum of human emotion consisted solely of discontent, insecurity, aimlessness, and hopelessness, then we could rightfully label him as a master of revealing the human condition. However, even if those aren't the only emotions a writer could choose to depict, I would still praise his proficiency in telling stories about only those emotions... if he actually told stories.

"I walked the dog. We went pretty far. I like chocolate." This is not a story. It's merely a series of statements.

So, in essence, what we have here are some well-crafted statements of a subset of emotions. And I'm almost ready for Christmas.

There are twenty-two short stories with an average of ten pages each. The situations presented are minimalist, such as an urgent sale of a car, a dinner in a fine restaurant, a farmer and his unused usurped lands, and so on.

Some of the endings are open or abrupt, but almost all of them are of the same level and have the same effect. It is a pleasant read that catches the reader's attention in its short length. It is ideal for interspersing with other readings.

Each story offers a unique snapshot of different lives and situations, allowing the reader to explore various emotions and experiences in a concise manner. Despite the brevity, the author manages to create vivid images and engage the reader's imagination.

Whether you are looking for a quick escape or a way to add variety to your reading list, these short stories are a great choice. They provide entertainment and food for thought, all within a few pages.

So, pick up this collection and embark on a journey through twenty-two different worlds, each with its own charm and surprises.

I've been on a real kick lately of reading books about nothing. It is truly remarkable how a writer can draw you in using nothing more than words, rather than relying on a magnificently plotted yarn. At least, that's what I think. Take Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgaard, for example, who has become my current obsession.

But Carver's short stories only seem to be about nothing, or at least they did to me on my first reading. I started this collection two months ago, thinking I could breeze through its 181 pages by Thanksgiving. However, Thanksgiving came and went, then Christmas, and now January is nearly over, and I've just now finished it.

Why? I don't really know. I could have pushed myself to read these stories faster, but I felt the need to take a break after each one. I've never read a book that mentally exerted me to the degree that some of these short stories did. It frustrated me that sometimes, after reading a story like "Fat", the first one in this collection, I couldn't really figure out what was going on beyond the surface.

Because there's clearly a whole other level of depth here. It won't take you long to realize that Raymond Carver was influenced by Ernest Hemingway's minimalist writing style. Hemingway's "Iceberg Theory" is in full effect, with 80 - 90% of the story lying beneath the surface, like an iceberg.

I'm not really a fan of this style of writing. As I mentioned earlier, it's exhausting to read. Even a seemingly simple 4 - page story like "Fat" has so much going on that it forces you to read it multiple times. Every word is important and presumably necessary for conveying the information.

I read every story in this collection at least twice. Some, like "Sixty Acres", which I thought were genuinely straightforward, I read again because I couldn't believe they could be that simple.

So, no, I don't like to read just because of the story. I like it because of the words and the pages formed from those words. I like to sit and read until the waves of words carry me away. I would contrast Carver's short stories with those of Stefan Zweig. They have two radically different styles, but Zweig's stories leave me feeling better, happier, even when they're not happy.

For the record, Carver's stories are not happy. On the contrary, they're as depressing as can be. Even when they're not really that depressing, you still want to take a Xanax because the places Carver takes you to are not nice.

There's something quintessentially American about Carver's stories. He had to be American to write the way he did, and he had to have experienced poverty, as he did.

The stories in "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?" are very much working class and take place in trailer parks, small - town diners, and various squalid environments. The only story that takes place somewhere "nice" is "Signals", the next to last in the collection, which occurs in an "elegant new restaurant".

It's interesting to note that this location plays a central role in the story, highlighting the differences between the couple dining there. Wayne, the main character, hates it and feels out of place, while Caroline loves it and tells Aldo, the French - speaking proprietor, that she'll be back on her own.

A lot of these stories seem to focus on moments when years of conflict or ignored behavior finally boil over. Jealousy is a frequent topic, as is voyeurism, the desire to become someone else, and paralysis - characters who are stuck in a situation they can't seem to escape.

Nobody is really happy here, including the reader, but the moments Carver chooses to highlight are fascinating. Perhaps a better title would have been "Working Class Americans on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", but that would have been far too many words for Carver.

The stories that stuck with me the most after reading were: "Fat", "Neighbors", "The Idea", "They're Not Your Husband", "Are You a Doctor?", "Collectors", "Jerry and Molly and Sam", and "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?".

Absolutely worth reading, if only because it's so different stylistically. And most of them end with bizarre final lines that just add to the general sense of confusion about what's actually going on. Let's just say that if I had to choose a fiction writer to perform emergency surgery on me, I'd probably give the scalpel to Carver. The guy was certainly precise - and had experience cutting!

I had bad impressions of Carver ever since a boss said that he always did the same thing, leaving the endings open-ended. Nevertheless, I liked him.

Now that I have read his works, I believe the issue is not about the endings, but rather (cliché) the beauty of the simple or the ordinary.

These are stories that essentially are not meant to have an end. It would be as if someone told us when and in what way we are going to die, and we were completely prepared for the event.

Carver's writing style is unique. His use of simple language and everyday situations allows readers to easily relate to the characters and their experiences. Although the endings may seem open-ended, they actually leave room for readers to think and imagine. This makes his stories more engaging and thought-provoking.

In conclusion, despite my initial bad impressions, I have come to appreciate Carver's writing for its simplicity and beauty. His stories may not have traditional endings, but they offer a different kind of satisfaction that lingers in the reader's mind long after the book is closed.