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Cathedral

4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 · rating details · 9,361 ratings · 485 reviews

"A dozen stories that overflow with the danger, excitement, mystery and possibility of life...Carver is a writer of astonishing compassion and honesty...his eye set only on describing and revealing the world as he sees it. His eye is so clear, it almost breaks your heart."--Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World

"Cathedral contains astonishing achievements, which besp...more

Paperback, 240 pages

Published June 18th 1989 by Vintage (first published 1983)

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Sep 21, 2012 Tanuj Solanki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: america, e-book, nbcca-award

The name 'Carver' is a fit for the writer's name. He does carve his stories well.

'Chef's House' - his first New Yorker publication - had me reading it repeatedly, amazed at the poise and spareness of the prose, while ever acknowledging the danger of the story careening to a place I didn't want it to. This is the thing with Carver's stories. They create some dread and then they take you to the source of that dread.

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Nov 28, 2007 Dustin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites

This book changed my life, sent me on my way to becoming a writer, and quite literally was the reason my girlfriend and I got together. Yeah. Soul mates. Me and Carver.

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Jul 27, 2007 Steve rated it 2 of 5 stars

After years of being told that Raymond Carver was the epitome of quality short story writing I finally read one of his books. I'm all in favour of sparse, concise prose that describe the minutiae of everyday life if it offers reveals the extraordinary within the ordinary. With many of the stories in "Cathedral" I kept thinking, "And...?" I did not feel that Carver's subtle observations amounted to any great insight. The only story that lingers in my mind is "A Small, Good Thing" in which a coupl...more

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Kay No, I sort of agree. I did enjoy the title story - a lot - but I think we Brits are maybe less in love with understated writing because we have so man...more
Jul 28, 2007 02:38am

Elaine Finally. I always thought I was in a minority of one for not being more ga-ga about Carver. I've read three of his s.s. volumes, and while I liked the...more
Jul 28, 2007 07:08am

PGR Nair Steve...While I do agree that 'Small good thing' is a touching tale(It was his favourite too) , the best of Carver is surely "Cathedral".I could sense...more Steve...While I do agree that 'Small good thing' is a touching tale(It was his favourite too) , the best of Carver is surely "Cathedral".I could sense the narrator's disconnect with his wife and her connection with the blind man. Yes, sometimes it does take a blind man to make the seeing see. Like Jesus said to the High Priests, 'if you had said u were blind u would have been wise, but now you've said you can see, your blindness remains'.The theme is the communication gap that isolates relationships. The narrator drinks too much and seems unable to adequately communicate with his wife. The wife has earlier tried to commit suicide because of loneliness. Both the narrator and his wife are unable to effectively communicate with one another; however, his wife communicates freely and well with the blind man. The narrator is very resistant to getting to know this man and is resentful of his presence. Only the blind man, Robert, seems able to form lasting human connections. "Cathedral" ends with hope; although there is no proof that the narrator will overcome his isolation, for the moment, he is in communion with himself and another human being.
The narrator also has limited knowledge which keeps the reader from seeing the blind man's feelings. Early on, the narrator is rude and inconsiderate. He often makes rude remarks to the blind man such as "what side of the train did you sit on?" and comments on color TV. Carver uses the narrator's prejudices as a reflection of the many prejudices inherent on today's society. The author sympathizes with the wife. Readers can sense the feeling of the wife being embarrassed. She covers up for the narrator's mistakes. The author's use of tone makes the readers dislike the narrator; therefore, the readers desire a change in him. The symbols in the story help to identify theme. The cathedral, the most obvious symbol, shows unity and common belief. A cathedral is a place where everyone is equal and accepted. The touching of the face is also a symbol. It shows the trust built between the wife and the blind man. The irony in this story is that it takes a blind man to make a seeing man see. Irony is when reality is not what it appears to be. Readers think that the blind man is at a disadvantage based on the prejudices known by everyone. In reality, the blind man can see things that seeing people are unable to see. The theme that all of these elements contribute to is that all people are equal, and the things you lack do not matter because they are made up for in other ways.
It is about one man's understanding and acceptance of a blind man. The narrator represents the story's dominant theme of overcoming prejudice of the blind through personal experience as well as mutual respect. Cathedrals are also spiritual houses of God. The building is a massive architectural symbol. Robert, a religious man and believer in God, is confronted with our narrator who doesn’t really believe in God or much of anything else. He is a lonely, drifting soul, the implication being that he is lost in an unsaved state. He lacks a spiritual center. He isn’t close to his wife. He doesn’t like his job. He has no purpose. Nothing much matters to him. The subject of cathedrals: their majesty and accomplishment, is something that forces the narrator to recognize his alienation. Robert then gives him the opportunity to realize that he is still capable of vision, insight, and creative energy. There may be a spiritual center to this loner after all. This is pretty clearly a liberating experience for our narrator, something memorable enough that he needs to tell his story.
The story also reflect of hope for personal growth, as the narrator seems to have an epiphany of sorts at the end when he makes the realization that he can communicate with the blind man and that doing so makes him feel very different and alive in many ways.(less)
Aug 16, 2011 02:16am

