Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories

FINAL REVIEW“That's all we have, finally, the words, and they had better be the right ones.”― Raymond CarverBack in the 1980s when this collection of essays, poems and stories was first published as part of the Vintage Contemporaries series, I read again and again. And after reading yet again this past week, I must say Carver's words get even better with age. This book collects seven stories told with such care and tenderness, it is as if Raymond Carver lets us hold the warm, beating heart [...]

LO SCRITTORE COME MAESTRO E AMICO La gente era solita chinare la testa verso Carver, per sentirlo meglio. Carver, più che parlare, mormorava, bisbigliava. Un po’ per timidezza e un po’ per umiltà. Un po’ per rispetto verso il linguaggio, che lo spingeva a maneggiare le parole, sia scritte che dette, con molta cautela. Come se fosse quasi impossibile dire quello che si vuole. Come se fosse addirittura pericoloso.La famiglia Carver nel 1950.Nonostante si sia mantenuto per anni insegnando s [...]

Tess Gallagher (n. 1943) (a quem "Fogos" é dedicado) e Raymond Carver (1938 – 1988) em 1984.Raymond Carver (1938 – 1988) foi o escritor que me ensinou o prazer da literatura minimalista, os contos curtos como forma de arte literária única e indissociável da palavra meticulosa e angustiada, das vidas quotidianas descritas nas suas singularidades e nas suas idiossincrasias, geralmente num determinado contexto social e económico, com mulheres, homens e crianças, através das suas vivênci [...]

Raymond Carver is that straight-to-the-point author who does not use too many flowery words to impress any reader. He keeps it short yet still exquisite, creative (sexy even). I think his application of real-life situations involving family and marriage issues could be relatable to both young adult and adult readers because of his easy writing style. But don't be fooled, because he also got me thinking to every short story ending. :)A few poems fell flat but overall, essays and short stories in [...]

In many ways, this selection of Raymond Carver’s essays, poems and stories is the perfect introduction to this iconic literary figure. Unlike other collections, where readers are only given his finely crafted fiction or poetry to decipher, here we are first presented with four essays in which Carver speaks about his development as a writer and the factors the drove him to create. Next, we are given a sample of Carver’s poems, which although not too varied in style or trope, are nonetheless [...]

Raymond Carver' dan ortaya karışık bir eser. Deneme, şiir,öykü, röportaj Carver' ı sevenleri onun dünyasına daha yakınlaştıracak henüz kalemi ile mest olmamış okurun ise ilk tanışma için tercih edebileceği bir çalışma. Ancak bu kitabı esas olarak yazı ile haşır neşir okura önermek isterim. Kitabın girişindeki ilk iki yazı ve son bölümdeki röportaj kısmında kendi yazma sürecine dair anlattıkları, özellikle yazıya yeni başlayanlar için önemli ipucları [...]

Il panettierePoi Pancho Villa venne in città,impiccò il sindacoe invitò a cena il vecchio e deboleconte Vronsky.Pancho gli presentò la sua nuova ragazzaInsieme con suo marito vestito d’un grembiule bianco,mostrò la pistola a Vronsky,poi chiese al conte di raccontarglidel suo infelice esilio in Messico.Più tardi parlarono di donne e cavalli.Entrambi ne erano esperti.La ragazza ridacchiava esi trastullò coi bottoni di madreperladella camicia di Pancho finchéa mezzanotte spaccata Pancho s [...]

Fires is a mix of Carver's essays, poems and early versions of short stories, some published in "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love," pieces that aren't really tied together but don't really fit with his other work. It's a great read and offers some real insight on Carver and his writing. I especially liked the essays, which are all about writing and his influences, and offer some great advice for other writers and even inspiration, given that Carver was struggling to be a writer while w [...]

Another excellent collection from Raymond Carver, this one a selection of 4 essays, 50 poems and 7 short stories.I did not read this book in the "correct" order, reading the poems first, then the short stories, finishing with the essays, but I think it would be best to begin with the essays as it is here that Carver talks about his children, his father, his writing and his influences, giving a little context to the content of some of his poems and short stories. I particularly liked the section [...]

"Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories" is nearly flawless, and highly recommended to anyone either coming to Raymond Carver for the first time or already a fan of his work. My friend Jennifer (thanks for lending it to me, Jennifer!) has already written a fine review at /review/show/. so I won't write a long review here. I do, however, want to call attention to "You Don't Know What Love Is (an evening with Charles Bukowski)," which, I'm assuming, is pretty much a transcript of just that, in the form of [...]

Fires by Raymond CarverAnother version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:- youtube/playlist?listAfter the essay On Writing, Raymond Carver explains more about his art, the suffering involved in it in: - FiresThe reader learns about the greatest influence on the author, the hardships endured and some of his convictions.His children had the greatest influence on Raymond Carver.He mentions a quote from Flannery O’Connor, which was something like this:- All the experience t [...]

Out of all the wonderful pieces of work in this collection of essays, shorts and poems, The Cabin is perhaps THE example of quintessential Carver. Astonishingly vivid just a few words in, Carver chooses his words sparingly and lovingly like a painter selects his blends of colours and shades. Not much happens, yet everything is felt. Fires also satisfied my curiosity to read his poetry, a mix of touching, abstract, ominous and-in the case of You Don't Know What Love is, an account of an evening s [...]

According to the Afterword, Carver revised "So Much Water So Close to Home," and although I didn't know that while reading the version of the story in this book, I found myself much more engaged in (and disturbed by) the story this time around.In Carver's interview with the Paris Review (included at the end of the book), he gives some thoughts on the purpose of fiction: "It doesn't have to do anything. It just has to be there for the fierce pleasure we take in doing it, and the different kind of [...]

