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Raymond Carver
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Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories Paperback – June 18, 1989

by Raymond Carver (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 498 ratings
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The final story collection from “one of the great short story writers of our time” (The Philadelphia Inquirer) features classic stories from Cathedral, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, and earlier volumes. • “Among the masterpieces of American fiction." —The New York Times Book Review

By the time of his early death in 1988, Raymond Carver had established himself as one of the great practitioners of the American short story, a writer who had not only found his own voice but imprinted it in the imaginations of thousands of readers. Where I’m Calling From, his last collection, includes seven new works previously unpublished in book form. Together, these 37 stories give us a superb overview of Carver’s life work and show us why he was so widely imitated but never equaled.
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  1. Print length
    526 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vintage
  4. Publication date
    June 18, 1989
  5. Dimensions
    5.1 x 0.9 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780679722311
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0679722311
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The last story collection published during Carver's life (he died in 1988) contains most of his greatest hits from his earlier books, as well as seven stories that hadn't been collected up to that point. The breadth of the collection makes these 37 stories an extremely complete map of Carver territory, of a particular area of America and of the specific texture of the people Carver writes about -- their difficult attempts at survival in a world where happiness does not arrive wrapped up in neat packages but comes in far more peculiar parcels, if it comes at all.

Review

"One of the great short story writers of our time—of any time." —The Philadelphia Inquirer

"One of the true contemporary masters." —The New York Review of Books

"[Carver's stories] can...be counted among the masterpieces of American fiction." —The New York Times Book Review

"[These stories] overflow with the danger, excitement, mystery and possibility of life.... Carver is a writer of astonishing compassion and honesty, his eye set on describing and revealing the world as he sees it. His eye is so clear, it almost breaks your heart." —The Washington Post Book World

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0679722319
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Reprint edition (June 18, 1989)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 526 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780679722311
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679722311
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 0.9 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 498 ratings

About the author

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Raymond Carver

Raymond Carver

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Raymond Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon, in 1938. His father was a saw-mill worker and his mother was a waitress and clerk. He married early and for years writing had to come second to earning a living for his young family. Despite, small-press publication, it was not until Will You Please Be Quiet Please? appeared in 1976 that his work began to reach a wider audience. This was the year in which he gave up alcohol, which had contributed to the collapse of his marriage. In 1977 he met the writer Tess Gallagher, with whom he shared the last eleven years of his life. During this prolific period he wrote three collections of stories, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Cathedral and Elephant. Fires, a collection of essays, poems and stories, appeared in 1985, followed by three further collections of poetry. In 1988 he completed the poetry collection A New Path to the Waterfall.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
498 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Susan
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best short story authors!
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024
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Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories" by Raymond Carver is a must-read for any fan of short fiction. Carver's writing is raw, honest, and deeply moving. Each story in this collection is a masterclass in the art of storytelling, with characters that feel so real they could jump off the page.

Carver's ability to capture the complexities of human relationships and emotions is truly remarkable. From the mundane to the extraordinary, each story in this collection is a powerful exploration of the human experience. Whether you're a longtime fan of Carver's work or new to his writing, "Where I'm Calling From" is sure to leave a lasting impression.

I highly recommend this collection to anyone looking for thought-provoking and beautifully crafted stories. Carver's writing is both haunting and unforgettable, making "Where I'm Calling From" a book that you won't be able to put down. Trust me, you won't regret picking up this gem of a collection.
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J. Sherman
5.0 out of 5 stars Genius
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2016
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Quite simply, Carver was probably the greatest American short-story writer of the 20th century - or, at a bare minimum, second only to O. Henry and maybe his (Carver's) contemporary, John Cheever (excluding the far lesser-known Breece D'J Pancake, a West Virginia writer who, alas, blew his 27-year-old brains out in 1979, after which his only twelve stories were compiled posthumously in a single, brilliant tome, titled simply THE STORIES OF BREECE D'J PANCAKE; Pancake, incidentally, was described in a letter by Kurt Vonnegut to one of Pancake's writing instructors as "merely the best, most sincere writer I have ever read," a statement in regards to which V. gave said instructor "his word of honor").

All in all, WILL YOU PLEASE BE QUIET, PLEASE? is probably Carver's best single collection of stories (IMHO, anyway), though CATHEDRAL is a definitely a close second. However, inasmuch as CALLING FROM is a collection of collections, as it were, containing all or almost all of the sixteen or so tales in QUIET, for the price of CALLING I'd recommend it to new Carver fans, or those interested in reading his stuff for the first time, even more so than QUIET.

In brief: Carver was a brilliant, complicated man, and his stories were equally so, though often appear somewhat superficial on the surface. At their core, the best of them are, quite simply, utterly and heartbreakingly beautiful.
11 people found this helpful
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Mark Nadja
4.0 out of 5 stars And, of course, the booze...
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2009
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I bought this book by Raymond Carver. I never read him before and thought it was about time. He is so highly regarded it was absurd that I hadn't read him before. But I was never a big fan of short stories. I was reading a lot of them lately, though. And Raymond Carver was supposed to be a master of the modern American short story. So.

