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Book reviews for "Carver,_Raymond" sorted by average review score:

Getting Rich in America: 8 Simple Rules for Building a Fortune and a Satisfying Life
Published in Hardcover by HarperBusiness (1999)
Authors: Dwight R. Lee, Richard B. McKenzie, and Raymond Carver
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Buy this book!
This book is my "pick of the week". I highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to save for retirement. The book clearly maps out a course to follow to retirement wealth. I also liked that it wasn't all just numbers, the authors discussed the need for old fashioned values like honesty, determination and a good marriage. The examples that even people at the bottom rungs of the economic ladder can retire wealthy really hit home. I work with temp workers at my job from time to time and let me tell you, being poor is definitely a state of mind. None of them have a plan, all of them blame circumstance and all think winning the lottery is their only hope. I think this book is a must read whether you are scraping by as a temp or if you are making a bundle. Buy it, read it, live it! See you at the top!

The most well rounded financial advice book I've read so far
As the name states, this book explains how it is possible to build wealth AND achieve a satisfying life by following a few simple rules. There are no off-the-wall advice or get-rich-quick schemes offered here, unlike the material from some other "financial gurus". All of the principles presented in this book are logically sound and time-proven, but I hesitate to say "common-sense" because so few people actually practice them in reality.

For example, I think we've all heard about the power of compounding--and how it can turn a modest savings into a significant nest egg over time. However, very few people take this to heart and apply it to their daily money management decisions, because they feel it requires too much work or they feel helpless in controlling their expenses. What the authors do is demonstrate, by using specific examples and crunching the numbers, that even minor expenditures today can have significant economic impact down the road. They show that by making certain choices early on in one's life, nearly ANYONE can build a fortune in America. It truly doesn't require a genius or lots of luck to become rich today. Moreover, the authors point out that one doesn't have to sacrifice all of life's pleasures or live like a pauper in order to achieve financial security. All it takes is a little prudent savings and investing. If you believe in the opportunity to achieve wealth in this country, but have trouble getting motivated and taking action, this book is for you.

The chapter on investing is excellent. The authors explain how trying to beat the market is futile, and "safe" returns can be riddled with risk over the long haul (due to inflation). If you believe that you are just as capable of managing your investments as paid experts, you'll like this book.

Most people aren't aware of the return on education; I know I went to college just because it was the thing to do (and my parents wouldn't have it any other way ;) This book describes how increasing one's education level can substantially affect (negatively and positively) one's earnings. It's very interesting reading.

What this book also emphasizes, that most other financial advice books neglect to mention, is that living a good lifestyle is not only satisfying but also FINANCIALLY rewarding. Practicing good ethics enables a person to feel good about him/herself (leading to a more productive life), and making healthy lifestyle choices extends your life (thereby allowing the power of compounding to work longer). If you want validation that doing the right thing and living responsibly is rewarding emotionally AND financially, then read this book.

The only point that I have a minor quibble with is: getting married is good for wealth building. I understand what the authors are trying to say, which (I think) is: being in a committed relationship and having a contributing partner can accelerate the wealth building process. However, I don't believe that the actual marriage contract is necessary for achieving wealth. While marriage may help some couples stay together, it can also provide a false sense of security for others (causing them to stop working as hard on maintaining the relationship). Some people choose not to get married because they have no desire to produce offspring, others do it to avoid the "marriage tax penalty". I think unmarried, committed couples are just as likely to build significant wealth (and live fulfilling lives) as married couples. Anyway, I'm being technical here, and what's important is that the authors do get their point across.

I really liked this book, and I am practicing all the principles described in it. I find my peace of mind higher than ever, knowing that I'm well on the path towards a secure future.

Excellent advice; Easy to read; Very effective principles
The eight rules reinforce which many people intuitively know. I bought this for my college age child and will buy another for my highschool age child. It clearly outlines the basics of creating a balance in life and how to reach financial security without the need to win the lottery. A great book for young people to refer to for many years. The examples are modern day issues which many of us face rountinely.


Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories
Published in Hardcover by Vintage/Ebury (A Division of Random House Group) (15 April, 1985)
Author: Raymond Carver
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good stuff
I've always thought Carver's prose was better than this poetry, but I think I like the poetry in this book better than the prose. Maybe that's because I've seen most of the prose in other books in slightly different forms. So Much Water So Close to Home is one of my favorite Carver stories, but I like it better in What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.

