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leonidasm's review against another edition
5.0
Άθλιο εξώφυλλο. Αριστουργηματικη συλλογή.
Η πρώτη μου επαφή με τον Κάρβερ με έφερε κοντά στο να ανάψω το πρώτο μου τσιγάρο μετά το " Μια μικρή παρηγοριά".
Διηγήματα που μυρίζουν ή μάλλον βρωμάνε Αμερική, σε βάζουν τόσο στο κλίμα μιας κοινωνίας ξένης προς εσένα που σου γίνεται στο τέλος οικεία , τόσο έντονα που θέλεις να βάλεις στο σάκο σου δύο αλλαξιές ρούχα και να φύγεις μακριά.
Μόλις διάβασα μια από τις κορυφαίες συλλογές διηγημάτων.
Η πρώτη μου επαφή με τον Κάρβερ με έφερε κοντά στο να ανάψω το πρώτο μου τσιγάρο μετά το " Μια μικρή παρηγοριά".
Διηγήματα που μυρίζουν ή μάλλον βρωμάνε Αμερική, σε βάζουν τόσο στο κλίμα μιας κοινωνίας ξένης προς εσένα που σου γίνεται στο τέλος οικεία , τόσο έντονα που θέλεις να βάλεις στο σάκο σου δύο αλλαξιές ρούχα και να φύγεις μακριά.
Μόλις διάβασα μια από τις κορυφαίες συλλογές διηγημάτων.
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
samfah's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
I am genuinely infuriated by the backstory behind this book. Gordon Lish did a disservice to literature and Raymond Carver.
I am genuinely infuriated by the backstory behind this book. Gordon Lish did a disservice to literature and Raymond Carver.
thepetris's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
franceswilde95's review
5.0
Utterly beautiful.
Reminiscent of Salinger's short stories. Astoundingly honest and terrifying.
Reminiscent of Salinger's short stories. Astoundingly honest and terrifying.
kaylenqrli's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
infinitelibrary's review
3.0
Not really my kind of things... the stories were too depressing. But he's a good writer, not faulting that.
scottishben's review
4.0
So this is the story collection "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" that some of the stories inspired the Altman film Short Cuts from. I saw the film first, read the stories as the book tie in collection I think...Then I went on to read much more by him.
Some of the stories I have read multiple times in other versions.
It turns out that Altmans editor at the time did a very severe edit cutting about half of the text and plots were shortened, words taken out and character bits removed. This version is the original first draft with some minor tweaks.
Now in some cases I think the Lish versions work best - they are lean they are snappy. In some ways they inspired and challenged ideas of what a story was...but at the same time I think a lot was lost. Some of the very best stories here I had already read in longer versions that had been reworked and come out later. Such as Small Good Thing.
Now that one was butchered by Lish.
So this collection is the original draft with some very minor edits. Now I think some stories here work a lot better than the lish edit and sometimes the lish edit works well. Particualrly if I dont love a story then the shorter version can be snappier. There is some bloat that can be cut from some. So we have an underedited collection of stories I already know different versions of.
It has a great version of Small Good Thing and that almost makes it worth 5 stars.
This is a curiousity to people like me who have read the original stories, I think its a deminished experience because whilst it shows what could have been it is under edited and also stories I have already seen differently. For new readers I would still recommended it over WWTAWWTAL but caution them at the same time.
If you are new to Carver I might start with the Collected Stories - as then you get the best of Lish and the best of Lishless/Lishlite carver.
Some of the stories I have read multiple times in other versions.
It turns out that Altmans editor at the time did a very severe edit cutting about half of the text and plots were shortened, words taken out and character bits removed. This version is the original first draft with some minor tweaks.
Now in some cases I think the Lish versions work best - they are lean they are snappy. In some ways they inspired and challenged ideas of what a story was...but at the same time I think a lot was lost. Some of the very best stories here I had already read in longer versions that had been reworked and come out later. Such as Small Good Thing.
Now that one was butchered by Lish.
So this collection is the original draft with some very minor edits. Now I think some stories here work a lot better than the lish edit and sometimes the lish edit works well. Particualrly if I dont love a story then the shorter version can be snappier. There is some bloat that can be cut from some. So we have an underedited collection of stories I already know different versions of.
It has a great version of Small Good Thing and that almost makes it worth 5 stars.
This is a curiousity to people like me who have read the original stories, I think its a deminished experience because whilst it shows what could have been it is under edited and also stories I have already seen differently. For new readers I would still recommended it over WWTAWWTAL but caution them at the same time.
If you are new to Carver I might start with the Collected Stories - as then you get the best of Lish and the best of Lishless/Lishlite carver.
veelaughtland's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting read, because essentially this collection is the manuscript version of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. It's been a few years since I read that collection, so I didn't remember all the stories, but for certain ones I remembered their earlier incarnations immediately. And although this collection is a good one, and although I don't remember the exact differences between the stories, I do know that the manuscript versions didn't quite have the same spark to them, the same mood as the ones that were edited and eventually published in what is probably Carver's most famous collection. It was definitely good to read these, but if I was returning to them I'd rather stick with WWTAWWTAL.