I don't want to say too much.

In the comment of dear Radioread, the essence of the book has been summarized briefly and most accurately: “Let's not call these stories... If you like, let's say they are concrete nails driven into our souls.” I completely agree with this beautiful comment.

I should note that the stories titled ‘Boxes’ and ‘Elephant’ are my favorites.

Have a good reading.

Expanded version:

I don't really want to say an excessive amount.

In the comment made by the dear Radioread, the very essence of the book has been neatly and most precisely summarized. It goes like this: “Let's not refer to these as mere stories... Instead, if you prefer, we can say that they are like concrete nails that have been driven into our souls.” I wholeheartedly concur with this wonderful comment.

It is worth noting that the stories named ‘Boxes’ and ‘Elephant’ happen to be my absolute favorites.

Wishing you all a great reading experience.

Raymond Carver's final short story collection, which was published shortly after his death, was composed over a span of 5 years. However, in my opinion, this is the work of a dying man. There is a palpable sense of vertigo and impending doom in every story. Whether haunted by feelings of guilt, resentment, or a combination of both, Carver's characters are panicky, uneasy, and on the verge of something dreadful.

Regret and mortality are recurring themes throughout the collection. In "Boxes", a man bids farewell to his overbearing mother. In "Whoever Was Using This Bed", a married couple spends the night discussing euthanasia. A man endures the tirade of his angry ex-wife in "Intimacy", as if purging himself of the past. The protagonist of "Menudo" stands by a window, reflecting on the three significant women in his life - his ex, his wife, and his lover. In "Elephant", the narrator recounts his numerous grievances with his insufferable family. In "Blackbird Pie", a man receives a breakup letter from his own wife and then watches as she leaves him in the dead of night. Finally, there is "Errand", which imagines the final days in the life of Anton Chekhov, a writer whom Carver greatly admired, before his sudden and untimely death. Something about "Errand" feels unfinished, but it contains my favorite line in the collection, about Chekhov's doctor: "He picked up his bag and left the room and, for that matter, history".

My favorite stories are "Elephant" and "Blackbird Pie". "Elephant" feels like the most intimate of the collection and could easily be an extract from Carver's diary, expressing his frustrations and complex feelings towards his family of overbearing losers who are dragging him down with them. Yet, the ending, in which the protagonist dreams of his deceased "elephant" of a father (paternal figures are noticeably absent from stories otherwise filled with demanding mothers and deranged exes), ends on a note of optimism more in line with Carver's earlier Cathedral.

"Blackbird Pie" is a borderline surrealistic story that perfectly captures the sense of impotence and disbelief in a sudden breakup. A student of history, the narrator cannot fathom a person whose actions seem unjustified by the past. Everything from the horror atmosphere within the quiet house to the absurd yet threatening appearance of cowboys suggests a nightmare, something out of a David Lynch movie. Here, the theme is the failure to understand our loved ones and the desperation that ensues - a theme that recurs as Carver's characters experience the changes in their significant others without themselves changing or even noticing until it is too late.

With each collection I read, I become increasingly convinced that Raymond Carver was a master of the narrative short form. The simplicity and effectiveness with which he draws readers into an immediate, intense, and deeply intimate situation is truly amazing and always a pleasure to read.

A few months before Raymond Carver's death in 1988, the stories included in this book were published in the United States as part of a larger collection titled Where I'm calling from: new & selected stories. A year later, Anagrama first published them in Spanish in this volume under the name Tres rosas amarillas. Seven short stories that showcase the mastery the writer achieved in the art of storytelling; again, the usual themes - couples separated by an emotional abyss, corrosive infidelities, characters unable to communicate, solitary beings seeking consolation at all costs -; once more, familiar situations for the regular reader of Carver - uncomfortable neighborhoods, isolated houses in the countryside, phone conversations that are not what they seem.

And yet, a very pleasant surprise.

If there's one thing I like about this book, it's that, once again, it balances the scale between (self-)compassion and coldness that the American writer had been developing since Catedral: harsh endings predominate, yes, but the path to get there is infinitely more human and painful. We understand the protagonists, I would dare to say that we empathize with them more than on previous occasions, and, for that reason, we let them fly at their own risk when the time comes without feeling so bad about it - in fact, the feeling of having let go of a rope and falling into the void is less than in the previous three anthologies.