Anyway, the poetry shines here, which is good because they take up the majority of the book. The essays are nice as well, showing a slightly different side of the author. They may be more valuable to a Carver enthusiast like myself than to someone picking him up for the first time. The stories are okay, but I'd rather read "Cathedral" or "What we Talk About" for the stories. There is something precious about a final edition, the edition the author decided he wanted you to see when he wrote the piece. Most of these stories are earlier editions.

So. A good book for a Carver enthusiast. It has turned me on to his poetry, and I'll have to check more of it out now. Not the first Carver book you should read, though. That would be Cathedral, I think.

Read it for the Poems
As spare as they are, most of Carver's short stories strike me as a bit long-winded. Not so his poetry, which treats his usual themes--alcoholism, working-class poverty, and rocky relationships--with greater wit and vigor than his prose. The essays will be of interest to would-be writers and Carver biographers, but what makes this book outstanding is the 60 pages of poetry which comprise its heart.

Common places, common people doing common things!
When Raymond Carver died in 1988 at 50, the literary world lost one of the greatest short story writers from the past few decades. Carver, a master at dialogue, a master at creating stories with substance, mystery beyond the surface, stories so commonplace, with commonplace people doing common things. We get a glimpse into their lives and these characters reflect everyday America. Those characters are his life and they are us! Read any Raymond Carver story and you will identify with something in it.

But here, you get a bonus, the essays that define his work like "On Writing" and a profound essay on his experience taking a creative writing class with the late author John Gardner as his teacher. Gardner had nothing published at the time, but he saw something in Carver and gave him the key to his office to write. Carver displays admiration and respect for Gardner.

As anyone who is familiar with Carver's books, you know he revised and retitled some stories. Most likely, the best original version of "Mr. Coffee and Mr. Fix It" is this early version, titled, "Where is Everyone?"

The bulk of work in this collection is the poems. The Charles Bukowski poem is here, plus others that reflect Carver's world. A poem "Distress Sale" depicts sadness that Carver endured early in his first marriage. If you like Raymond Carver, you will enjoy this book.....MzRizz.


The Cunning Man: A Novel
Published in Hardcover by Viking Press (1995)
Author: Robertson Davies
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Canada dry mock
This is my first encounter with Robertson Davies. I had never heard of him, and would not have read him if he weren't noted in the reader's list of the Modern Library's top 100 novels. And how unfortunate it would have been had I not picked up this book!

The Cunning Man is an examination of the life of a doctor, told by himself. Asked to recall the story of the strange death of Father Ninian Hobbes which he witnessed, he recounts his past; his childhood, his schooling, the work of his profession, the influences that have made him who he is. In doing so, he shares with us his observations on the nature of life, love, art, illness, friendship, and many other things. Davies lets us have a picture of life, complete with accomplishments and disappointments, dreams and dreams undone, and makes it real and interesting and intelligent. I can understand the appeal he has for his fans and I will be reading more of Davies' books soon.

A last laugh from the master
Nobody who has not discovered Robertson Davies could possibly understand the almost fanatical devotion of his fans. As one reviewer put it, he is the kind of writer who makes you pester your friends to read him, so that they may share the joy. The Cunning Man was Davies's last novel and, as might be expected, he ended his life with a bravura piece of literary virtuosity. Like his central character, Dr Jonathan Hullah, Davies is a wise old man, looking back on what must have been an extraordinary life, sharing some of the delights and vexations with his audience. Sometimes sad, sometimes hilariously funny (try the annual bad breath competition - if you don't laugh you are probably certifiably dead), always accomplished and almost obscenely knowledgable, this is one of the most satisfying books you are likely to read in some time.

An Unusual Yarn Well Told
Robertson Davies remains far and away my favorite novelist. After reading this book, I was sorry that he was no longer around to continue putting out such entertaining work. Some people, even otherwise enthusiastic Davies fans, don't care much for this book. As a physician, perhaps this biased me in the book's favor, but I thought this the most enjoyable book I read in 2000. I've read all of Davies novels and would rank this high among them. The story never sagged, the characters were of the usual fascinating Davies' variety, and his humor had me laughing aloud again and again.

