I was introduced to him by an English teacher at school who I swear was Carver's secret clone. Dude looked like a cross between Carver and Garry Winogrand, and spoke like garry winogrand on trenbolone.
The economy of his language (as it is always pointed out, thanks to his editor) was a big change of pace for me, as I had always enjoyed more intricate prose. But I think his male characters capture this sense of lonliness and an inability to open up that was far ahead of its time.
He very succinctly captures the brutality and hopelessness that I think a lot of us feel lies beneath an otherwise pleasant seeming surface in modern-day life: marriages filled with resentment, regrets about life--he gives these wonderful glimpses, just for a moment, into these american lives.
The first we read in class was "neighbours" when I was 15 or 16 or so, and for some reason I still remember it vividly. "So much water so close to home", "Popular mechanics", and "Tell the women we're going" are all worth a read
One of my favorites, he was also born in my home-town, a very small mill town in Oregon.
They hold a Raymond Carver writing festival every year, and a bunch of writers come from all over the place. Read a poem at the latest one, and had a good time (Got completely bombed at the open bar, slurred my
words when reading the poem lol )
His work is very good, and authentically captures the lifestyle of The American Working Class.
Ok, I'll check some of his works. Recommend me more about the life of american working class. No bulowsky and not king, plz.
What we talk about when we talk about love is the collection I'm most familiar with. I read 'Short cuts' at school, which contains some stories from a whole bunch of collections.
>mixed feelings
What feelings are they?
10 months ago
Anonymous
My feelings are that I agree with everything said here
Criminally underrated on here.
I was introduced to him by an English teacher at school who I swear was Carver's secret clone. Dude looked like a cross between Carver and Garry Winogrand, and spoke like garry winogrand on trenbolone.
The economy of his language (as it is always pointed out, thanks to his editor) was a big change of pace for me, as I had always enjoyed more intricate prose. But I think his male characters capture this sense of lonliness and an inability to open up that was far ahead of its time.
He very succinctly captures the brutality and hopelessness that I think a lot of us feel lies beneath an otherwise pleasant seeming surface in modern-day life: marriages filled with resentment, regrets about life--he gives these wonderful glimpses, just for a moment, into these american lives.
The first we read in class was "neighbours" when I was 15 or 16 or so, and for some reason I still remember it vividly. "So much water so close to home", "Popular mechanics", and "Tell the women we're going" are all worth a read
What do you think OP?
but it gets to be a bit tedious when every other character has a second or third wife/husband, I do enjoy reading the Carver stories but they don’t stick with me like the Fitzgerald ones
10 months ago
Anonymous
lmao, I agree that reading too much of his stuff too close together can get way too familiar.
If you are just powering through those books, maybe read a story or two and then read something else? The stories serve as this transient exposures of ordinary lives, but reading too many in a row detracts from the transience and prolongs the exposure too much imo. I noticed that when I read "what we talk about" a few years ago vs when I read "Short cuts" in school. I read the latter as part of the syllabus--alongs side poems, plays, and novels from other eras--so only a couple of Carver stories every week, whereas I read "What we talk about" in a day or so. The stories from short cuts have stuck with me more intensely and for far longer, probably for that reason.
One of my favorites, he was also born in my home-town, a very small mill town in Oregon.
They hold a Raymond Carver writing festival every year, and a bunch of writers come from all over the place. Read a poem at the latest one, and had a good time (Got completely bombed at the open bar, slurred my
words when reading the poem lol )
His work is very good, and authentically captures the lifestyle of The American Working Class.
I’ve always felt it was left up in the air if the wife was paranoid or if he really was a murderer. It’s been a long time since I read it so I forget exactly how it ends. Cathedral is another great one
That one was pretty dope since the murder rape came completely out of nowhere.
Sounds like the end of ‘tell the women we’re going’ which I just read cos
Criminally underrated on here.
I was introduced to him by an English teacher at school who I swear was Carver's secret clone. Dude looked like a cross between Carver and Garry Winogrand, and spoke like garry winogrand on trenbolone.
The economy of his language (as it is always pointed out, thanks to his editor) was a big change of pace for me, as I had always enjoyed more intricate prose. But I think his male characters capture this sense of lonliness and an inability to open up that was far ahead of its time.
He very succinctly captures the brutality and hopelessness that I think a lot of us feel lies beneath an otherwise pleasant seeming surface in modern-day life: marriages filled with resentment, regrets about life--he gives these wonderful glimpses, just for a moment, into these american lives.
The first we read in class was "neighbours" when I was 15 or 16 or so, and for some reason I still remember it vividly. "So much water so close to home", "Popular mechanics", and "Tell the women we're going" are all worth a read
What do you think OP?
mentioned it
lmao, I agree that reading too much of his stuff too close together can get way too familiar.
If you are just powering through those books, maybe read a story or two and then read something else? The stories serve as this transient exposures of ordinary lives, but reading too many in a row detracts from the transience and prolongs the exposure too much imo. I noticed that when I read "what we talk about" a few years ago vs when I read "Short cuts" in school. I read the latter as part of the syllabus--alongs side poems, plays, and novels from other eras--so only a couple of Carver stories every week, whereas I read "What we talk about" in a day or so. The stories from short cuts have stuck with me more intensely and for far longer, probably for that reason.
That one was pretty dope since the murder rape came completely out of nowhere.
I’ve always felt it was left up in the air if the wife was paranoid or if he really was a murderer. It’s been a long time since I read it so I forget exactly how it ends. Cathedral is another great one
[...]
