Product Description

Raymond Carver said it was possible 'to write about commonplace things and objects using commonplace but precise language and endow these things - a chair, a window curtain, a fork, a stone, a woman's earring - with immense, even startling power'. Nowhere is this alchemy more striking than in the title story of Cathedral in which a blind man guides the hand of a sighted man as together they draw the cathedral the blind man can never see. Many view this story, and indeed this collection, as a watershed in the maturing of Carver's work to a more confidently poetic style.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15598 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Review
'All the stories in Cathedral are different; some funny, some hauntingly sad. Each has its own individual and curious power' Daily Telegraph

About the Author
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

A good summation of Carver's work
Like his stories, this collection of Raymond Carver's work leaves us wanting more. It also provides a good overview of his regular themes and illustrates the breadth of his scope.

Before he died in 1988 at the age of 50, Carver had proved himself to be the greatest modern exponent of the short story in America. The stories in this collection include 'A Small, Good Thing', which was awarded the 1983 O. Henry Award. It also includes my favourite Carver story: the title story, 'Cathedral', which is so packed with emotion, clarity of thought, beauty and pain as to leave one breathless with admiration.

In my view, the short story is the pinnacle of prose writing and Carver is one of its few consistently successful exponents. This collection proves both points.

Stunning.
Picked up 'Elephant' too, another collection of short stories. Hard to say which i prefer.

Carver's style is simple, precise, captivating, but mostly - and it says this in the blurb on the back - resonant. Truly.

Like short stories - you NEED this!!

cathedral a good read if you like short stories
this book contains some very interesting short stories (and i mean short) because the stories dont really have a beginning middle or end which is common of short stories. the stories are however enjoyable and easy to read, Carver is quite comical and often cynical, which gives a good mix of emotions. there is alcohol, sex and drugs all inclusive so it is easy to relate with (if you're into that sort of thing). definately worth a read for anyone interested in American Literature or someone who prefers bitesize stories.