Considering that there are only seven stories, it has been extremely difficult for me to choose some over others, so the selection criterion I have used is that of their memorability: which ones were still going around in my head after a couple of weeks of rest? The answer, below:

(i) Cajas: sometimes, family is a heavy burden and a knot with the past that not only prevents us from enjoying the present but can also seriously compromise our future. The protagonist of this story tries to break free from that chain, but in the end, it is not clear that he has succeeded. Cajas contains a couple of completely devastating sentences, the kind that explode in the reader's mind and leave him looking for the pieces for a while.

(ii) Quienquiera que hubiera dormido en esta cama: we return to a scene that probably sounds familiar to us - a couple that wakes up and talks in the middle of the night - to arrive at a final question that will leave us thinking for days. And that, if we have someone to ask it to in real life, may give us answers we don't expect.

(iii) El elefante: this story with a hyperbolic tone and a slightly moralizing purpose - in which the protagonist is harassed by a multitude of family members who keep asking him for money - will make you smile and make you angry on several occasions. Does patience have a limit or is it like a piece of chewing gum that stretches infinitely?

(iv) Caballos en la niebla: probably the most mysterious and disturbing of the bunch. The protagonist is an unreliable narrator who not only tries to deceive the reader but also himself. He uses a slow introduction with slightly lovecraftian overtones, which the writer is not used to - an intellectual character who prefers to explain himself and immerse us in his vision of the world before objectively narrating the events. The story contains one of the most beautiful and recurring images of Carver: that of the horses that appear in the middle of the night, which acts as a metaphor for the situation. Caballos en la niebla is also a good example of Carver's talents for that kind of domestic-based terror.

(v) Tres rosas amarillas: this story would justify on its own the five stars of my rating. Because, although it deviates significantly from what we understand by the "Carver style" - a more ornate tone, a classic structure, and, if I'm not mistaken, it's the only text in all his work that is set in a time other than the author's contemporary one - it works as a perfect homage to the one the American considered his greatest literary reference: Anton Chekhov. A text full of love for the literature of detail, of deserved reverence for the Russian author, and in which it is appreciated that a good writer is so regardless of what he has to tell - it's another matter that he is interested in exerting himself in styles, themes, and tropes, as is the case of Carver.

Original Article: The importance of learning English cannot be ignored. It is a global language that is widely used in various fields such as business, education, and technology. By learning English, we can communicate with people from different countries and cultures, and gain access to a wealth of knowledge and information.

Expanded Article:

The importance of learning English simply cannot be overlooked. It is truly a global language that holds a significant position in numerous fields. In the business world, English is the language of international trade and commerce. It enables companies to communicate with partners and clients from all over the world, facilitating seamless transactions and collaborations.

In the realm of education, English is essential for accessing quality educational resources. Many of the world's top universities and academic institutions use English as the medium of instruction. By learning English, students can broaden their horizons and gain exposure to a diverse range of academic disciplines and ideas.

Moreover, in the age of technology, English is the language of the internet and digital communication. A vast majority of online content, including websites, social media platforms, and software applications, is in English. Therefore, having a good command of English is crucial for staying connected and informed in the digital age.

In conclusion, learning English is not only beneficial but also necessary in today's globalized world. It provides us with countless opportunities to communicate, learn, and grow. So, let's all embrace the learning of English and open the door to a world of possibilities.

Couples reveal their dreams or nightmares over full suitcases. People wake up from insomnia and radically reevaluate their lives, looking at the birds in the yard. The entire existential grandeur and the wonder of mortality hidden behind the daily lives of the protagonists. For the characters in the book, the truths are hidden, like the devil, in the details and in all that is not said.

In this complex narrative, we are drawn into the inner worlds of these individuals. The full suitcases perhaps symbolize the burdens and hopes they carry. The insomnia that plagues them forces them to confront their deepest fears and desires. As they look at the birds in the yard, it's as if they are seeking a moment of peace and simplicity in the chaos of their lives.

The idea that the truths are hidden in the details and unspoken words adds an air of mystery and depth to the story. It makes us question what we truly know about these characters and their lives. Just like the devil is often associated with the unknown and the hidden, the secrets and lies within the book's pages hold the key to understanding the true nature of the protagonists and their experiences.

Radio read,

"Let's not call these stories... If you want, let's say they are concrete nails driven into our souls." With this comment, it has made an accurate assessment. In every story, a person is finding something from himself and from life. It must be added that the stories generally move in gray/black tones. It is a work that can be read again in the future. The writing language (and of course its translation) flows smoothly, even if you don't understand. It is a compilation above my expectations.