Oct 03, 2012 Emir Never rated it 4 of 5 stars

There's a scene in Raymond Carver's short story 'Cathedral' that vaguely outlines the workings of great literature.

Here we have a blind visitor guiding his seeing host in drawing a cathedral. As a final touch the blind man asks his host to close his eyes and draw some people. "What's a cathedral without people?" he says.

The blind guides, the seeing follows. We feel this is not impossible, no. It's happening as we read it.

So we kept on with it. His fingers rode my fingers as my hand went over t

...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Giulia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: racconti

Avete presente quei libri che si leggono da bambini, mi sembra che li chiamino libri animati, che hanno delle linguette laterali? Tu le tiri e sulla pagina ti si rivela un’immagine, oppure magicamente si alza una figura e la pagina diventa 3D. Spero di essermi spiegata. Comunque, ecco, la sensazione che ho avuto leggendo questo libro di Carver è stata così. Un’esperienza rivelatrice, illuminante.

I critici, parlando dei racconti di Carver, li descrivono come onesti. Sono d’accordo, se con onestà...more Avete presente quei libri che si leggono da bambini, mi sembra che li chiamino libri animati, che hanno delle linguette laterali? Tu le tiri e sulla pagina ti si rivela un’immagine, oppure magicamente si alza una figura e la pagina diventa 3D. Spero di essermi spiegata. Comunque, ecco, la sensazione che ho avuto leggendo questo libro di Carver è stata così. Un’esperienza rivelatrice, illuminante.

I critici, parlando dei racconti di Carver, li descrivono come onesti. Sono d’accordo, se con onestà intendono piuttosto verità e vita. Dicono che la sua scrittura sia minimalista. Sono d’accordo anche con questo (anche se questo aggettivo non è che mi piaccia granché), se però minimalista corrisponde ad essenziale, ed essenziale lo accostiamo a necessaria. Ecco, scrittura essenziale e necessaria. O, meglio, scrittura essenziale in quanto necessaria. Dei personaggi raccontati da Carver, dicono siano persone umili, disperate, depresse. Ecco, sono d’accordo anche con questo, purché ci si renda conto che, effettivamente, siamo pressoché tutti noi protagonisti dei racconti di Carver.

Ecco alcuni dei protagonisti: un uomo disoccupato che non riesce più ad alzarsi dal divano, marito e moglie al capezzale del figlio in ospedale, alcolizzati, una donna tradita, un marito abbandonato e così via. E il tutto, per la maggior parte del tempo, si svolge all’interno delle mura domestiche.

E allora qualcuno potrebbe anche chiedersi cosa ci sia di così esaltante, di così rivelatore.

C’è che Carver, con quella scrittura che in molti amano chiamare minimalista, tira le linguette ai lati della pagina e ti fa vedere la scena come se tu ne fossi uno dei protagonisti. Ti svela quello che c’è in fondo e che non si vede.

