Carver was an alcoholic. As he himself stated, he started to drink heavily when he realized that the things he desired most in life for himself, his writing, his wife, and his children, simply were not going to happen. He had two lives: one life that ended when his relationship with alcohol ended and a new life that began when he stopped drinking and met Tess Gallagher.

In reality, Carver wrote for "his own" people, for those who surrounded him, who couldn't pay their rent, who didn't know what they would do if their refrigerator broke down, with an immediate and vivid anthropology of their lives.

"The things you once thought were important, for which you could even die, now aren't worth a dime," he said, emphasizing that "it's worth writing about people who don't succeed in life."

Carver was an alcoholic, but he was also and will remain a unique and important storyteller.

A very interesting short story indeed!

It showcases a remarkable blind man who refuses to let his blindness act as a limiting factor in any aspect of his life.

There is a skeptic in the story who initially feels uncomfortable about the man's blindness. However, through his interactions with the blind man, he undergoes a transformation.

The skeptic learns that there are many different ways of "seeing" the world, and not all of them rely on the sense of sight.

The blind man, with his gift of touch, teaches the skeptic a valuable lesson.

He shows him that even without the ability to see, one can still perceive and understand the world around them.

This short story serves as a reminder that we should not judge others based on their disabilities or limitations.

Instead, we should look beyond the surface and discover the unique gifts and perspectives that each person has to offer.

It encourages us to be open-minded and to embrace the diversity of ways in which people experience and interact with the world.

Overall, it is a thought-provoking and inspiring short story that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

The Cathedral of Carver is a book that delves into daily plots and simple characters, with a certain aura of failure. Carver's style is characterized by its clean and fluent narrative. Although sometimes the endings of the stories may leave something to be desired, the reading is pleasant and enjoyable. One of the most outstanding tales is precisely the one that gives the title to the book, "Cathedral", which deals with the virtue of trust and the importance of letting go, and what better than to do it in the encounter between a magnificent woman, a blind man and a jealous man.

Carver, a master of the minimalist story, manages to capture the essence of daily life and human emotions in these short and evocative stories. The cathedral is a work that ventures into the simple and the profound, exploring the presence of extraordinary terrors in ordinary existence. Carver invites us to reflect on the fragility of human relationships and the search for meaning in the mundane. Through his concise and minimalist prose, the idea reaches us that, even in the simplest moments, there is room for revelation and connection.

Depressing short stories about working-class Americans often offer a glimpse into the harsh realities of their lives. The author is a decent writer, but his style is spare, and the subject matter focuses on everyday tragedies. The stories have abrupt endings, which can leave the reader feeling a sense of dissatisfaction. He is seen as a "realist," yet he seems to live in a banal and cynical kind of reality. ALL of his characters are awful people with huge flaws and petty prejudices. Recommended by a writer friend, these stories may be more enjoyable if all you want to do is analyze the writing.

From "Feathers," we follow a family with an ugly baby and a peacock for a pet. Olla watches Fran with the baby and shares a story about Harold's grandpa. The baby's appearance doesn't seem to matter much to Bud and Olla. They might think that it's just a stage and things will be okay in the long run.

After they get home from Bud and Olla's, Fran makes a comment that surprises the narrator. Later, after things change for them and the kid comes along, Fran looks back on that evening as the beginning of the change. But the narrator believes the change came later and was like something that happened to other people. Fran often makes comments about Bud and Olla and their ugly baby and smelly bird, even though she hasn't seen them in a long time.

From "Cathedral," a man has to deal with his prejudices when he meets his wife's blind friend for the first time. He is amazed that the blind man was able to marry, live, work, and have sex with a woman he had never seen. It is beyond his understanding.

Raymond Carver holds a significant position in the world of short stories, much like Edward Hopper in realist painting. His writing offers readers concise glimpses into the ordinary lives of working-class Americans. With just a few words and minimal ornamentation, he manages to bring to light the silent anguish of his characters.

Carver's third collection, Cathedral, is notable as it was the first published without the heavy editorial hand of Gordon Lish. Lish was responsible for stripping Carver's prose to its bare bones and establishing him as a "minimalist" writer. The dozen stories in this collection are longer and more detailed, with a touch of light edging the darkness.