Davies' narrator is Dr. Jonathan Hullah, a physician of unusual diagnostic skills and adroit healing powers. He is known as the cunning man, a term hearkening back to English village life in which a sort of village know-all could do a little of everything, from setting broken bones to doctoring horses. He was the wizard of folk tradition, the cunning man. The Cunning Man is Dr. Hullah's fascinating reminiscence of life, from boyhood apprenticeship with an old Indian healer to his service in the medical corps during World War II, then on to his unusual medical practice (which included such orthodox measures as having his patients strip off their clothes and lay on an exam table while he sniffed them.) Hullah narrates this while at the same time conducting a search into the mysterious death of his parish priest while saying mass. This combination memoir/mystery novel was, as I said earlier, the most pleasurable book I read in 2000. If the chief end of a novel is entertainment, then this book succeeded admirably.


Call If You Need Me: The Uncollected Fiction and Other Prose (Vintage Contemporaries)
Published in Paperback by Vintage Books (09 January, 2001)
Authors: Raymond Carver, William L. Stull, and Tess Gallagher
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New stories great; disappointing book for real Carver fans
I am excited that there are "new" stories by Raymond Carver. "Call If You Need Me" and "Kindling" are among his best. The rest of the book is disappointing to me: I didn't realize that this would just be the new stories tacked on to NO HEROICS, PLEASE. Essentially, serious readers of Carver's work are being asked to buy the same book twice. "Call If You Need Me" can be found in this year's O. Henry anthology, and "Kindling" can be found in the current edition of Best American Short Stories. The other new stories, I guess, can be found in past issues of Esquire magazine. If the new stories were instead collected in some other way - say, in a slim volume alone, or with some unpublished work by other worthy writers, then I wouldn't be as disappointed. I was expecting a new book altogether -- not just new pages. Still, these stories need to be read. NO HEROICS, PLEASE is a book worth owning, too. If you don't already own it, then I recommend this title. Otherwise, find the new stories elsewhere.

Carver for friends
Try to rate a Carver short stories collection is like trying to rate your father actions. You just can't judge him, you only can stare at him. You can even try to understand him, but you don't really have to. There is something beautiful and small hidden in every adjective, every description, every end of a story. Raymond Carver's love for human actions is everywhere in his writing. He puts big attention in little details, uncovering the small moments in every relationationship. You and your wife. Your wife and her friends. Tons of couples having dinner with other couples. Every little thing is a whole world for Carver.

This book comes with four new stories recently discovered, a couple of great essays (the great "My father's life"), early stories, introductions, books reviews and a small uncomppleted fragment of a novel. Definitively, it's Carver for friends. If you are not familiar with his books, you should start with his most famous books, as "What we talk abgout when we talk about love", or his first collection of stories, "Will you please be quiet, please?". Any other case, you are welcome to enter this house.


Furious Seasons
Published in Paperback by Capra Press (1976)
Author: Raymond Carver
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Definately worth the money
I found this one down in the zshops. You really have to be a fan of Raymond, or perhaps a fisherman. These were all, with the exception of 'So Much Water, So Close to home', stories that I hadn't read before. I particularly liked the first one, 'Dummy', and I also liked, although it was the shortest story, 'Mine'. Not a good book for your first introduction to Raymond Carvers work. Strictly for the long time fan.


Furious seasons and other stories
Published in Unknown Binding by Capra Press ()
Author: Raymond Carver
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Only for the hard-core Carver fan.
Most of these stories, I had never read, with the exception of 'So Much Water So Close to Home'. If you are a Carver fan, get this book. But, if you're new to him, you might want to get 'What We Talk About, When we Talk About Love'. Anyway, a good book, and resonably priced. 6.00, Cheap at twice the price.


Minimalism and the Short Story--Raymond Carver, Amy Hempel, and Mary Robison (Studies in Comparative Literature, Vol 28)
Published in Hardcover by Edwin Mellen Press (15 January, 2000)
Author: Cynthia Whitney Hallett
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Solid Literary Analysis
Yes, I'm actually writing a review for this book, Minimalism and the Short story, on the off chance that someone stumbles across this entry. First, I'll begin with some general praise. This book is worth buying, borrowing, reading at your local library, etc., if for no other reason than the fact that this book, I believe, is the only academic, professional, literary study of minimalism, a much maligned and completely misunderstood movement (even describing it as a movement is kind of troublesome) that swept through literature in the late 70s and on into the early 80s. Yes, you can probably find volumes on Carver, but there's surprisingly little out there (aside from interviews/articles in literary magazines) on Robison and Hempel. A serious examination of Robison and Hempel has been long overdue.