Quante volte, seduti uno di fronte all’altro ci chiediamo: Chissà cosa starà pensando, e perché?, oppure Perché mi ha sorriso in quel modo, perché mi ha detto quella cosa?. Ho reso l’idea, no? Il perché di gesti che più comuni di così non si può. Ma che, praticamente sempre, rappresentano la chiave interpretativa della realtà.

Così, in questi racconti, Carver rende rivelatori questi piccoli gesti. E anche gli oggetti, come un frigorifero rotto, una pasta alla cannella, o un disegno di una cattedrale. Che diventano il Perché di quello che accade.

Ad una prima lettura sembra di stare al bar a sentire un nostro amico che ci racconta l’ultima crisi con la fidanzata, tanto è essenziale la scrittura di Carver. In realtà, mentre leggiamo, lui ci sta lentamente togliendo quel velo davanti agli occhi che ci nascondeva qualcosa. E alla fine non solo comprendiamo ciò che succede ai suoi personaggi, ma anche quello che succede a noi. Perché in realtà, su quella frase che i critici chiamano minimalista, Carver ci è ritornato sopra, limandola e correggendola, tante, tante volte, riuscendo a creare la sua commuovente e fantastica magia.
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Mar 17, 2008 Jeremy Bailey rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my favorite collection of short stories bar none. I'm even impressed with the the way in which the collection is arranged. The title story comes last, if I remember correctly and it's a perfect bookend and the strongest here. It may be his most famous. My best pal Andy turned me on to Carver a long time ago and if I never learn Aikido like we had contracted to do, he will be winner by default because of this recommendation. Again, if you need your characters actually doing things (chasin...more

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May 05, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern-classic, short-stories-are-your-friends

Just another genius collection of laconic grimly funny or just grim short stories by Carver, like his other four. My favourites :

“Feathers”. A guy and his wife are invited for dinner at a workmate’s house. Bud and Olla have a peacock and a really ugly baby. (“Even calling it ugly does it credit.”)

“Preservation”. A guy loses his job and his life disintegrates. The fridge breaks down. His wife gets ready to go to an auction to buy a new one. That's all, folks.

“A Small Good Thing”. A boy is hit b...more

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Sep 28, 2007 J.P. rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: short story writers, short fiction fans

On Christmas Eve, 1989, I sat in my room as snow fell outside. I was 20 years old. That night, I read this book cover-to-cover. I didn't mean to---Carver's voice and characters just grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go. It's one of the few books I've ever read in one sitting.

These characters, I found, weren't like 'made-up' people from most other fiction I'd read up to that time. They were my friends, neighbors, coworkers---and to some extent, me.

Upon completing Cathedral, I was certain of t...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Myles rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories, vintage-contemporaries, collegiate, literary

OK, so the craft and the talent of/behind these stories is undoubted, but there was very little about them to love.

They were mostly about endings and people keeping on anyway. Sometimes they had a shred of hope like in the title story or "Where I'm Calling From", but mostly it was about keeping your head down and just accepting the dull current of life.

This is the first time in a long time that I've felt too young to have read something. I can get a bit down and moody on occasion, but the next t...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Jigar Brahmbhatt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant, Brutal, Devastating - these short stories by the preeminent artist of dirty realism manage to chip away the universals other writers deem necessary and lay bare the particulars, the mundane, the absurd in everyday life. Carver must have had a craggy, unsentimental stare, coz he is always bloody right on target.

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Jul 25, 2012 Leka rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: racconti, america

Alla fine, in piedi, ho riconosciuto qualche volto. Forse non proprio amico, ma almeno un po' familiare. Istantanee, sempre. Minimaliste le chiamano in America, dicono. Sarò più propensa alle ottocentesche sperimentazioni, mi sa.
Toccante, però, il racconto Una piccola, buona cosa.