9/10

The story of the elephant is a story of modern human enslavement. It is the story of a man who lives alone, far away from his mother, brothers, children, and relatives. Although these people are distant from him, they impose a heavy financial burden on him. He, being a middle-aged man and probably close to retirement age, is forced to forgo his most basic needs in order to be of some help to his loved ones. We, too, are hesitant in receiving the situation and circumstances of the people around the man. We are pained that he has to shoulder the mistakes, indolences, and hopes of others alone, and by considering the conditions of others, we also give them their due. Everyone in this story is sitting in hope of the future, a future that promises the sale of land, the finding of a new job, a better job. But in reality, these hopes are mostly empty illusions. Isn't it often better to be hopeless? Hopeless of the help and assistance of someone on whose back we postpone important decisions and become indolent? Hopeless that good conditions are ahead of us and will eventually reach us?

Perhaps hopelessness is the first step for us to grow, in order for us to strive, change, and make a difference.

But why has Karim chosen such a subject? The art of Karim's storytelling is precisely this, to create stories from the everyday concerns and emotional upheavals that are not strange to most of us. Stories that are marked by the bread of sorrow, loneliness, worry, work, and unemployment. Stories that, with the global financial crises and the decisions of companies and big investors, layoffs and workforce adjustments, installments and loans, find more repetitive and complex knots and show the enslavement of the human machine in the face of concepts such as ethics, conscience, and duty. Concepts that have no clear boundaries and increase our doubts and uncertainties. But at the end of the story, we still see signs of light of hope and happiness. A broken and tired man who must be like his father, a great elephant, and he is. A man who closes his eyes to the financial pressures and is happy that he can hold his dear ones, that he can take advantage of the beauty of the last days of summer, that he is allowed to sleep freely, honk with his colleagues' cars on the streets and feel a sense of liberation and have the joy of knowing that the situation can always be worse than it is.

Raymond Carver's kingdom has something rotten in it.

His stories are the swan song of the American dream, mainly dealing with love, money, and death.

Couples die because they don't know how to communicate. They fade away little by little until the brutal explosion of rupture, as in "Intimacy" when a man pays a surprise visit to his ex-wife and gets the remnants of a broken relationship thrown in his face; or in "The Fingers", a dreamy, dark, and eerie story of rupture that recalls a bit of Kobo Abe.

Money is everywhere. It's what people use to build a cozy little nest, but it comes between bodies and souls, becomes the only subject of discussion, and brings only the end of communication. "The Elephant" is money, the money the narrator gives to his mother, ex-wife, daughter, son, the money he lends to his brother without hope of getting it back, the money he earns tirelessly only to lose it to those who have stopped counting for him.

Death is always there. It's most evident in the last story, "Three Yellow Roses", which gives the collection its title and in which we have the honor of seeing Chekhov die; but it's also the red thread running through the collection. These characters constantly see the end, the end of their lives, the end of the lives of others. In "Boxes", the narrator sees his mother packing for the other end of the country and has to admit, although nothing is said, that he will never see her again. Carver's narrators are rather desperate men.

My favorite story in the collection is "Unsubscribe", perhaps because this story is so good at gathering, like in a bouquet, the three themes of money, love, and death. One night, the phone rings, waking up a couple. The man answers, and it's a drunk woman who wants to talk to Bud Roberts. The man hangs up and unplugs the phone. Once this conversation is cut off, an interrupted conversation can resume: that of the man with his wife, the one we imagine was cut off by the monotony of common life. They will talk, smoking too many cigarettes, about unplugging the living dead and not abandoning the dying to limbo.

Besides that, the collection is really let down by a horrible (or horribly outdated, it remains to be seen) translation, which completely spoiled my reading pleasure: it's right there in the text!

Raymond Carver was an author whom I had been thinking of reading for a long time. When I finally did, I actually found the stories I had expected more or less. They could perhaps have been a bit deeper, but I definitely couldn't say they were shallow.

Simple, yet effective; instead of having whole and complete characters, the author focuses his strength on a single point, examining a state of the soul rather than a character. These are the stories. I liked them and I will continue to read the author.

Unlike Turkish storytellers, instead of making a fuss, Raymond Carver focuses on understanding a person, a state of the soul, a situation, that is, life itself, and he succeeds in this. But although the depth he reaches in his characters is more than that of Turkish storytellers, for example, he does not reach the level of an Alice Munro. Therefore, his works are easy to read, even enjoyable. In this kind of storytelling, for me, Alice Munro's so vivid character analyses that will make the reader's heart ache are at the highest point of storytelling.

Actually, Raymond Carver's style is not a style that I like either. It is extremely simple, plain, and does not contain any poetry. But still, I enjoyed reading it.

