I haven’t read Raymond Carver for ten years – I read “What We Talk About…” when I was at University and loved it. I have to get back into his writing.
Mind you, I can understand some of the words you use “fascination, horror, admiration” because I was reading an article on him the other day and would never have picked him to have had that life re: alcoholism. Very interesting.
Carver is fascinating because he’s from a working class background but made a literary life. The horror is that he wasted so many years drinking, which not only hurt his writing career but his family, and most of all, himself. He inherited the drinking from his father, so I’m not judging. And then other things conspired to make him an addict. Still, I admire that he persisted despite everything stacked against him and managed to quit drinking, write better, stand up to his pushy editor, find true love, and make peace with his children. He was able, finally, to live a better life than the one he was given. So inspiring.
cynthiaharrison.com 
On that note – I’m afraid to ask…
See you tonight! 🙂
LikeLike
I haven’t read Raymond Carver for ten years – I read “What We Talk About…” when I was at University and loved it. I have to get back into his writing.
Mind you, I can understand some of the words you use “fascination, horror, admiration” because I was reading an article on him the other day and would never have picked him to have had that life re: alcoholism. Very interesting.
jamesbent.com/blog
LikeLike
Carver is fascinating because he’s from a working class background but made a literary life. The horror is that he wasted so many years drinking, which not only hurt his writing career but his family, and most of all, himself. He inherited the drinking from his father, so I’m not judging. And then other things conspired to make him an addict. Still, I admire that he persisted despite everything stacked against him and managed to quit drinking, write better, stand up to his pushy editor, find true love, and make peace with his children. He was able, finally, to live a better life than the one he was given. So inspiring.
LikeLike
Wow, I’ve read about him but haven’t read this book. Cindy, I admire how much you are able to read!
LikeLike