Average customer rating:
- Nice introduction to contemporary writing
- A Storytelling Poet (for the everyman)
- A voice so minimal it's barely audible
- Where Chekhov is calling from
- Concise and Captivating
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Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories
Raymond Carver
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Mating: A Novel
ASIN: 0679722319
Release Date: 1989-06-18 |
Amazon.com
The last story collection published during Carver's life (he died in 1988) contains most of his greatest hits from his earlier books, as well as seven stories that hadn't been collected up to that point. The breadth of the collection makes these 37 stories an extremely complete map of Carver territory, of a particular area of America and of the specific texture of the people Carver writes about -- their difficult attempts at survival in a world where happiness does not arrive wrapped up in neat packages but comes in far more peculiar parcels, if it comes at all.
Book Description
By the time of his early death in 1988, Raymond Carver had established himself as one of the great practitioners of the American short story, a writer who had not only found his own voice but imprinted it in the imaginations of thousands of readers.
Where I'm Calling From, his last collection, encompasses classic stories from
Cathedral,
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, and earlier Carver volumes, along with seven new works previously unpublished in book form. Together, these 37 stories give us a superb overview of Carver's life work and show us why he was so widely imitated but never equaled.
Customer Reviews:
Nice introduction to contemporary writing.......2007-02-12
I am a hopeless lit. snob. I read only classics. When new books are presented to me, especially books with works published less than 40 years ago, I tend to be very cautious. Raymond Carver's collection may have just changed that. He's accessible to a wide array of readers, from hardcore English majors to "the working man" about whom he so often writes. Stories vary in length from a few pages to over ten, and while some seem to have impenetrable depth of thought, many are easily enjoyed without thinking TOO hard :)
Whether you aren't much of a reader or have books upon books that you've read and loved, this collection has something you can enjoy.
A Storytelling Poet (for the everyman).......2007-01-04
This ought to be called the Greatest Hits of Raymond Carver--with Bonus Tracks*. All of my own personal favorites are here: "Cathedral", "Fever", "Why Don't You Dance?". A few which appeared in previous collections are here restored to Carver's original conception. They appear more fleshed out, the characters are more developed, and oftentimes the tone is entirely changed. Some of Carver's stories will no doubt confound expectations. "Why Don't You Dance?" is told in such a sparse and poetic language that it may not be so easily accepted as a story; it seems to be more like a dance of words and images that dares its way into the heart. Carver's stories are famous for their intimacy with everyday life and everyday folk. His characters' struggles are exalted rather than belittled by the rationality of their predicaments. In "So Much Water So Close to Home" a man's absent-minded choice not to let a floating corpse interrupt his fishing trip culminates in a cosmic battle of Good and Evil between him and his wife yet right in the middle of their kitchen.
I think that many readers who express a dislike of Carver's stories are in fact favoring one Carver style over another. I can't imagine any lover of fiction with a shred of sensitivity being able to brush off "A Small, Good Thing" as a banal tale of child tragedy; the character of the baker is such a perfectly fulfilling example of the duality of human nature. However I can imagine a reader who enjoyed "A Small, Good Thing" completing the last sentence of "Fat" feeling puzzled about where to draw the conclusion between a large man gorging himself in a restaurant and a waitress's off-handed confession of rape. One story doesn't necessarily inform or justify another, and in that sense perhaps that's why this is a selection and not a "collection".
My best advice to new readers of Carver is to give each one of these stories its own personal creative license and realize that Carver was a poet. Really. He published poems as well as stories, and sometimes the accessibility of his vocabulary and the accessibility of his themes aren't consistent. What is consistent is the pleasure of his craft which can be experienced throughout these stories albeit on shifting levels.
*referring to the seven previously unpublished (in book form) stories included at the end of the book
A voice so minimal it's barely audible.......2006-08-22
After having read `Cathedral' for an English Composition class I was teaching last semester, I bought this book in earnest and waited eagerly for its arrival. I wanted so much to like it. I wanted poignant prose and acerbic wit, evidence of a keen observer's eye. Instead, these translucently-thin slices of life left me half-filled, and wondering why the portions weren't more ample. Many of the 37 stories in this book seem to be told both by and in the exact same voice. The overwhelming majority of them revolve around domestic squabbles or silly disagreements that aren't really worth writing about, and the quality of the prose isn't high enough to offset the lack of an intriguing plot. I suppose this is what Carver fans would consider to be `beautiful banality', but for me many of these tales seemed both unfulfilling and tiresome.