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Oct 14, 2012 Luna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

***spoiler alert***

“Cathedral” is told through the viewpoint of the narrator, who puts together his narrative crudely, with rough transitions and defensive interruptions. Though not explicitly stated, he is an unhappy man. Evidence of this comes from descriptions of his marriage, especially in his strained conversations with his wife. The couple does not sleep at the same time, and even when the narrator does retire, he suffers from jarring dreams that make his heart “crazy." Then, there is the...more ***spoiler alert***

“Cathedral” is told through the viewpoint of the narrator, who puts together his narrative crudely, with rough transitions and defensive interruptions. Though not explicitly stated, he is an unhappy man. Evidence of this comes from descriptions of his marriage, especially in his strained conversations with his wife. The couple does not sleep at the same time, and even when the narrator does retire, he suffers from jarring dreams that make his heart “crazy." Then, there is the issue of whether or not the two even sleep in the same bed. When Robert orders the narrator to find some heavy paper for drawing, the latter goes to search for some in his “wife’s room." The meaning is quite vague, and while the wife may simply have a spare room akin to a study room, it could also imply that the two do not share their living quarters. What is perhaps most alarming is his familiarity with liquor and marijuana. He reveals drinking as one of his pastimes, and says he smokes nightly, staying up as long as he can. From the wife, readers understand that drinking in this short story is highly correlated to depression. When she talks of her suicide attempt, she states that she washed down the pills with a bottle of gin. Despite all this, there is no definite implication as to the reasoning behind the narrator’s overt sadness, nor whether he was different in the past.

This leads to the conclusion that the narrator lacks identity, not knowing who he himself is or what kind of role he plays in life. The shift comes when he allows Robert—the blind man, of all people—to change his perspectives. This happened earlier on between Robert and the narrator’s wife. Arguably, exchanging audiotapes with Robert was what got her through the depression she underwent from relocating so often with her first husband. The way that Robert “touched his fingers to every part of her face, her nose—even her neck!” during their last meeting stays with her through the years, keeping both her and her identity afloat. The connection between the two is charged with a rather sexual air; touching such erotic regions as a woman’s neck hints that the two shared a most intimate connection (a theory D.H. Lawrence might agree with). Indeed, upon their reunion, she just can’t get enough of him, unnecessarily repeating “Robert” three times in reverence or adoration. Above all other changes Robert might have inspired in the wife, her womanhood is the most notable. She returns to the room in “her pink robe and her pink slippers," the picture of femininity, sits between the two men, and carelessly leaves her robe open. Thus, her “identity” comes in the form of knowing her own sexual appeal and desirability as a woman. She decides to show this off, confident with being in her body.

Likewise, the bond that forms between the narrator and Robert catalyzes a change. The change that the narrator goes through near the end of the story is hinted at when the group leaves the dinner table, for they “didn’t look back," which might be attributed to the fact that they would all know where they stood from that point onwards, and have no need for retrospect or regrets. By having Robert help him draw a cathedral, the narrator finally sees what he’s been missing in his life—the power of sight without seeing. The story ends on an optimistic note; though the narrator is not completely altered, he is cautiously hopeful. His ending quote, “It’s really something” is fairly laconic and in his typical fashion, but he seems to be seeing something that no one else can touch. In rising with the cathedral, the narrator ascends the boundaries of his past self and comes to a new level of understanding. While he may nonetheless continue his nightly ritual of lighting up or drinking Scotch, he has changed via contact with Robert’s identity. Robert, a man who is blind and yet can be “comfortable” in awkward situations, has given the narrator back some of his identity. The narrator, in turn, has become more comfortable in his own skin. When he refuses to open his eyes, he feels that it’s just “something [he] ought to do," indicating that he doesn’t question it, but instead goes along with his gut intuition. (less)

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Feb 07, 2012 Cafar100 added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 05, 2012 Rhett Ramirez added it