Raymond Carver's writing is truly unique. His simplicity and minimalism draw you in from the very first sentence. In his collection "Tres Rosas Amarillas" (originally "Elephant and other stories"), each story offers a new perspective and a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Carver's characters often break free from the norms of society, becoming emotional outsiders. His stories are a reflection of the times he lived in, a United States trying to find its footing after the turmoil of war.

The story "Cajas" is a masterpiece, as Carver makes you connect with the narrator's sense of dread as his mother leaves. His writing is so simple, yet so powerful.

"Quienquiera que hubiera dormido en esta cama" shows a couple's night disrupted by phone calls, leading to a deep and honest conversation. It's a reminder that sometimes, in the darkness, we are more willing to face our fears and make difficult decisions.

"Intimidad" is a story about an ex-couple's reunion. The narrator, a writer, visits his ex-wife, and the encounter becomes a catharsis for both of them. It's a story about the weight of the past and the difficulty of moving on.

"Menudo" is a complex story about a man's indecision to leave his wife for his mistress. It shows the consequences of our choices and the power they have to change our lives.

"El Elefante" is a brilliant commentary on our materialistic society. The narrator is burdened by a family's demands for money, while he himself is sinking deeper into debt. It's a story that makes you think about what really matters in life.

"Caballos en la niebla" has a beautiful moment when the narrator's wife appears in the fog with horses. It's a dreamlike scene that adds to the story's sense of mystery and melancholy.

"Tres Rosas Amarillas" is the last story Carver wrote, and it imagines the final days of Chekhov's life. It's a fitting end to a collection of stories that explore the human experience with such depth and sensitivity.

I love the poems of Raymond Carver.

My favorite is "Winter Insomnia."

The mind is restless, unable to sleep, just lying awake and

gorging, listening to the snow accumulate as

if for some final attack.

It wishes Chekhov were here to administer

something—three drops of valerian, a glass

of rose water—anything, it wouldn't matter.

The mind wants to get out of here

onto the snow. It wants to run

with a pack of shaggy animals, all teeth,

under the moon, across the snow, leaving

no prints or spoor, nothing behind.

The mind is sick tonight.

(Winter Insomnia)

His stories again... My first encounter with his stories was through "The Elephant".... Which tired me so much...

Forgive me for saying it so simply. Carver is undoubtedly a master of the word. He is also an undoubtedly suffering man. The pain and difficulties he faced in most of his life are brutally reflected in his descriptions. Alcohol, poverty, divorce, unemployment... I think at this time I would need something that doesn't touch so much on reality. Maybe that's the fault. Surely I will read more of his writings, but later, in a more cheerful moment of mine.

Raymond Carver is truly remarkable.

He forcefully presents the mercilessness of life right in front of your eyes. He describes the small emotional states in our lives extremely well.

Even if they are negative, he conveys all the experiences, the results, and even the failures without judgment, accepting them as they are.

There is always a sense of incompleteness in his stories.

Not judging is like existentialism, everything as it is, just as it should be, just like life itself…

You may not remember the details in his stories with his rather simple language, but the feeling he leaves will be lasting.

A melancholic atmosphere will settle in your surroundings, and the heavy weight of existence that is difficult to bear will fall upon you because the stories he tells in his stories are very real.

His stories are about ordinary moments from slices of life. But they are so ordinary that you cannot escape their influence on your mind.

The melancholia that generally dominates his stories may stem from his focus on those who have lost.

These are people who cannot hold on. People who cannot find a job, cannot hold on in their jobs, have problems with their relatives, are unhappy in their marriages, are unsuccessful, and are penniless.

These stories that seem to present an ordinary topic to you remind you that you could also fall into these situations and make you feel humbled.

His stories offer the experience of falling before you actually do.

Like Sait Faik, don't expect joy in life in the midst of the melancholia he presents.

You feel the indifference of nature, energy, or whatever you may call it, and the loneliness of man in this universe with all its nakedness directly in your veins.

It is indeed possible to describe Carver's style as dirty realism, and in fact, the word meaning fits perfectly.

In American literature, while John Cheever charmed me with magical realism, a bit of dirty realism also suits me very well.

I wish I could thank Carver because he introduced me to the current of dirty realism after magical realism.

Those who love Bukowski will also love Carver. He is only more naive than Bukowski. He is not as vulgar as him.

His books are generally published by Can Publishing. His poems are also collected in the book "You Don't Know What Love Is".

I guess his poems are also worth reading. If you ask which of his stories I liked, I would say all of them.

He is really pulling away from Chekhov and Fill. But I loved all of them without exception. Carver has now become one of my favorite authors.