I just looked and the one I am talking about is So Much Water So Close To Home
Yes I just read it and it’s very good, I love the sinister ambiguity
Read this right after which helped to elucidate + highlight some things:
http://sittingbee.com/so-much-water-so-close-to-home-raymond-carver/
It’s not Carver but you should check out Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are We Going, Where Have We Been? It gives the same sinister vibes but cranked up to 10, it’s about a couple of older guys trying to appear young trying to get a vain teenage girl into their car. Very creepy
It’s not Carver but you should check out Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are We Going, Where Have We Been? It gives the same sinister vibes but cranked up to 10, it’s about a couple of older guys trying to appear young trying to get a vain teenage girl into their car. Very creepy
And to add to my post, if you haven’t already read Hemingway’s short stories, definitely give them a shot. Carver clearly crafted his writing off of Hemingway but with more of a mid 20th century, middle class suburbia feel. I’m pretty sure Hemingway has a sittingbee site, or something similar. His writing is great for analyzing
When my wife won’t stfu and I just need some peace and quiet, I grab “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” off the shelf, and suggest she read it. She still hasn’t read it, which is a shame, but it does have the desired effect.
Criminally underrated on here.
I was introduced to him by an English teacher at school who I swear was Carver's secret clone. Dude looked like a cross between Carver and Garry Winogrand, and spoke like garry winogrand on trenbolone.
The economy of his language (as it is always pointed out, thanks to his editor) was a big change of pace for me, as I had always enjoyed more intricate prose. But I think his male characters capture this sense of lonliness and an inability to open up that was far ahead of its time.
He very succinctly captures the brutality and hopelessness that I think a lot of us feel lies beneath an otherwise pleasant seeming surface in modern-day life: marriages filled with resentment, regrets about life--he gives these wonderful glimpses, just for a moment, into these american lives.
The first we read in class was "neighbours" when I was 15 or 16 or so, and for some reason I still remember it vividly. "So much water so close to home", "Popular mechanics", and "Tell the women we're going" are all worth a read
What do you think OP?
Ok, I'll check some of his works. Recommend me more about the life of american working class. No bulowsky and not king, plz.
Sometimes A Great Notion is a good story about Gyppo Logging in Oregon, pretty funny book too.
Getting through picrel rn. Got mixed feelings. Was reading Fitzgerald stories before.
What we talk about when we talk about love is the collection I'm most familiar with. I read 'Short cuts' at school, which contains some stories from a whole bunch of collections.
>mixed feelings
What feelings are they?
My feelings are that I agree with everything said here
but it gets to be a bit tedious when every other character has a second or third wife/husband, I do enjoy reading the Carver stories but they don’t stick with me like the Fitzgerald ones
lmao, I agree that reading too much of his stuff too close together can get way too familiar.
If you are just powering through those books, maybe read a story or two and then read something else? The stories serve as this transient exposures of ordinary lives, but reading too many in a row detracts from the transience and prolongs the exposure too much imo. I noticed that when I read "what we talk about" a few years ago vs when I read "Short cuts" in school. I read the latter as part of the syllabus--alongs side poems, plays, and novels from other eras--so only a couple of Carver stories every week, whereas I read "What we talk about" in a day or so. The stories from short cuts have stuck with me more intensely and for far longer, probably for that reason.
One of my favorites, he was also born in my home-town, a very small mill town in Oregon.
They hold a Raymond Carver writing festival every year, and a bunch of writers come from all over the place. Read a poem at the latest one, and had a good time (Got completely bombed at the open bar, slurred my
words when reading the poem lol )
His work is very good, and authentically captures the lifestyle of The American Working Class.
I'm probably the only one here who read his entire Collected Poems.
I attended a school he taught at I believe
I forget the name but I love the one where the husband possibly killed a girl on a fishing trip
That one was pretty dope since the murder rape came completely out of nowhere.
I’ve always felt it was left up in the air if the wife was paranoid or if he really was a murderer. It’s been a long time since I read it so I forget exactly how it ends. Cathedral is another great one
I just looked and the one I am talking about is So Much Water So Close To Home
Ok I will read now, I just read ‘the bath’
Sounds like the end of ‘tell the women we’re going’ which I just read cos
mentioned it
Yes ur right, I was thinking the same thing
I just read this story on my commute home from work today. Weird
Yes I just read it and it’s very good, I love the sinister ambiguity
Read this right after which helped to elucidate + highlight some things:
http://sittingbee.com/so-much-water-so-close-to-home-raymond-carver/
It’s not Carver but you should check out Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are We Going, Where Have We Been? It gives the same sinister vibes but cranked up to 10, it’s about a couple of older guys trying to appear young trying to get a vain teenage girl into their car. Very creepy
Saunders has a story with a guy and a van and a rock as well with a twist. I think in 10th of December
And to add to my post, if you haven’t already read Hemingway’s short stories, definitely give them a shot. Carver clearly crafted his writing off of Hemingway but with more of a mid 20th century, middle class suburbia feel. I’m pretty sure Hemingway has a sittingbee site, or something similar. His writing is great for analyzing
I love when it's called shit like KMart Realism and Diet Pepsi Minimalism.
Love the Todd Hido covers too.
When my wife won’t stfu and I just need some peace and quiet, I grab “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” off the shelf, and suggest she read it. She still hasn’t read it, which is a shame, but it does have the desired effect.