In “Cathedral”, I interpreted a simple paradigm change. A judgmental man displays his prejudice in a number of ways. These ways include racism, astonished that the man might have a black wife, and prejudice against blindness. His wife has grown fond of a blind man, and the man grows jealous.
I interpreted a sense of hypocrisy from the story. The man doesn’t sleep with his wife, and smokes pot until he falls asleep every night. He pokes fun at the blind man that he could never see his wife, when...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was particularly fond of the use of a biased narrator in this piece because you could feel the narrator coming around and changing his attitude towards the blind man. The bias gave a unique insight to the reader so they could not only understand how the man evolved in the story, but gave perspective on why he felt the bias he had towards the blind man in the beginning. The bias can be seen through his inner dialogue, using both blatant statements such as, “A blind man in my house was not somet...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Nina autajay added it

Cathedral is filled with passive animosity. In any case, this would be just another man jealous of his wife’s –in essence- past lover. Right off the bat, the reader is familiarized with the husband’s angst towards the Blind man. The husband is threatened by blind man’s swagger. The husband is pessimistic about the blind man’s visit. The husband has many reasons to feel this way; his wife always stayed in contact with the blind man even after all these years. The blind man is objectified by the h...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Dallas rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Cathedral” by Ramond Carver left me perplexed. No sooner was it until the end of the book had I understood what in fact I was reading. I was unaware, even oblivious to the title, such a perfect place to be taken into by a story. I found myself in the eyes of the narrator: a cynic, a doubter. Someone who I have been active to avoid being in my life, yet he was a character I seemed to have known my whole life. The blind man in the story was by a good account an ethereal being. As I read the inter...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Claudefang added it

In the short story “Cathedral”, the narrator wrote the story in the first person view. From the story, I can tell that the narrator is the kind of person who is lack of confidence, he doesn’t want that blind man Robert to come over because Robert was very close to his wife, somewhere inside his heart he must feel very insecure, he is afraid of the possibility that Robert might take his wife away from him. He says he never believed in any religion, which implies that he might not trust anybody bu...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Marco Maniaci rated it 4 of 5 stars

I would give the book more of a 3- 3 and half than an actual four because the events that happened in the story, but I can not rate it that way from the website. I believe the story holds a lot of truth with how society is today. The story can easily be applied to current day even though the technology and other parts of the story show that it is not. The second husband is proof of the high divorce ratio because he seems very far disconnected from his wife. Every night he prefers to smoke mariju...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Daniel Streit rated it 5 of 5 stars

Raymond Carver’s Cathedral follows the conversation of a man meeting his wife’s blind friend, named Robert, who had recently lost his wife to cancer. As this is the man’s first time meeting a blind person, he does not know what to expect of the meeting. I found this premise interesting because I, myself have never met a blind person, nor do I know what I would talk to one about. The most intense conversation between the main character and Robert occurs when the man’s wife is asleep and they enga...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Samk808 added it

Cathedral is a story about prejudice and realizing that the world doesn’t necessarily always work the way we think it should. It is clear from the beginning of the story that the narrator is kind of insecure and does not like most people. For example, he refuses to call his wife’s first husband anything other than officer. His reasoning for this is that he was her childhood sweetheart and that should be enough. As the story goes on and he learns more and more about the blind man he is quick to...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Nitya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Raymond Carver is considered by many to be the greatest American short story writer of all time. Cathedral was written after Carver got sober and found love with the poet Tess Gallagher. These stories often portray the damage wrought by alcohol in a marriage, or the loneliness inherent in the human experience. Sounds depressing, but it's not. Touching, that's what it is. The characters become real, and their suffering is universal and easy to relate with. In Cathedral, the final story, a blind...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Bruce rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The story is told by a working class guy who works at a job he does not like and is in a crumbling marriage. His wife, married before, has an old friend, a blind man by whom she was employed a decade before and with whom she has kept in contact, and she brings him home for dinner when he is visiting the city. The narrator, the husband, resents his guest, both because he is uncomfortable with the idea of entertaining a blind person and because he doesn’t like the idea that his wife has this ongoi...more The story is told by a working class guy who works at a job he does not like and is in a crumbling marriage. His wife, married before, has an old friend, a blind man by whom she was employed a decade before and with whom she has kept in contact, and she brings him home for dinner when he is visiting the city. The narrator, the husband, resents his guest, both because he is uncomfortable with the idea of entertaining a blind person and because he doesn’t like the idea that his wife has this ongoing relationship. At first, he mostly just watches his wife and the blind man, Robert, interacting and talking. The three of them eat, drink a lot, watch TV, and smoke a little marijuana. The wife eventually falls asleep, and Robert and the husband talk, talking about what they are watching and listening to on TV, about what Robert may or not have experienced because of his blindness. The narrator tries to explain what a cathedral is like, and Robert, always patient, encouraging, and unruffled, asks him to draw a picture of a cathedral while his hand is on the husband’s. While drawing, the husband closes his eyes, and together the two men experience the making of art, the power of art to communicate ideas and also to create a moment of human intimacy.

