I Am The Rain King: Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?

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"Before you know it as the years go by, you're just like other people you have seen, with all those peculiar human ailments. Just another vehicle for temper and vanity and rashness and all the rest. Who wants it? Who needs it? These things occupy the place where a man's soul should be." -- Henderson the Rain King

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?

Book #47 on my 2005 reading list was Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?, a collection of short stories by Raymond Carver (who is not to be confused with Raymond Chandler).

Reading this book reminded me of watching a masterful boxer toying with an unworthy foe. Round after round, story after story Carver delivers body blows to anyone challenging his reputation as a short story master. Condensing 22 stories into just under 250 pages, Carver cuts right to the point delivering emotional Hemingway-like slice of life vignettes that are sure to be taught in Lit 101 classes for years to come.

If you're a fan of short stories I'd definitely recommend checking this one out. I haven't read any other Carver works yet, so I don't know where this ranks in relation to his later output. It looks like Where I'm Calling From would also be a good place to start since it's sort of a greatest hits compilation of his stories (including several from Will You Please Be Quiet, Please).

Labels: raymond carver

3 Comments:

gamze said...

i think he's great. you should check out altman's 'shortcuts' too if you haven't seen it already.

Jamie said...

Thanks for the heads up. I'll definitely check that out.

Anonymous said...

definitly worth checking out- fires is a great comp. one of my fav short story writers. laid the way for the likes of auster, salter and sorrentino.