Reviews

Kratki rezovi by Ivan Kušan, Raymond Carver

nickdleblanc's review against another edition

4.0

There are a lot of cigarettes, beer, and instances of silent menace in this collection—which should be no surprise to any reader of Carver. It’s a collection put together due to Altman’s use of Carver work as the basis for his film of the same name, a film Paul Thomas Anderson would internalize and regurgitate a few years later in a tighter and less shaggy package titled “Magnolia.” Carver, though he can fall into habits which are easily lampooned or mocked, really knows how to end a story and to pack his spare prose with a looming sense of unease and danger. He confirms a suspicion that a main character is going to do something awful to a pair of young girls in one story by saying, “He never knew what Jerry wanted. But it started and ended with a rock.” The story then ends one sentence later. My favorite stories in the collection take up the center of the book: Vitamins, Will You Please be Quiet Please?, and So Much Water So Close to Home. The latter of which being one of the best short stories I have ever read, I’d love to talk about it more but it has to be read unspoiled. The problems I had with the book are common problems with short story collections: recycled turns of phrase, characterizations, and similar imagery. All authors repeat themes. This format just can make it particularly obvious, especially when it was cobbled together from other collections as this one has been. Carver also uses a few questionable racial epithets in his narration rather than in the voice of a character, which has certainly not aged well. All told, a good collection from a great writer who trimmed all the fat from his stories but was still able to pack them with a serious energy bubbling just under the surface.
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tl;dr—Good short story collection, I recommend the book for fans of spare short stories, ie Hemingway, etc. though there is a content warning, not much explicit description of anything violent, but a whole lot of implied and sensed danger, could definitely be triggering for some. I super huge ultra recommend the film for pretty much anyone. Altman is a master.

obscuredbyclouds's review against another edition

3.0

This was my first foray into Raymond Carver's oeuvre. I expected to love this because of what I'd read about his writing and several of my favourite authors citing him as an inspiration. Clean, sleek minimalist short stories that pack a punch sounded just like my kind of thing.

And there were some brilliant stories, most notably "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?" (what an amazing title too!), but others I found not really going anywhere. Also, due to the very minimalist style and the briefness, I had trouble to connect to the characters, and in general I love character-driven stories the most.

I'd definitely be interested in reading more Carver but I wasn't as wowed as I'd hoped to be.

strwbrry_jamm's review against another edition

There are actually some incredible stories in here. There isn’t any in particular that I’d call bad but some are less engaging then others. There’s a select few I’d like to reread soon and seeing as how I had to read this for a class I probably will. The one about the husband cross dressing (I know that wasn’t the focus but still) really resonated with me and I loved how it was just casually mentioned and dropped in the same paragraph.

kamiconk16's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

deepfreezebatman's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not really sure why I like Carver's stories.. I guess it's because they are unlike anything I have ever read before. They always leave you with a disturbed sense of mystery and loss, much like a Gregory Crewdson photograph. I don't know what it is about other people's problems that is so entertaining but I just couldn't put this book down.

My favorites are:
"Neighbors"- all time favorite
"Will You Be Quiet, Please?"
"Collectors"
"Tell the Women We're Going"

cady's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

summmerose's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

open_ears_now's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

4.0

This collection consists of short stories that inspired the movie Short Cuts. I recommend reading the introduction - it’s written by Robert Altman, the director of the movie. 

If you’re a fan of Carver, you’ll realize there are many famous stories here - most of which I’ve read. 

Now after seeing the collection and knowing what’s in it - it makes me want to see the movie. 

bettyvd's review against another edition

4.0

Ik hou van de zuinige stijl van Carver. Neem een of twee koppels in landelijk Amerika , beschrijf een korte episode in hun leven en roep verlies, woede, wanhoop, geweld op. Ik hield vooral van het laatste verhaal : Tell the women we're going. "But it started and ended with a rock". Perfect.

spiderfelt's review against another edition

1.0

My hold expired before I was able to finish it, but I really didn't have the will to power through it while it was I my hands. The characters, situations, and cultural attitudes were both dated and distasteful. I couldn't find the charm or nostalgia that is sometimes present in books written decades ago. This just smelled like an dingy old motel.