Carver’s language in this short story is working class, and he writes in short declarative sentences with a sardonic tone. He effectively conveys the drabness of the life of the narrator and his wife, their emotional bleakness and loneliness. Weaving stereotypes of class and blindness together, he creates an atmosphere that is vivid and immediate. And he portrays a spiritual emptiness that in inseparable from the yearning for intimacy and connectedness. The irony is that the hollowness at the core of the husband is filled by the sensitivity and acceptance of the blind man, a blind man who addresses him with the impersonal nickname, “Bub,” but is able to intuit his need and minister to him in an emotional healing and elevating way, through art. Who was really blind in this story? And to what extent are we?
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Aug 30, 2011 Gretchen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction

Cathedral is a collection of short stories by Raymond Carver. Each story explores everyday moments in humanity, as well as common issues like relationships and alcoholism. Carver’s writing style is minimalist, so there are no moments of long description of setting or characters. Carver focuses on plot and themes, and each story ends with a slight cliffhanger, leaving it up to the reader to decide what happens.

I read this book for my Contemporary American Literature class, and I loved it. All the...more

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Aug 16, 2011 PGR Nair rated it 5 of 5 stars

The title Story "cathedral" is one of the best American stories of last century.

The theme is the communication gap that isolates relationships. The narrator drinks too much and seems unable to adequately communicate with his wife. The wife has earlier tried to commit suicide because of loneliness. Both the narrator and his wife are unable to effectively communicate with one another; however, his wife communicates freely and well with the blind man. The narrator is very resistant to getting to kn...more The title Story "cathedral" is one of the best American stories of last century.

The theme is the communication gap that isolates relationships. The narrator drinks too much and seems unable to adequately communicate with his wife. The wife has earlier tried to commit suicide because of loneliness. Both the narrator and his wife are unable to effectively communicate with one another; however, his wife communicates freely and well with the blind man. The narrator is very resistant to getting to know this man and is resentful of his presence. Only the blind man, Robert, seems able to form lasting human connections. "Cathedral" ends with hope; although there is no proof that the narrator will overcome his isolation, for the moment, he is in communion with himself and another human being.

The narrator also has limited knowledge which keeps the reader from seeing the blind man's feelings. Early on, the narrator is rude and inconsiderate. He often makes rude remarks to the blind man such as "what side of the train did you sit on?" and comments on color TV. Carver uses the narrator's prejudices as a reflection of the many prejudices inherent on today's society. The author sympathizes with the wife. Readers can sense the feeling of the wife being embarrassed. She covers up for the narrator's mistakes. The author's use of tone makes the readers dislike the narrator; therefore, the readers desire a change in him. The symbols in the story help to identify theme. The cathedral, the most obvious symbol, shows unity and common belief. A cathedral is a place where everyone is equal and accepted. The touching of the face is also a symbol. It shows the trust built between the wife and the blind man. The irony in this story is that it takes a blind man to make a seeing man see. Irony is when reality is not what it appears to be. Readers think that the blind man is at a disadvantage based on the prejudices known by everyone. In reality, the blind man can see things that seeing people are unable to see. The theme that all of these elements contribute to is that all people are equal, and the things you lack do not matter because they are made up for in other ways.