The book starts off with a bang, "Nobody Said Anything", the tale of an adolescent narrator and a big fish caught with a newfound friend one afternoon. "Bicycles, Muscles, and Cigarettes" follows, a colorful vignette about a row between three boys that spills over to their fathers. There are other bright lights in the collection, but halfway through (the stories are ordered chronologically, so I read them in order) the mundanity sets in. Literally countless tales of middle-aged protagonists agonizing over the minutiae of life at 4 in the morning on sleepless nights. All of his characters are divorcees, or soon to be separated. Most are alcoholics. Most tales start in media res, but leave us there as well, ending just as arbitrarily as they begin. Fans of Carver might attempt to call this a strong point, but the majority of these stories seem more suited to short stage performance pieces than to prose. Dialogue that is Seinfeldian in its simplicity, only sans the wit. A story that ends with the paltry self-affirmation, "My life is going to change. I feel it." Lots of "we just don't feel the same way as we used to" lines shared between despondent erstwhile lovers. But when we aren't told of the origins of the rift, it's hard to feel sympathy one way or the other.
There is a lot of the author in many of these stories - indeed, one question I came up with time and time again was just how `fictional' much of this short fiction really was. But no fewer than 12 of these stories revolve around a spousal dispute and/or alcoholism. And when Carver ventures out into other territories, it seems as though he is almost lost without the security blanket of the one topic he knows all too well.
Perhaps the last story in the collection, "Errand", unwittingly sums up the author's oeuvre all too well. In it, uncharacteristically, Carver recounts the tale of the last days of the playwright Chekhov. He mentions that Tolstoy came to see Chekhov as he was nearing death, although he was no fan of the man's work. He said of it "the plays were static and lacking in any moral vision. `Where do your characters take you?' he often demanded of Chekhov, "From the sofa to the junk room and back.'" At the completion of this book, I was left wanting to ask Carver the same.
Where Chekhov is calling from .......2006-04-14
The readers of Raymond Carver's selected stories "Where I'm Calling From" is likely to spend 500 pages wondering is this writer is the American Chekhov of suburbia, and is never sure. Until the reader reaches the very last story. The first word in "Errand" is "Chekhov", and as we progress in the reading we can notice that this narrative is about the Russian writer. Then it is time all doubts are dissipated and we can only conclude that Carver's work is a sort of homage to or influence by Chekhov.
Either case, it is a good thing, since that Russian writer is one of the biggest masters of short stories. But, even being under Chekhov's spell, Carver is still a writer of his own. Actually one of the best short story writers of the XX century. Too bad he died so young, one can only imagine what he would have produced more.
In this book of selected stories, the reader can have a vast tableau of Carver's themes, style, approach, and sensibility. There are 30 texts that were previously published, and seven new stories. In these 30-plus tales, the writer is able to dissect with beauty and witty the American psyche -- or yet, soul.
It is not difficult to be seduced by his dry style in which he doesn't try to make beautiful sentences -- but better yet, he reaches deeper depths in the soul of his characters. Carver is not after poetic moments, but he brings up some poetry from everyday life, from banal moments that are important only to those who are the main character of them.
His stories are usually short, and at the same time very efficient. The characters Carver portrays could be living in the same neighborhood, and at the same time they have very different lives. From his stories, we can realize that every life has its own beauty.
And these aspects are very close to those that made Chekhov one of the best, and we still read him, admire his work and consider his texts vanguard a hundred years later they were produced. Carver is very likely to have the same reward in the future. He does deserve it.
Concise and Captivating.......2006-03-29
Where I'm Calling From is a collected edition of Raymond Carver's short stories. Carver died from lung cancer in 1988, but before doing so he was said to have been one of the writers responsible for bringing back the glory of the short story.
Where I'm Calling From is certainly the work of an expert. The stories are nothing particularly outlandish or special in terms of subject matter, but they most definitely cut to the heart of what it means to be human and to have relationships with other humans. Carver seemed especially intent upon giving us stories about married couples who are divorced, in the process of getting divorced, or are on their way to getting a divorce.
That's not to say all of the stories found within this collection deal with such topics. Some of them deal with losing a child, some deal with reflecting on parents, and some deal with simple experiences one has in life. However, all of them are told in a concise and captivating manner where the reader can't help but finish the story in one sitting.
I recommend reading Where I'm Calling From if you are interested in studying non-traditional short stories, especially if you're a writer. I think his work may be a little too abrupt and unconventional for just the casual reader, though I feel everyone would benefit from reading this man who mastered his art.
To me, the most fascinating aspect of Raymond Carver is that as he neared his death, his stories actually got more positive. That says something.
(Visit author Scott William Foley at www.swilliamfoley.com)
Average customer rating:
- Absolutly stunning! I couldn't stop reading!
- Carver's writing cuts through the artiface of literature.
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Where I'm Calling From
Raymond Carver
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
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Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories
ASIN: 0394578740
Release Date: 1989-05-27 |
Book Description
2 cassettes / 3 hours
Read by Peter Riegert
"One of the great short story writers of our time - of any time."
-- Philadelphia Inquirer
Few American writers are more admired than the late Raymond Carver. In Where I'm Calling From, his highly-acclaimed short story collection, Carver displays an astounding genius.
Carver's stories are populated by characters living in an unforgiving world, suffering the burdens of displacement, divorce, despair. These people snarl and bark and speak in bursts of rough-and tumble dialogue. They are everybody, anybody, nobody. Here, Carver has captured a heart-wrenchingly poignant world of real people with real problems, convincingly portrayed in a spare and gritty style.
A final testament to Carver's towering talent,
Where I'm Calling From is a mesmerizing masterpiece of fiction, drama, and poetry.
Stories included:
Neighbors
Colelctors
Chef's House
Little Things
Fat Elephant
Where I'm Calling From
A Serious Talk
Cathedral
Customer Reviews:
Absolutly stunning! I couldn't stop reading!.......1998-06-24
It's like little pebbles that make up the beach. The short storries conbine to give you a feel of his life. Great collection of storries. Some that reflect on me so much that they often remind me of things in my childhood.
Carver's writing cuts through the artiface of literature........1998-01-06
These are raw stories of the human heart in conflict. They will change your life forever.
Average customer rating:
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Where I'm Calling From
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I32H4G |
Product Description
The author's fifth collection of short stories and final book. The true first. Precedes and should not be confused with all other editions. One of the most beautiful editions in the Franklin Mint Library's "Signed First Edition" Series. Limited Edition of unspecified number. An elegant production. Leather boards with gilt titles on cover and spine and gilt swirling pattern. Short stories and Introduction by Raymond Carver. The latter piece has not appeared in any other published form. Gilt page edges. Color frontispiece illustration depicting a scene from one of the stories. Marbled endpapers. Satin ribbon marker bound-in. Printed on thick uncoated stock paper in the United States to the highest standards. Presents and gathers together Raymond Carver's best short stories from previous collections, together with new ones, personally supervised by the then terminally-ill author. Anton Chekhov was the single greatest influence on Carver, and one of his finest stories is a fictional account of the great Russian writer's illness and imminent death. "Carver's stories can already be counted among the masterpieces of American fiction" (Irving Howe). Howe was a prescient critic because more than 25 years later, his early critical assessment has been validated by widespread critical consensus. "Where I'm Calling From" was selected by the panel of New York Times writers, critics, and editors as one of the Top 20 most important works of American fiction of the last 25 years, the only short story collection in the list. One of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. © 2006 ModernRare.com
Average customer rating:
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Raymond Carver's "Where I'm Calling From": A Study Guide from Gale's "Short Stories for Students" (Volume 03, Chapter 20)
Manufacturer: The Gale Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B00006G3PY
Release Date: 2002-07-23 |
Book Description
Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?
Turn to "Short Stories for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the story's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.
Why choose "Short Stories for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Short Stories for Students."
Download Description
Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?
Turn to "Short Stories for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the story's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.
Why choose "Short Stories for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Short Stories for Students."
Book Description
There are robbers to catch, children to save and the hordes of Apokolips to stop and Darkseids minions provide only a hint of the threats that challenge the Man of Tomorrow. From the Silver Banshee to Proteus to new threats like Weapons Master and Sodom Gomorrah, the relentless action is nonstop for the Man of Steel. Will he have enough strength in the end to face the villainous Gog?
Customer Reviews:
He's Here.......2007-07-22
After years of being foretold in cameos, mentions, and future-set/Elseworlds stories, Gog - one of the DC Universe's ultimate villains - finally arrived in current time-frame, non-'just-a-glimpse' DCU continuity in the epic arc starting in Action Comics # 814. "The Wrath Of Gog" reprints Action #s 814-819, plus the 'prequel' back-ups from Action # 812 & 813 (the main bulk of those issues can be found in the collection "Superman: Godfall").
The main saga takes place in Action Comics #s 814-818, which kicks off with the Man Of Steel informed by an unlikely source that the Doomsday monster is back on Earth, leaving Superman to recruit a small team of allies to begin the search for Doomsday, now apparantly - according to the source - possessed of intelligence. It's in Smallville, where a trio of the Teen Titans are dispatched to, that Gog abruptly and catacylsmically makes his very public arrival. Armed with mega-powerful future weapons, and himself among the most powerful metahumans in existance, Gog also wields his ability to dart in and out of time to make himself practically invincible.
In the wake of the titanic clash between Superman and Gog - which ends quite strangely and leaves it clear that the full story has only begun to unfold, a terribly damaged Superman finds himself under siege by a host of long-time adversaries hoping to take advantage of his weakened state. After years of having come to the aid of virtually every major DC hero, Superman finds himself in the relatively rare circumstance of having to depend heavily on a group of hastily assembling champions to protect him. Incidentally, kudos to the creative team for adding in a couple of less expected, less frequently seen characters to the Doomsday-searchers and the 'cavalry' in addition to characters like Wonder Woman and Superboy, who are often in on Superman adventures that feature a group effort. After the big saga comes Action Comics # 819, which might normally be called an 'aftermath' issue, but is so good I don't really want to use that tag, and which also veers off from just following up events from the main saga quite a bit. Every so often an issue of the Superman titles will focus on the relationship between Superman/Clark and one or members of the so-called 'supporting cast' - Ma and Pa Kent; Jimmy Olsen; etc. In 819 Lana Lang takes center stage in a quite surprising and exceptionally well done 'personal' kind of storytelling. # 819 also introduces two new villains, Sodom and Gommorah - whose names derive from their ability to cause living tissue to turn into salt - who are original enough but who will have to wait for another day to really be developed; their role, and the battle role in the issue, takes a backseat to the main story.
We're presented with a slightly different take on Superman in these issues, one who fits well with the brief humorous respites amidst all the grand action and drama, but I don't think it's an inconsistent take. Even Superman's spirits and tones have to occasionally vary over the years, and at its heart I feel it's a more faithful version of the character than has occasionally cropped up, i.e. the incarnation of the Man Of Steel from the "Ten Cent Adventure" one-shot a couple of years before these books, and the immediate issues of "Superman" following it. I'm not trying to slam Steven Seagle, who wrote this issues - his take on the character improved rapidly after his debut to where, just a few months later, he was putting out really excellent issues. But those first couple, I didn't even recognize the character. There've been a few other instances like that with Superman over the years, but the little nuances Chuck Austen added in here worked fine, I thought. Characterization was a strong point across the board, with a few new characters introduced, and very proficient handling of Wonder Woman, Gog, Lana, and the others. The art by Ivan Reis and Mark Campos was outstanding; a few of the far-off facial expressions could have used a touch of work (definately Not a problem with any of the closeups), but other than that flawless. One thing I really liked was that no matter how fast or slow the story was progressing, the art flowed with it extremely well.
The issues collected here are indispensable for the Superman fan. "Wrath Of Gog" is followed by the collection "Superman: In The Name Of Gog", which reprints Action #s 820-825.
Not really Superman?.......2007-01-27
I enjoyed this comic but had one problem with it, Superman just wasn't...well Superman. Several of the other review's of this book have said pretty much the same thing, and I have to agree. I saw this book in my local comic shop and the art caught my attention it was spectacular. I didn't take the time to read any of the story I just went home and ordered my own brand new copy. The story was good, well paced with plenty of action. The best part of the story was the ending when you could see the direction the whole thing had been leading to, very well done. The problem was the characterizations, they were off. Most were just a little of, somewhat uncomfortable. But it was Superman, the focus of the story and the series, the character that everyone knows, who was unrecognizable. Yes the outfit was there, the cape and the "Big Red S", but the character just wasn't Superman. You could have pulled this plot, and even the sub-plots, substituted any of a number of different superheroes into the lead roll and fit their friends, family and enemies into the other roll's and this would have been a great book. But this wasn't a Superman story because Superman just wasn't in it.
