Cathedral

A great set of short stories written by Raymond Carver. These exhibit fantastic snippets into everyday, average, American life and all of its meager disappointments, great upheavals, and ideas of grandeur that always seem to fall short.These are not fantastical stories, and therefore tend not to stick with the reader too much, but they do carry a certain depth of enjoyment and empathy that most of us can communicate with just from living our lives. In that way, they are also quickly read which would make an interesting short story in of itself about how even these intimate looks into other people's lives are just basically unimportant.Definitely not a great read for people with depression since you'll probably walk away more depressed, but certainly a great read for those who can separate their own lives and look in on someone else's and say, "wow, well, at least I don't have THAT feeling."

“Show, don’t tell!” That’s the mantra we hear; the one we’re forced to swallow and follow when laboring for a good grade. But Carver seems to say “suck it” to that advice. Now, let me be clear. His stories are cunningly complex in their simplicity. So, in a way, he is “showing” – but he does it in a different way than what we’re taught to revere and emulate.While reading, never did I stumble on an unknown word, nor a difficult sentence – or a poetic one, for that matter. And though this collection of short stories is, essentially, a meditation on detachment…with each passing page, I felt a growing kinship with humanity. A relief. It served as some sort of literary frustration release valve.Carver’s grasp – and recognition of – the “average” is spellbinding. And comforting – especially in today’s world, where little praise – or even recognition – is bestowed on us “average folks.” Because really, the thing about life is that we all just want to be seen, to be learned, to be accepted for who we are – and Carver, through his simple words, looks directly at us – in all our average, imperfect, messy glory. My God am I glad I picked this up.

If someone asked me if I liked reading short story collections, I would hesitate and say I prefer to read a full-length novel. But then I remember some of my favorite books are collections. Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, and Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri are favorites I have read multiple times. I came to Carver via an article about brilliantly drawn characterization and tight writing – call it brief but spectacular. Writers, this is a must read! In a few pages Carver lays bare the essence of a character and unfold a catharsis in a simple storyline. There is a moment revealed where the character changes and grows as in the title story, Cathedral, where both the sighted man and Robert have shifting paradigms. The Cathedral analogy is simple and profound. Carver achieves this with astonishing compassion revealing the character’s loneliness and fear through small quotidian life experiences and the clarity of the dialog.

I usually prefer novels, but being a huge fan of Bukowski and Dan Fante, I thought I would give these earthy short stories a shot. They do not disappoint. The are not profound or overtly philosophical, but they do weave down-to-earth, everyman tales in a writing style that is straight forward and plain, in a good way - like Bukowski, Dan Fante or Mark Safranko - only not quite as rough and profane. I will read Carver's other short story collections next.

Raymond Carver has written many short stories over the course of his career. What's your favorite Raymond Carver story collection? All are deserving of mention.Mine is Cathedral. Minimalist. Somber. Reflective. There's subtle darkness to the storylines. Men gone wrong. Women only looking to pass the time. The stories are set in small towns where life is difficult…...where everyone dreams of a better life...somewhere else. Anywhere else. The stories are terse, but characters are memorable, as are the many scattered moments where these characters realize that their dreams are unattainable. Cathedral is Carver's own hallmark in literature.

The last story in this set of short stories (also the title of the book) is worth alone purchasing the book. The bad first: I purchased the Audible narrator to go along with my Kindle purchase and the voice of the narrator so completely mismatched with the tone I was getting in my head from the reading that I didn’t use the narrator at all. The good: Carver has a slow and honest cadence , with a perspective you don’t always like, but a perspective you feel as real, and every once in a while an insight as profound as it is simple. An enjoyable short read, but I don’t recommend the Audible.

I absolutely love Raymond Carver. He is extremely talented in writing about everyday people and everyday problems. I’m an English major and love to find the symbolism in his writing. I had recently recommended Cathedral and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love for a book club I am in. Everyone gave the book a 4 out of five with two others giving it a 5 out of 5. The stories in this collection are hauntingly beautiful and it is a book everyone should read in their life time.

You hardly know you are reading these stories. The characters, the dialog and description just flow into your brain. No happy or fulfilling endings though. As in other books of short stories, the author's attitude became a little repetitive. And Carver's attitude, although careful and understanding of his characters, was a downer for me after this series of stories.

Superb! There's a lot you can say about Carver, the writers' writer and I highly recommend this to any aspiring writer who, like myself, values realism and succinct writing. In his final collection here he has dispensed of the ruthless editing of Gordon Lish to present stories as Carver wanted them, a bit more superfluous on the petty details of blue collar American life which became the trademark of this important short story writer. If it's your first attempt at Carver then keep an open and patient mind, expect to read a story twice to really appreciate the mimesis he pursued, don't expect a climax, or large than life characters or mystery, but it will leave you thinking long after you've put it down. Cathedral, Bridle, and A small Good Thing, are particularly recommendable. Some of the other stories do start to begin to all sound the same, mundane lives of losers, but that was the whole point.

Some of the best short fiction available. There are hardly any duds in this short collection of shorts. At worst, each story is merely 'good'. Not only a fine read all-round, but a good study for those hoping to improve their short story writing skills.9 / 10David BrookesAuthor of 'Cycles of Udaipur'

Book is in perfect condition! Really happy with it :)

I read Raymond Carver decades ago and then forgot about him until recently. Now I remember what I loved about his writing - the apparent simplicity and absolute detail, almost like stage directions, which makes the characters and their situations breathtakingly real.

Great book