It is about one man's understanding and acceptance of a blind man. The narrator represents the story's dominant theme of overcoming prejudice of the blind through personal experience as well as mutual respect. Cathedrals are also spiritual houses of God. The building is a massive architectural symbol. Robert, a religious man and believer in God, is confronted with our narrator who doesn’t really believe in God or much of anything else. He is a lonely, drifting soul, the implication being that he is lost in an unsaved state. He lacks a spiritual center. He isn’t close to his wife. He doesn’t like his job. He has no purpose. Nothing much matters to him. The subject of cathedrals: their majesty and accomplishment, is something that forces the narrator to recognize his alienation. Robert then gives him the opportunity to realize that he is still capable of vision, insight, and creative energy. There may be a spiritual center to this loner after all. This is pretty clearly a liberating experience for our narrator, something memorable enough that he needs to tell his story.

The story also reflect of hope for personal growth, as the narrator seems to have an epiphany of sorts at the end when he makes the realization that he can communicate with the blind man and that doing so makes him feel very different and alive in many ways.

Another very touching heart warmer in this book is "A small good thing" which Carver considered as his best story. I would suggest you to try his poetry too. He was a truly gifted poet of terrific insights
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Jun 20, 2011 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an excellent set of short stories and personally my first introduction to Carver. The back of my edition has a quote from Carver himself that sums up why these are so extraordinary better than I can: he has the ability "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."

Which is exactly what he does to - fill his stories with the k...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Eric Kibler rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the collection where Carver shakes off the label of "minimalist".

His previous editor, Gordon Lish, was known for paring Carver's stories down to the bone. But in this collection, free from Lish's pencil, he is able to be more expansive. The stories still concern average shmoes living clumsy lives, but now Carver gives himself the space for more incident. More emotional nuance. Not only that, but he's funnier, and he was fairly funny to begin with.

I read a volume of his poems recently. Li...more

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Sep 20, 2010 Steven Belanger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Honestly didn't care much for the stories at first, though the talent and skill, especially with style and construction, were obvious. Just seemed to me that the characters NEVER thought, "Things aren't going so well; maybe I should do something different. Like, stop drinking, for example." But then came "A Small, Good Thing," which is one of the better short stories ever, and the tide shifted to stories about characters who at least realized that maybe improvement and moving on was possible. It...more

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May 18, 2010 Rowland Bismark rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Difference between Looking and Seeing

In “Cathedral,” the act of looking is related to physical vision, but the act of seeing requires a deeper level of engagement. The narrator shows that he is fully capable of looking. He looks at his house and wife, and he looks at Robert when he arrives. The narrator is not blind and immediately assumes that he’s therefore superior to Robert. Robert’s blindness, the narrator reasons, makes him unable to make a woman happy, let alone have any kind of norma...more

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Apr 04, 2010 Casey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Raymond Carver knows what he writes about. All of his characters could either be him or people he knows really well. I’ve never had that feeling before. That sense that the author is in every story he’s writing about. Be it the family that loses their son, our the alcoholic that is trying to dry up, the husband abandoned with two children by a wife that “is going for it”. I always got the sense it was Carver in all these stories. It was his life he was talking about. Of course that’s not the cas...more

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About Raymond Carver

Carver was born into a poverty-stricken family at the tail-end of the Depression. The son of a violent alcoholic, he married at 19, started a series of menial jobs and his own career of 'full-time drinking as a serious pursuit'. A career that would eventually kill him. Constantly struggling to support his wife and family Carver enrolled in a writing programme under author John Gardner in 1958 and...more

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Quotes from Cathedral

“You've got to work with your mistakes until they look intended. Understand?” — 41 people liked it

“There is no answer. It's okay. But even if it wasn't okay, what am I supposed to do?” — 23 people liked it

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