Part of THE WADSWORTH CASEBOOK SERIES FOR READING, WRITING AND RESEARCH, this new title provides all the materials a student needs to complete a literary research assignment in one convenient location.
It was morning in America when Raymond Carver's Cathedral came out in 1983, but the characters in this dry collection of short stories from the forgotten corners of land of opportunity didn't receive much sunlight. Nothing much happens to the subjects of Carver's fiction, which is precisely why they are so harrowing: nothingness is a daunting presence to overcome. And rarely do they prevail, but the loneliness and quiet struggle the characters endure provide fertile ground for literary triumph, particularly in the hands of Carver, who was perhaps in his best form with this effort.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
A slice of Americana:
To fully appreciate Raymond Carver stories, you need to want and be able to steep your thoughts into his stories. They aren't cut and dried; his stories focus on conversation and meaning. And like any great short story, a second reading is essential, as you want to grasp it all without missing pieces to the puzzle. At times you may remain baffled at the end, wondering "what did I miss here". With Carver's other stories, a mysterious feeling floats throughout, as we delve into the mind of the characters,... more info
Solid:
In a sense the book can be divided into thirds- four great tales, four solid-good tales, and four tales that needed work. In short, this is very reflective of RC as a writer. He is not the total snooze his worst detractors describe nor is he an unrivaled Modern Master as his boosters claim. He is, however, a good writer overall. What he might have achieved had he not pickled his brain with alcohol, nor died young, is unknown. He could have wasted his talents, or pushed them to greater heights. In a... more info
A Small, Good Thing:
If What We Talk About When We Talk About Love was a collection full of characters in the middle of losing it all, then Cathedral is a collection full of characters trying to get it all back, trying to salvage relationships of all types: marital ("Chef's House"), paternal ("The Compartment"), and edible ("Preservation"). Though, how hard the characters in the stories are trying is questionable, and the characters themselves might not even know. Somehow, Carver works that sort of angle wonderfully. It's a... more info
A Classic Collection:
Even Carver's least successful stories tap something essential and true that many writers spend a lifetime trying to reach once or twice. Stories in this collection like "A Small, Good Thing" and "Cathedral" are among the very best in literature. They are the ultimate in showing rather than telling, tapping emotion in unexpected ways just by showing us the way people live their lives. Sometimes they are faced with life-changing events, but more often they are just making their way from morning to night in... more info
Privacy policy: we don't collect information
about visitors except for the standard technical server logs. We don't send unsolicited emails. We don't
sell the information that we don't collect about you to anyone. When you follow
links to other sites, their privacy policies apply. Thanks for visiting!