I am giving this book five stars because I love Raymond Carver, but I am disappointed in my particular copy. I got it at a used book store and it looked fine on the outside, but it must've been a misprint. In one of the stories a page was missing, and then later in the book, it repeated a huge chunk of pages, so I ended up missing four stories entirely. How does that even happen?

Wow! While many of the poems in this book are light and elegant but the short stories are dark, rich and full of details that make them come alive. Carver tells stories without being too explicit. Letting the reader bring thoughtful consideration to the story. He seems to trust the reader. I felt trusted. I also loved the poems about the outdoors. The environment. Fishing, boating, being in the forest. Surprising juxtaposition with the gritty stories. I plan on reading more by Raymond Carver.

The essay part is just great and informative, giving a picture of the construction of Carver's life and writing creeds. But the poems are poor; they make sense, yet are all but tantamount to nonsense. The stories, in comparison with the revised edition, seem absolutely verbose.

Some nice poetry and great insights into authors and authoring. I didn't know his work till I read this collection. Found a second hand copy so will revisit when it gets here.

A good (although not essential) collection of poems and stories. The essays to begin the collection are a nice introduction to the author, however.

Prima Lettura - Ita

Short Stories, Essays by Raymond CarverAnother version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:- youtube/playlist?list and realini/This is probably my last note on Raymond Carver.Albeit, in a few years’ time, after reading again some of his works I might try to put down some thoughts.It has been a joy ride.To mention the first titles that came when searching among my notes on some the narratives of this fabulous author:- A small Good thing, Vandals, Kindling and a couple of e [...]

I've read my fair share of Carver, this being the latest. What I loved most about this collection was the insight that it gave into Raymond Carver, the man. He's a gentle and affectionate soul who just happens to have been through some tough times. It's evident in his stories, sure, but here we get a much more direct and personal look at him.I'm referring to his personal essays of course. My favourite of the essays was probably Fires, in which he talks about his influences as a writer. He only p [...]

Made the mistake of waiting too long to review this one, but here's what I remember: four essays inside -- each one I read a minimum of four times. Required reading FATHER'S LIFE for some words on his father --"Then he died. I was a long way off, in Iowa City, with things still to say to him. I didn't have the chance to tell him goodbye, or that I thought he was doing great at his new job. That I was proud of him for making a comeback. My mother said he came in from work that night and ate a big [...]

En samling essays, digte og noveller/'stories'. Første del, essays, handler (udover om Carvers far) primært om det at skrive. Teksten 'My Father's Life' er klart den bedste - de andre er sådan lidt so-so; jeg følte i hvert fald ikke, at jeg fik noget virkelig fantastisk at vide om det at skrive.Digtene, må jeg indrømme, skøjtede jeg hurtigt igennem. De fangede mig simpelthen ikke. Måske forstår jeg dem ikke, måske er Carver bare ikke den store poet. Hans historier er welt-klasse, men d [...]

Some of the poems here are stunning. “Country Matters,” “The Other Life, “Cougar,” “Louise,” and “Deschutes River,” are the one I think best. The two essays here, “On Writing” and “Fires,” plus the Paris Review interview contain his most extended discussions on writing and his influences. It’s interesting to compare the stories published in this collection with the versions he published in other collections because you can see the progress of revision. “Distance” [...]

When I was in college, I took a couple of creative writing courses and Raymond Carver was considered perhaps the finest craftsmen of short stories. I, however, was not a fan. While stylistically I appreciated the sparseness of his writing, I found little to engage me in minimalism of the stories - little in the way of plot or character for me to find interesting or likable. Recently, thanks to a biography and a new collection of his works, there has been a bit of resurgence of interest in his wo [...]

I thoroughly enjoyed this little Carver compendium. Ranging from devastatingly frank and honest non-fiction and essays to his trademark short-story accounts, and then decorated some with Carver's unique verse - Fires is a volume that really introduces you to the breadth and depth of Carver's work. And to what depths does he plunge! Despite this being a very slim book with extremely short essays and tales, it took me a great while to read and absorb the pieces; Carver's writing, so pared down and [...]

Raymond Carver remains one of my favorite authors. He's erudite about the everyday conflicts and relationships of regular people. Is it more gripping reading about a whistle blower trying to stop a major pharma company from selling tainted medicine or a single father struggling family, alcohol and job? I love thrillers, but this book resonates on a very emotional level.All four essays are exceptional. "On Writing" and "John Gardner: The Writer as a Teacher" are insightful and opinionated. "My Fa [...]

See that guy on the front cover. That's probably Raymond Carver's dad at age 22. This guy with the youthful exhuberance and rugged good looks probably inspired much of young Raymond's writing. But the more you read of his essays, poems and short stories, the more you see that raw emotion can never be captured in a drawing or a photograph. Combine the poem "Photograph of My Father in his Twenty-second Year" with the pain and irony carefully sculpted into younger Ray's writings. Writing takes a lo [...]

This collection begins with a handful of Carver’s essays on writing that touch on how he refined his craft, influences, mentors etc and that leave no doubt he knew what he was doing with every word in every sentence. Next up are poems – while I’m not very well equipped to review these critically I definitely enjoyed them – covering a variety of topics from salmon to old photographs, even one as a sort of parody of contemporary Charles Bukowski (a highlight). The final pages comprise seve [...]

Even if you're familiar with Carver's short fiction, you'll be surprised at these essays about his development as a writer. There's a great homage to his mentor, John Gardner, and his advice "On Writing."My favorite (although probably not the best) essay is the one in which he tackles the usually self-aggrandizing account on what influenced him As A Writer. For Carver, it was his kids, and for him it was a negative influence: "I would always have them, and always find myself in this position of [...]