I had never read Raymond Carver before this book. The stories are depressing--nearly all of his characters are in failed relationships, drink too much, and exist in dead-end jobs. And yet there is a haunting quality to the stories that kept me turning the pages. Carver's lean prose goes at the heart of his characters and through them to the reader. An interesting aspect of this edition is the appearance of several stories in more than one form. This is a beautiful and comprehensive collection of Raymond Carver's writing. I love that it includes the original manuscript for What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, originally called Beginners. It's interesting to see the heavy hand of his editor, Gordon Lish, who was the man behind Carver's trademark minimalism. Some people prefer Carver's longer version, but I actually think the edits, though dramatic, make the stories more powerful, more mysterious. You can't read this book all in one sitting; many of the stories are about dissolving marriages and reading one after another would be a grim undertaking. But in small doses, Carver's writing proves as powerful and real now as it was when I first read him in high school almost 20 years ago.
What do You think about Collected Stories (2006)?
I dove right in to Beginners to see what he was REALLY talking about when he talks about love...
—Shortyweaver
So far its amazing. Short Stories are my favorite and Carver is one of the best in the field.
—Shellbell
This is a very very thick read, it's not something you can polish off in a weekend...
—Bea
The master. I've read no one else who says so much in so few words.
—Mayel
