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p_t_b's review against another edition
4.0
Everything from "A Small, Good Thing" on is amazing, except for maybe "Tell the Women..." which is like a Flannery O'Connor story with no jokes. All of these stories are tilted toward something, some atrocity or internal glitch that moves everything. There is a lot of physical and emotional violence against women and at least one dog. I am not really sure how great all of this in toto but there is storytelling magic here.
laffols's review against another edition
5.0
What is there to say about Raymond Carver? God. His short stories cut through skin and make your bones ache. Maybe I'm particularly moved by his words because he locates a lot of his stories in Oregon and Washington - but I know there's more to it than that. There's just something so unbearable but beautifully human in everything he puts words to - it's all mundane and too much at the same time. I will never not cry when I read A Good, Small Thing and Lemonade.
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
madetodecay's review against another edition
i’m calling this done because i couldn’t stand it anymore. i was really disappointed actually, expected carver to be better. predictable, not particularly astute, stale writing
bookpanther's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4/5
"I look at all of Carver's work as just one story, for his stories are all occurrences, all about things that just happen to people and cause their lives to take a turn." -- Robert Altman on Carver
Short Cuts was the perfect bite-sized treat this week. Carver is known for his minimal writing style and his exploration of the mundane, but what I really enjoyed is the sense of eerie tension that he builds up within each story -- most of which is left unresolved. In my favorite of this collection, "A Small, Good Thing," the tension welling up was so palpable, but the way Carver ended it took me by surprise. Overall, the collection is well worth the read!
"I look at all of Carver's work as just one story, for his stories are all occurrences, all about things that just happen to people and cause their lives to take a turn." -- Robert Altman on Carver
Short Cuts was the perfect bite-sized treat this week. Carver is known for his minimal writing style and his exploration of the mundane, but what I really enjoyed is the sense of eerie tension that he builds up within each story -- most of which is left unresolved. In my favorite of this collection, "A Small, Good Thing," the tension welling up was so palpable, but the way Carver ended it took me by surprise. Overall, the collection is well worth the read!
francosteen's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I hadn’t read this in a couple decades. I remember liking it then, especially since I’ve kept it for so long, and I thoroughly enjoyed it again.
I usually have to be in the right mood to read short stories, but his just really pulled me in, for each and every one. I’m not even sure how to describe why they’re so good! Maybe it’s something about a simple nuance in a relationship, in human nature, in life, and then just writing it in a way that’s just so intriguing and unexpected? I really can’t pinpoint why I loved these stories!
Why didn’t I read more of his work before?
I usually have to be in the right mood to read short stories, but his just really pulled me in, for each and every one. I’m not even sure how to describe why they’re so good! Maybe it’s something about a simple nuance in a relationship, in human nature, in life, and then just writing it in a way that’s just so intriguing and unexpected? I really can’t pinpoint why I loved these stories!
Why didn’t I read more of his work before?
younganna's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
First time reading Raymond Carver. Really enjoyed the highly readable but also complex and twisted stories. Men 😓
marlo42's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This was an intriguing little introduction to Carver for me, who I hadn’t read before. So far as the positives go, in terms of craft, this is incredible. Each story is meticulously fine-tuned, with no spare words or elements out of wack.
However, the stories themselves aren’t always the most compelling. The best of the bunch, for me, was “A Small Good Thing,” but some of the shorter offerings lose me a little bit in their vignettelike approach to moral sickness.
I’ll read more carver, but with some trepidation.
However, the stories themselves aren’t always the most compelling. The best of the bunch, for me, was “A Small Good Thing,” but some of the shorter offerings lose me a little bit in their vignettelike approach to moral sickness.
I’ll read more carver, but with some trepidation.
marion's review against another edition
2.0
*read for literature classes*
j'ai juste vraiment aimé qu'une nouvelle et le poème... le reste était soit meh, soit dubitatif soit je comprenais pas ce que ça foutait là (la nouvelle sur l'aspirateur ???????)
j'ai juste vraiment aimé qu'une nouvelle et le poème... le reste était soit meh, soit dubitatif soit je comprenais pas ce que ça foutait là (la nouvelle sur l'aspirateur ???????)
drewbagelz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25