Where I'm Calling FromWhere I'm Calling From
Score Classic
What it's about
This collection gathers the best of Raymond Carver's short stories, chosen by Carver himself shortly before his death in 1988, along with seven new ones. His characters are ordinary working-class Americans, waitresses, salesmen, the unemployed, drinkers trying to quit, couples whose marriages are falling apart, and his stories catch them at moments of quiet crisis. It includes his most famous stories, among them "Cathedral" and "A Small, Good Thing."
Why it's worth reading
It was a Pulitzer finalist, and Carver is considered one of the greatest short story writers of the twentieth century. His spare, precise style influenced a generation of writers.
You'll love it if you liked
The Stories of John Cheever
The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor
Interpreter of MaladiesGood to know
The stories are short and often bleak, about drinking and broken marriages. Start with "Cathedral."
By the numbers
- Readers98 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller9 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Raymond Carver
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Quick answers
Is Where I'm Calling From worth reading?
Yes. It was a Pulitzer finalist, and Carver is considered one of the greatest short story writers of the twentieth century. It ranks #377 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Where I'm Calling From about?
This collection gathers the best of Raymond Carver's short stories, chosen by Carver himself shortly before his death in 1988, along with seven new ones. His characters are ordinary working-class Americans, waitresses, salesmen, the unemployed, drinkers trying to quit, couples whose marriages are falling apart, and his stories catch them at moments of quiet crisis. It includes his most famous stories, among them "Cathedral" and "A Small, Good Thing."
How long does it take to read Where I'm Calling From?
About 11 hours (448 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Where I'm Calling From?
If you liked it, try The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever, The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor by Flannery O'Connor or Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri.