Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?: Stories
The first collection of stories from “one of the great short story writers of our time” (The Philadelphia Inquirer) breathed new life into the American short story, showing us the humor and tragedy that dwell in the hearts of ordinary people.
"[Carver's stories] can ... be counted among the masterpieces of American Literature." —The New York Times Book Review
"One of the great short story writers of our time—of any time." —The Philadelhpia Inquirer
"The whole collection is a knock out. Few writers can match Raymond Carver's entwining style and language." —The Dallas Morning News
"[Carver's stories] can ... be counted among the masterpieces of American Literature." —The New York Times Book Review
"One of the great short story writers of our time—of any time." —The Philadelhpia Inquirer
"The whole collection is a knock out. Few writers can match Raymond Carver's entwining style and language." —The Dallas Morning News
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Community Reviews
What an uplifting way to end the year! :D
Seriously, I have been having a hard time finishing books lately, and I thought, let me dig into some short stories. I think I can handle that! I've read snippets of Carver in the past but never really appreciated him as he should be appreciated. In 10 pages, he can suck you into the deep pain, despair, and anguish of his characters' lives. Most of these stories cover one day, or one fleeting moment, of someone's life, and you don't know what happens next, but somehow you know it's not good, it hasn't been good for a while, and it was just waiting for this moment for everything to just blow the hell up.
Seriously, I have been having a hard time finishing books lately, and I thought, let me dig into some short stories. I think I can handle that! I've read snippets of Carver in the past but never really appreciated him as he should be appreciated. In 10 pages, he can suck you into the deep pain, despair, and anguish of his characters' lives. Most of these stories cover one day, or one fleeting moment, of someone's life, and you don't know what happens next, but somehow you know it's not good, it hasn't been good for a while, and it was just waiting for this moment for everything to just blow the hell up.
There were 22 stories in this collection, and I especially enjoyed 5 of them: They're Not Your Husband, Neighbors, What's in Alaska, Bicycles, and the title story. Carver seems especially good at the sadness of disappointment though Bicycles, in particular, seemed like the opposite- about a boy's admiration of his father. I have been told I need to read What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.
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