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Raymond Carver
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Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories Paperback – June 18, 1989

by Raymond Carver (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 68 ratings
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From “one of the great short story writers of our time—of any time” (The Philadelphia Inquirer)—comes more than sixty stories, poems, and essays, including two early versions from the seminal collection, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. 

"Show[s] the enormous talent of Raymond Carver beginning to take hold." —San Francisco Chronicle

A wide-ranging collection by the extravagantly versatile Raymond Carver. Two of the stories that were later significantly revised in What We Talk About When We Talk About Love appear here in their original form, revealing clearly the astounding process of Carver’s literary development.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
  4. Publication date
    June 18, 1989
  5. Dimensions
    5.2 x 0.5 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780679722397
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0679722397
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"You should read Fires now. These stories and poems ... show the enormous talent of Raymond Carver beginning to take hold." —San Francisco Chronicle

"Seminal in Carver studies.... A disparate collection of work bound by a unity of vision and obsession." —Los Angeles Herald Examiner

"Carver's most revealing book.... This collection confirms the worth of Raymond Carver's work.... Like bright birds in distant trees, Carver's stories appear in flashes, glimpses; Fires reveals the arc of his purposeful flight." —The Boston Globe

From the Inside Flap

ould read Fires now. These stories and poems...show the enormous talent of Raymond Carver beginning to take hold."

-- San Francisco Chronicle

"Seminal in Carver studies...A disparate collection of work bound by a unity of vision and obsession."

-- Los Angeles Herald Examiner

"Carver's most revealing book...This collection confirms the worth of Raymond Carver's work...Like bright birds in distant trees, Carver's stories appear in flashes, glimpses; Fires reveals the arc of his purposeful flight."

-- Boston Globe

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0679722394
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group; Reissue edition (June 18, 1989)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780679722397
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679722397
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.5 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 68 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

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
68 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Tj
5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite book by Carver
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2023
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This book is full of great writing by my favorite author Raymond Carver. Great price snd in excellent condition. 💕
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NC teacher
5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable addition
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2020
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A joy for Carver fans.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Raymond Carver's Minimalist Prose Provides Maximum Impact
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 1998
Raymond Carver's "Fires" is a quick introduction to the author who personifies literary minimalism. In this slim volume, the reader is treated to essays and poems, as well as Carver's trademark: taut short stories that, in remarkably few words, paint a vivid tableau of so much of American life. Carver's subjects are ones that other writers shy away from: working-class stiffs and the mundane lives they lead. But Carver's magic lies in his ability to fascinate the reader with seemingly unfascinating topics. The characters' souls are bared, the torment of their lives is revealed, the desperation of their economic situations is rendered so masterfully, and in so little space, that the reader marvels at how Carver manages to accomplish the feat. For students of the writer's trade, Carver offers a valuable lesson in how to use minimal syllables for maximum impact.
8 people found this helpful
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Thomas Dunnam
5.0 out of 5 stars No Wonder So Much of His Stuff Is Made Into Movies
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2016
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Wow, Carver is great! His storytelling skills are unsurpassed.
2 people found this helpful
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Michael Esser
5.0 out of 5 stars If you need to understand Carver...
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2022
... and why he is probably, together with Joan Didion, one of the greats of the 20th century, read this small tome with some very personal essays, poems , and a number of short stories. Each section alone explains his extraordinary talent and uniqueness as a writer. Together, give you the full picture of the universe Carver.
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Charles Casillo
5.0 out of 5 stars The wonderful and aptly named Carver!
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2007
Carver is a master of the short story but this collection is a good introduction to his poetry as well because it collects both poems and stories. It's a wonderful example of how he used themes from his stories manipulated into shorter poems. As always his exact use of language cuts straight to the heart. Reading Carver's work is like studying with a very great writing teacher.
2 people found this helpful
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www.zverina.com
4.0 out of 5 stars Read it for the Poems
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2001
As spare as they are, most of Carver's short stories strike me as a bit long-winded. Not so his poetry, which treats his usual themes--alcoholism, working-class poverty, and rocky relationships--with greater wit and vigor than his prose. The essays will be of interest to would-be writers and Carver biographers, but what makes this book outstanding is the 60 pages of poetry which comprise its heart.
3 people found this helpful
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Egberto Penido
2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2016
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Top reviews from other countries

Victor Breidenbach
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth it for "My Father's Life" and the poem "Luck", also really aesthetic book with good hand-feel
Reviewed in Germany on May 4, 2022
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Some of the stories in this collection exist in better, more pared down versions in later collections, so if you're interested in that sort of thing, here's your chance to compare and contrast. Of the essays, "My Father's Life" was my favourite, "On Writing" is good too. The poem "Luck" is one of my all-time favourite Carver poems, though other than that you'll find the best of Carver's poetry in other collections. Finally, it's nice to own this book because it's very pleasingly bound and designed, and if you're just taking one book somewhere, like the park, or the creek, or whatever, it's cool to have the choice between essays, poems, and stories, all in one book that'll fit in the inner pocket of your tweed coat, or the front pouch of your fishing overalls.
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Mr. Royce Lindsey-noble, Mrs Lindsey-noble
4.0 out of 5 stars It will be my summer read but has been recommended by someone I really admire
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 4, 2014
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It will be my summer read but has been recommended by someone I really admire.
It's meant to be fantastically tense, passionate and honest. Looking forward to reading it!
Marion
One person found this helpful
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