Professor Hallett's book provides nice background on literary minimalism's roots. In addition, Hallett does a nice job delineating minimalism from an overall economy of language (i.e. minimalism is not simply spare writing--a confusion too many book reviewers are guilty of spreading). Also, Hallett makes a decent comparison between the minimalists and the post-modernists, aruguing (rightly) that the two sides aren't so far apart.

Sure, I have some small concerns with this book. The background material on minimalism itself is more useful than Hallett's discussion of the authors themselves. If you're looking for a thorough examination of Carver, Robison, and Hempel, you're probably best off searching elsewhere. These three writers are sort of glossed over, no single story by any of them receives much treatment, and thus the reader is left with the feeling that he/she is reading synopsis rather than analysis. Of the three writers examined, Hempel probably receives the most (and best) attention. I'm not sure I've been further enlightened about Carver and Robison after reading this book.

Still, for those who want an introductory splash into a frequently misunderstood fictional movement, you should begin here.


Understanding Raymond Carver
Published in Hardcover by University of South Carolina Press (1988)
Authors: Arthur M. Saltzman and Matthew J. Bruccoli
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An adequate, if brief overview of Carver's work. Grade: B+
From the Editor's Preface: "_Understanding Contemporary American Literature_ has been planned as a series of guides or companions for students as well as good nonacademic readers."

Well said. _Understanding Raymond Carver_ is the kind of thin textbook you would expect to read in an undergraduate Figures of Literature class at a public liberal arts college. Saltzman only scratches the surface of literary criticism and interpretation regarding Carver, but adequately. For students: you will find decent quotes to support your research papers. For nonacademic readers: you will find brief critical analyses of your favorite stories.

Here's an illustrative section:
"Because Carver's locations are unexceptional, they are deceptively lulling, seeming immune to eventfulness; yet all the while, in familiar homes and neighborhoods, acts of brinkmanship regularly take place. What, for example, could be less precipitous than a waitress serving a customer? Yet in 'Fat' the event looms monumentally in her consciousness. Breathless and repetitive, the narrator anxiously tries to 'sell' her friend on the significance of the tale of her incredibly fat customer as if she had just been implicated in some vague parable. However, she cannot pin down the reason its having unsettled her so: 'Now that's part of it. I think that is really part of it.' 'I know now I was after something. But I don't know what.' 'Waiting for what? I'd like to know.' "

"Perhaps it is the surprising dignity and pleasantness of the fat man that is so remarkable -- one can easily surmise what sort of course [sic] treatment she is accustomed to -- and that causes her to defend him against the rude remarks of her co-workers. Perhaps his use of the royal 'we' to refer to himself, as though he needed to measure up verbally to his size, makes her realize how dwarfed and submissive she has been. Or perhaps the jokes about her being 'sweet' on him lead her to evaluate her relationship with Rudy, who is similarly incapable of appreciating feelings she can hardly approximate. (During their lovemaking, she imagines herself to be so astonishingly fat that Rudy disappears within her bulk.) Her inarticulateness stakes out the limits of her growth of consciousness. Significantly, although she believes her life will change -- the meeting with the mysterious fat man surely heralds it -- she characterizes herself as passive, waiting for a transformation. 'Fat' concludes with the narrator prepared for something different but at a loss as to what that 'something' could be or how she would go about initiating it. Insight extends no further than dissatisfaction."

Saltzman provides an overview of Carver's style and themes; has a chapter for each of the four major collections (_Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?_, _Furious Seasons_, _What We Talk About When We Talk About Love_, and _Cathedral_); and one for selected poems. His conclusion "feels" dated (the text was published in 1988), but is otherwise adequate.

Overall, this is a good text, worth having if you are a dedicated Carver reader.