First Gog Appearance.......2006-02-08
I just want to say that Ivan Reis' artworks here stand cool. Also, the first time of Gog's appearance.
Fails to capture Superman's character........2005-07-24
To be fair, "The Wrath of Gog" is not a bad comic. The story is told in fairly compelling terms and the art is only one step below spectatular. The problem is simple: this is NOT a good SUPERMAN comic. Chuck Austen failed to grasp who Superman is and what he is about. There's too much "smartass" in this version of the character and not enough "truth, justice and the American way".
To be fair to everyone involved, I'll break my review down:
WRITING - 1 Star
ART - 5 Stars
OTHER PRODUCTION VALUES (Format, coloring, lettering, etc) - 5 Stars
I average all that out at three stars, but I can't recommend this book.
pretty darn good.......2005-07-17
I just finished reading this tpb yesterday, and I must say that I couldn't put it down until I was finished. First off, the art was top-notch, and I loved all the single- and double-page spreads where the action practically leapt off the page. Awesome!
Now, on to the writing... I have heard many bad comments on the writing of Chuck Austen, and very often I have agreed with much of what was said. I have always thought that he does marvelous build-up and good action, but then his stories tend to fall through and lose any real hard-hitting point or make any progress at the end--almost like he squeezes his endings too short when he should take another issue to flesh out the possibilities. However, this was NOT the case with this storyline. Here is the point--normally I don't buy or read Superman because the character is too Pollyanna-ish for me. He is normally too much of the squeaky-clean boy scout. In this story, he had some grit. And come on, aren't superheroes allowed to get upset and pissed off when they are constantly being attacked? Especially when a bunch of second-string villains attack when they know he is injured?
Yes, the whole Lana Lang side-story seemed a bit forced, but sometimes maybe a writer has to push to make changes in characters that haven't really evolved or developed in the past 40+ years. At least this kept my interest. Normally with Superman's personal life, I just couldn't care less about reading more of the same drivel that I read when I was a child.
Overall, this was a good solid read with great action and awesome art, and it even managed to interest this 25+ year reader in the possibilities for Clark's personal life.
Book Description
Samandahl Rey was a loner, a wandering ex-soldier whose sense of responsibility extended only to himself and to his friend, Roiya Sintor - until the Sigil was forced upon him, a brand of vast power that changed his destiny forever. Now the first daughter of Delassia needs his protection, his worst enemy is about to ask for his help, and the entire Planetary Union is depending on Sam to free its citizens from the tyranny of the vile, lizardlike Saurian race. Sam's about to find he had no idea what the word `responsibility' meant. SIGIL is a panorama of intergalactic fleet actions and strange, alien worlds. CrossGen's only straight sci-fi series, Sigil is leavened with a spark of humor and romance that sets it apart from your typical space odyssey. >SIGIL V. 2: THE MARKED MAN - On the run from the Saurian Empire and Sam`s personal enemy, the Saurian Prince Tchlusarud, Sam and Roiya are heade `anywhere but here.` Tagging along is Zanniati, the runaway wife of the Sultan Ronolo of Tanipal, and JeMerik Meer, a member of the Sultan`s guard. They end up in Delassia, where they discover Zanni`s more than just a trophy wife, and Roiya discovers there's more to JeMerik than just a rouguish smile and good timing.
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03
Life gets more complicated for Sam, as he basically rescues a princess from an evil dictator. He is getting annoyed by all the responsbility, and what he begins to feel for this woman.
Great sci-fi action, with a mystery and a twist.......2002-10-28
A truly great read for comic book people and non-comic book people alike. This book has wonderful characters, an intriguing premise, and plenty of action and excitement.
A must have. Read the first one for a clue to the greater story!
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- A Half Caste and Other Writings (Asian American Experience)
- A Piece of My Soul: Quilts by Black Arkansans
- A Time Far Past
- Abide with Me: A Novel
- About Schmidt (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
- According to Queeney
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