I, like many others, am a huge fan of the titular story. However, I also greatly enjoyed several other tales, such as "A Small, Good Thing" (an expanded version from his second collection), "Fever", "Where I'm Calling From", and "Careful". The last one, perhaps the least optimistic, was my favorite. Despite its earwax-related details, I found it a brilliant and empathetic portrayal of how addiction warps one's reasoning and how delusion and denial operate subtly within the psyche of the afflicted.

Although minimalism isn't my personal preference, I do admire Carver for the effortless cadence and concentrated power of his prose. It truly enables readers to engage in a dialogue with the text, inviting us to uncover the layers of meaning and fill in the deliberate gaps with our own imagination. The stories in Cathedral are compassionate and deeply human, and I eagerly anticipate revisiting them.

The Short Story Club

On the surface, this is a deceptively simple story. It is written in a plainspoken language that is easy to understand, yet it is laced with a hint of humour. However, beneath this simplicity lies an amazing tale that conveys a powerful message!

It describes an unexpected and overwhelming experience that broadens one's horizons. It's like walking in another man's heavy shoes, an experience that doesn't typically occur in the comfort of your own living room but has the potential to change you forever.

''Then he said, “I think that’s it. I think you got it,” he said. “Take a look. What do you think?”

But I had my eyes closed. I thought I’d keep them that way for a little longer. I thought it was something I ought to do.

“Well?” he said. “Are you looking?”

My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything.

“It’s really something,” I said.''

This short exchange adds an air of mystery and anticipation to the story. The reader is left wondering what exactly the protagonist is experiencing with their eyes closed and why they feel the way they do. It makes you eager to know more and to discover the full impact of this extraordinary event.

A writers like Carver surely don't need to search for abstruse plots to construct a story, express a point of view, give an emotion, or arouse an unexpected reflection. Life, the very one that unfolds before our eyes - and his - contains within itself the best that could be conceived in the narrative field. It is enough to seize some scenes and reproduce them without frills, without too many constructions. It will be life itself that speaks to the reader and touches the right chords.

Carver's approach to writing is refreshingly simple. He doesn't rely on complex storylines or convoluted literary devices. Instead, he focuses on the ordinary moments of life, the ones that we often overlook. By doing so, he is able to揭示 the deeper meaning and significance hidden within these seemingly mundane events. His stories are like snapshots of life, capturing a moment in time and making it永恒. Through his writing, Carver shows us that there is beauty and poetry in the everyday, and that we just need to look a little closer to see it.

In conclusion, Carver's writing is a testament to the power of simplicity. He proves that a great story doesn't have to be complicated or overly elaborate. Sometimes, all it takes is a keen eye for detail and the ability to tell a story in a straightforward and honest way. His work continues to inspire generations of writers and readers alike, and will no doubt remain a classic of American literature for years to come.

In this collection, there is something that eludes any definition.

Something that will clothe you in uncertainty, making you feel clumsy and completely unprepared for life, like "beginners."

And yet, less alone.

In a circle of sorrows, at the center a fire.

This intangible element seems to hover on the periphery of our understanding, defying attempts to neatly categorize or explain.

It is that which instills a sense of unease and self-doubt, as if we are constantly fumbling in the dark.

But paradoxically, it also has the power to bring a strange kind of solace.

In the midst of our collective sadness, that central fire serves as a beacon, a source of warmth and connection.

It reminds us that even in our most vulnerable and inexperienced states, we are not truly alone.

Cathedral is a remarkable collection of short stories penned by Raymond Carver.

Each story within this collection delves deep into the ordinary moments of humanity, shining a light on common issues such as relationships and alcoholism.

Carver's writing style is characterized by minimalism. There are no elaborate and long descriptions of the setting or the characters. Instead, he focuses intently on the plot and the themes.

Each story concludes with a slight cliffhanger, leaving the reader to use their imagination and decide what might happen next.

I had the pleasure of reading this book for my Contemporary American Literature class, and I was truly enamored. All the stories are incredibly interesting and have the power to evoke a wide range of feelings in the reader.

Carver's writing is particularly captivating for me as I have an aversion to long descriptions. I remember how torturous it was to read Lord of the Rings with its long and dull descriptions.

Carver, on the other hand, zeroes in on the plots, allowing the reader to concentrate solely on the important aspects and not get bogged down by extraneous details.