So I read two or three of these stories. Then two or three more. They are easy to read. They are all tales of quiet desperation. They're told in spare and simple prose. Meat and potatoes prose. Couples in the suburbs facing adultery, unemployment, boredom, failure, divorce, death...and alcoholism. That's what these stories are about. There's a lot of drinking going on in these stories. All of Carver's characters seem to be alcoholics. Everyone is smoking a cigarette. It's the most unhealthy bunch of people you can ever imagine.

I got to wondering, Has the age of the hard-drinking, chain-smoking, sensitive but macho author finally passed into literary history for good? Was Carver the last of this dysfunctional, distinctly male breed of paleosaur? A neo-Hemingway, that's what Carver seemed to me as I read deeper and deeper into this collection. He's Hemingway but in the suburbs and without the adventure. Just the bills, the boredom, and, of course, the booze. Lots and lots of booze.

Good grief, what will writers write about now? I mean, now that they've cleaned up their acts? Now that they don't smoke, eat organic, and don't hesitate to head for the rehab at the first sign of addiction, or their first DWI? Now that "real" men are getting harder and harder to find, what's in store for us readers? Lots of stories about guys taking yoga, fussing over their weight, and going green?

I shudder to think about it. But I think about it anyway.

And then there's something about the way that Carver writes. His style, you could call it. Carver has invented a kind of story-writing machine. That's what his style is like. He writes very much the same sort of story over and over. He seems to do it effortlessly. It's as if the stories are virtually writing themselves, through the style. The style is a machine for duplicating with variations this one sort of story.

I'm not saying these stories aren't good stories. They are. They are very good. The epitome of the "revelation of small moments." That's what these stories are. Or something like that. But after a while, you feel as if you are reading the same story about the same characters, in a slightly different set of circumstances.

A friend of mine asked me, What are you reading?

I said, Raymond Carver. Have you ever read him?

He said, Yes.

How did you like him? I asked.

I liked him well enough, my friend said. I don't get the hoopla, though.

That's just it, I said. That's exactly the word. Hoopla. I don't quite get the hoopla either. I mean, he's got something to say. His stories are pretty powerful. At least some of them are. But the hoopla. I just don't see it.

And that was that. There didn't seem to be much more to say about Raymond Carver or his short stories. I didn't think I'd be reading any more of his books after this one. I didn't think I needed to. I got him. I got him but I didn't get the hoopla. That about sums it all up, I thought.
16 people found this helpful
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mrliberty
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Book
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2013
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The stories are short and direct and seem rather straightforward, but I suspect there might be a lot going on that I'm not quite grasping. I think need to talk to others who have read Carver's stories to gain a better perspective. The fascinating thing is that it seems like most of the events covered in the stories are familiar to me. It's almost as if I've had - and I'm guessing most people have had similar kinds of experiences.
One person found this helpful
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Bernard Thornton
5.0 out of 5 stars Emminently Readable
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2018
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These stories vary in length. Each is a sharp moment in the beating heart of human life. Solutions are not necessarily offered. You simply want to read on. These stories resonate again and again with the reader. Great economy of language, with a direct, strong style. Characters are real people. I can't recommend this book enough. It has the bonus of good dark print at a generous size, with pleasing line spacing. - Bernard Thornton
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Top reviews from other countries

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Daniel Roy Connelly
5.0 out of 5 stars Brand new copy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2024
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Exceptional value, a used copy that hasn’t been. As new.
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Holbein
5.0 out of 5 stars La realidad inquietante de lo cotidiano prosaico
Reviewed in Spain on January 31, 2021
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Carver vierte su experiencia vital en unas compasivas historias que no pretenden llegar a una conclusión (al famoso desenlace que suelen poner como requisito en algunas escuelas de escritura) sino que nos permiten participar en el desarrollo de situaciones cotidianas comunes y prosaicas de los desencuentros de los seres humanos consigo mismos y con los demás, y sobre todo con la fatalidad de sus circunstancias y azares.
Pueden parecer tristes, pero a fuer de empáticas, aunque crudamente reales e introspectivas, no condenan sin remedio el futuro de sus protagonistas a la desesperanza, sino que dejan la continuación al lector. Somos nosotros los que podemos abrir las infinitas posibilidades de esos vulgares dramas de seres humanos normales y corrientes, espléndidamente escritos, incluso si a menudo nos ponen el corazón en un puño
Es un maestro de la narrativa corta del siglo XX.
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Robert Maheux
5.0 out of 5 stars It’s all good!
Reviewed in Canada on March 21, 2019
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Very nice book, as described. Well packaged and fast delivery. Smooth service. Thanks.
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marco plastina
5.0 out of 5 stars il grande carver...
Reviewed in Italy on July 27, 2019
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Un magnifico libro di un meraviglioso scrittore. Edizione economica con tanti racconti, Ad un prezzo eccezionale....
Consegna perfetta come al solito, anzi in anticipo rispetto al previsto
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Chakravarthi Bharati
4.0 out of 5 stars Great collection of Carver
Reviewed in India on August 17, 2018
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But I'm not satisfied with paper condition.
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