Reading Raymond Carver
Published in Paperback by Syracuse University Press (1994)
Authors: Randolph Paul Runyon and Stephen Dobyns
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ditto
The reviewer below is utterly right-- this book is a waste of everybody's time. What he fails to note is that Runyon's "thesis" is itself unacceptable. Who could buy for one second the idea of Carver "arranging" his stories? Anybody who's done the research understands that Carver's stories were arranged FOR him. Runyon's premise-- and book overall-- is preposterous. The "correspondences" he finds are belabored, contrived, unsubstantiated and unsubstantiatable, outrageous, insane.

Sophomoric and silly
The introductory essay by Dobyns is delightful but the rest of the book is truly bad. The author has a thesis -- that Carvers' stories are interconnected and purposefully arranged in the books -- and that's all he deals with. Once you accept the thesis, what else is there to say? Not much, but the author spins his wheels trying. The book is a waste of money and will add nothing to your understanding or appreciation of Carver.

"Intratextuality" of Raymond Carver's stories
Author Runyon provides an insightful interpretation of Raymond Carver's short stories collection from the books, "Will You Please be Quiet, Please", "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love", "Cathedral" and "The Last Seven Stories". He labels this insight "intratextuality", where the strategic placement and sequence of text makes a connection to other stories. As he says, "- and this is the thesis of my book -to the interstices between the stories as well."

If you are new to Raymond Carver's stories and poems, you may overlook this as you become ensconced into what has become known as Carver Country. Ruyon astutely explains these connections. An example: In the story "Intimacy", the last line, the narrator sees the need to pick up the leaves strewn, while the beginning of the next story, "Menudo", the narrator is unable to put up with the accumulation of leaves.

In Carver's story "Collectors", narrator Slater, waiting for the mailman, would "look through the curtain" while the next "What Do in San Francisco?", the narrator becomes the mailman who tells that the resident, Marston, would be "looking out at me through the curtain".

This is, indeed, an excellent book that not only gives us this insight, but it has interpretation of the stories we, as readers, may or may not agree with. There isn't a need to search for these connections, but the noted premise doesn't hurt. Excellent reference material. ....MzRizz.


Ray Carver Interview With Kay Bonetti
Published in Audio Cassette by Amer Audio Prose Library (1987)
Author: Raymond Carver
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Be prepared to turn up the volume...
From the back of the cassette cover:
"This interview with the late RAYMOND CARVER 'provides a window on the interplay between the writer's life and art, throwing light on the stories' origins and revealing overlooked aspects, such as their humorous side. . . . a stimulating introduction to Carver's work' (Library Journal).
"Kay Bonetti conducted this interview with CARVER in May 1983, just after he won the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters."

Okay, that's what the cassette cover says, and for the most part, it's accurate. Carver does talk about the origins of some of his stories, but the "humorous" side is basically limited to two stories - "Put Yourself In My Shoes," which is identifiable as humorous without Carver or Bonetti telling you so; and "A Serious Talk," where the only direct humor comes from Burt's theft of six pumpkin pies, "one for every ten times she had ever betrayed him." Bonetti and Carver admit there's some "dark" humor in the story, but leave it at that.

Leaving the cassette cover, let's talk about content. I'd have to give this item 3 stars for content - much of the information that Carver and Bonetti discuss is available elsewhere. It's not really a secret that Carver admired Chekhov, liked to rewrite, and grew up in a white collar family. I don't think I really learned anything "new" about Carver from this interview.

I have to give this item 2 stars for sound quality, though. You will want to keep your hand by the volume knob. I can organize the difficulties with this tape for you:
*Carver tends to mumble. He often sounds uncomfortable during the interview, as if he'd rather be anywhere else.
*You can hear street noises in the background (car horns, and at one point a creaky door as someone enters or leaves the studio).
*The tape has not been digitally remastered. It was originally recorded in 1983, and it sure sounds like it.

Rounding out the scores, I'd give this item 4 stars for rarity. It's wonderful to hear Carver "in person". It's especially touching when he talks about about "Cathedral," which at the time of this recording had not been published. He discusses it in very abstract terms, describing it as an "opening up" of his work, something he'd never done before. I won't ruin the content for you, but I will say his discussion of the _Cathedral_ collection is one of my favorite sections of the interview.

Overall, I still say the item (sadly) deserves 3 stars; but if you're a real Carver fan, it's nice to have in your collection, and the price is very reasonable. Also great for teachers of AP Lit or Intro to Literary Figures.


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