Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? On What We Talk About When We Talk About Love

Raymond Carver, a celebrated writer of 20th-century American literature, is known for his short works that continue the traditions of Hemingway, Faulkner, and Chekhov. His style is often labeled minimalism and “dirty realism,” yet his works are also marked by a distinctive uniqueness and a mythical atmosphere, as noted by the Los Angeles Times. He has been awarded the O. Henry Prize several times and has been nominated for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Robert Altman’s film “Short Cuts,” based on his stories and starring such actors as Andie MacDowell and Jack Lemmon, won the “Golden Lion” at the Venice Film Festival. Carver’s play “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” became the central theme of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Oscar-winning film “Birdman,” starring Michael Keaton and Emma Stone.

In this edition, two complete collections by Carver are presented, along with additional materials; many stories are published in Russian for the first time or in updated translations, and the rest are presented in a new revision.

Carver’s American world is full of lost dreams and pain—but it’s not as fragile as it may seem. The personal catastrophes of his characters are a normal occurrence in their lives, as emphasized by The New York Times Book Review.