My absolute favorite story from the collection was A Good, Small Thing. It centered around a couple who were dealing with the heart-wrenching situation of their son being in the hospital.

The story was not only extremely interesting but also quite depressing. However, the ending and the title offer a glimmer of hope, showing the reader that there is always something to hold onto.

I wholeheartedly recommend this collection of short stories. Each story is a gem in its own right, and it makes for a truly excellent read.

On a side note, I was excited to discover that Will Ferrell's movie Everything Must Go is actually based on a Carver story. Although it's not one that I've read, it still adds an extra layer of intrigue to the collection.

Raymond «Cuentos Cojonudos» Carver.

I am so well aware of Carver's reputation as a synonym for high-quality American short stories, almost for short stories in general. At this point, it is difficult for me to judge Catedral and determine to what extent I like these tales. To what extent can I like them when my patron saint in that sense is Julio Cortázar? And the truth is that Catedral has seemed to me a bit like those mattresses that have developed a depression in the center (the stories that I have liked the least, those of very self-centered alcoholic gentlemen, which at this stage of my life give me a bit of laziness). And I have wanted to stay on the edges, where "Conservation", or "It Seems Silly" or the very "Catedral" that gives its title to the collection are. And I have to admit, although I am more in the vein of Cortázar, or Buzzati, or Kafka, that these are stories so well made, so memorable, so without anything superfluous or lacking, that I have to agree. Listen, yes, this man, what great stories he was capable of writing.

The ways others live often are a surprise to us.

For example, a peacock walked quickly around the table and went for the baby. It ran its long neck across the baby’s legs, pushed its beak in under the baby’s pajama top and shook its stiff head back and forth. The baby, instead of being scared, laughed and kicked its feet. Scooting onto its back, the baby worked its way over Fran’s knees and down onto the floor. The peacock kept pushing against the baby, as if it was a game they were playing.

The way we live often seems strange to others too.

We drank coffee, pop, and all kinds of fruit juice that summer. The whole summer, that’s what we had to drink. I found myself wishing the summer wouldn’t end. I knew better, but after a month of being with Wes in Chef’s house, I put my wedding ring back on. I hadn’t worn the ring in two years. Not since the night Wes was drunk and threw his ring into a peach orchard.

“Cathedral” is a compendium of human misery: failed marriages, broken hearts, family disasters, impoverishment, adultery, foolishness and heavy drinking.

“Jack London used to have a big place on the other side of this valley. Right over there behind that green hill you’re looking at. But alcohol killed him. Let that be a lesson to you. He was a better man than any of us. But he couldn’t handle the stuff, either.”

We know that many things we do are destroying us but we can’t stop. It seems that we are trapped in a cycle of self-destruction, unable to break free and make positive changes in our lives.

On her last day in the office, the blind man made an unusual request. He asked if he could touch her face. To his surprise, she agreed. She later told the narrator that the blind man touched his fingers to every part of her face, from her nose to even her neck. She never forgot that moment. Now, years later, this same blind man was coming to stay in their house.

The narrator's wife had worked for the blind man for a year in his office before leaving to get married. They had stayed in touch by sending tapes back and forth over the years. Now, the blind man was on his way to visit relatives and had asked to stop by and see her and her second husband, the narrator. The narrator was clearly disturbed by this.

He admitted that he knew nothing about blind people, as if they were some foreign species or alien beings. His instincts in this regard were ill-informed, but his discomfort with his wife's strong memory of the blind man seemed understandable. Blind or not, it was an unusual thing to happen between a man and a woman who were just friends.

When Robert, the blind man, showed up, the narrator was uncomfortable and there was awkward small talk. However, things changed when the TV in the background began showing cathedrals and the British presenter gave some descriptions. The wife had dozed off on the couch, and Robert asked the narrator to try to really describe a cathedral for him to imagine.

The narrator found it much harder than he thought. But as he tried, an unexpected understanding seemed to develop between them, which also involved touch. This was the title story of a collection nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and it was an interesting and thought-provoking read. I read it in the London Magazine online and was intrigued enough to want to read more of Raymond Carver's work.

Thanks to the Reading For Pleasure Breakfast Club Buddy Reads for putting this story on their list. It was fun to discover this new story. And for those interested, there is another great group on Goodreads called the Short Story Club that you can join. Their link to a PDF of the story is also provided.