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Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life (2009)

by Carol Sklenicka(Favorite Author)

4.18 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

074326245X (ISBN13: 9780743262453)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Scribner

review 1: This is a fine biography of a famous writer I've only just started reading. Not knowing much at all about Carver's life, I read with interest about his impoverished upbringing and meteoric rise to fame in what proved to be the last decade of his life. What stands out for me here is what a shithead Carver was for most of the time, especially to his family and especially to his long-suffering first wife, Maryann. Carver seems to have spent twenty years or so on a long bender, and when he finally dried himself out he left Maryann shortly afterward. Second wife Tess Gallagher ended up with the 'gravy' years and Carver's first wife and children were screwed out of their share to Carver's estate. Sklenicka also offers a balanced viewpoint on what is probably the biggest controve... morersy surrounding Carver - editor Gordon Lish's doctoring of his stories, especially those collected in What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (which is currently the only book of Carver's I've read). All in all this is a satisfying tome and no doubt the authoritative biography on Carver. I just wish Carver hadn't cut his family out of his inheritance; that really irks me...
review 2: Excellent, detailed biography. It does a good job of showing how Carver used his family life in writing his stories. The book illustrates well the amazing journey of Carver's life, and how he overcame poverty and alcoholism to realize his dream of becoming a successful writer. As a person, Carver certainly had his flaws, and the book discusses that in detail. I would have liked to see a little more discussion and analysis of individual stories, especially relating to the role of the editor, Gordon Lish. The book benefits from the cooperation of Carver's first wife, Maryann, and his children. His second wife, Tess Gallagher, apparently refused to be interviewed for the biography. That is unfortunate, as she might have been able to explain some of her actions after Carver's death, when she apparently overrode Carver's own wishes in order to cash in on his legacy. Overall, a very good book. less

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