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Shamus

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Excerpt from Feathers by Raymond Carver.

I tell her I fell in

love with her because of her hair. I tell her I might stop loving her if she cut it. Sometimes I call her “Swede.” She could pass for a Swede. Those times together in the evening she’d brush her hair and we’d wish out loud for things we didn’t have. We wished for a new car, that’s one of the things we wished for. And we wished we could spend a couple of weeks in Canada. But one thing we didn’t wish for was kids. The reason we didn’t have kids was that we didn’t want kids. Maybe sometime, we said to each other. But right then, we were waiting. We thought we might keep on waiting. Some nights we went to a movie. Other nights we just stayed in and watched TV. Sometimes Fran baked things for me and we’d eat whatever it was all in a sitting.

Comments

  • Irina June Sun

    Whatever, the main word here

  • Irina June Sun

    I would say that if we don't colour our actions with good emotions, life seems to be useless and depressive. I even begin to think that there are no actions either. Do they do anything? They do nothing. Wishing something is not an action at all. Hm.

  • Shamus

    @老王 Lao Wang Simulating. ☺

  • 老王 Lao Wang Lifetime VIP

    @Shamus Thank you for sharing: ) I heard this the first time. You mean he spoke verbally, and then someone or himself wrote down his words? Or is he just simulating the dialogue between the protagonists in his heart?

  • Shamus

    @老王 Lao Wang Sure. I think that's partly because he sometimes writes colloquially, mimicking real dialogue, therefore his simple style may not be so simple for someone who isn't used to his writing. I read that book last year. It was good but I preferred his first collection, Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?

  • Ibrahim Essam

    Wonderful

  • 老王 Lao Wang Lifetime VIP

    @Shamus I have this book, ’what we talk about when we talk about love’, last night I read its Chinese version , but you can easily imagine his original English sentence through the translated Chinese. I have to admit carver's words are really simple and friendly to English beginners lol, but it also makes his story fragmented, some stories I can't even understand what he wants to say, even 10 years have passed since I first read carver.......

  • 老王 Lao Wang Lifetime VIP

    @Shamus good to know this: ) I just found the Chinese version according to your information, but I decided to try the English version first. I expect there will be a lot of resources of English version on the internet. I'll look for them later XD

  • Sabrina

    Read some thing to Austen jane

  • Shamus

    @Katja Yeah. 😊, This is what much of his writing is like. Regular stories about regular people. 😄

  • Shamus

    @老王 Lao Wang Also, I just checked out of curiosity tonight and it seems his widow actually released a collection in 2009 called Beginners that includes his original manuscript versions of the stories appearing in the collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. I think that's what you are looking for if you want his original unedited stories. I will add it to my reading list.

  • Katja

    It's such a light , true to life story☺️

  • Siham

    @Lilya !!!😓

  • Lilya

    @Siham soga

  • soukaina

    @Lilya thank you for the compliment dear☺

  • 老王 Lao Wang Lifetime VIP

    @Shamus ：）You already have a reading plan for next year，I never know what I will read next year. . . Anyway, I decided to find a Carver’s story to review it now.

  • Lilya

    @soukaina You have a very lovely and gentle voice !

  • Siham

    @Lilya What does it mean!

  • Shamus

    @老王 Lao Wang It's a good point. He later released a collection titled "Where I'm Calling From" where he readjusted some of his stories that were modified by editors. I think I will read that one next year.

  • Lilya

    @Siham soga

  • 老王 Lao Wang Lifetime VIP

    But your post reminds me of that Carver’s short stories might be useful to study English lol

  • Siham

    @Lilya Nope, I meant the one in the drawing only

  • 老王 Lao Wang Lifetime VIP

    I have also been infatuated with Carver, but I later learned that many of his stories were shortened by his agent. I was thinking that maybe Carver ’s original version will be more touching, although that is certainly not the Carver we know ：）（I use translation machine)

  • Lilya

    @Siham Do you mean the Swede girl usually have big eyes?

  • Siham

    The girl has one eye bigger than the other

  • CHSX

    @Shamus Got it, thanks

  • Knowledge.

    I liked it🌸

  • Shamus

    @CHSX It means she looks like a person from Sweden.

  • CHSX

    What does "she could pass for a Swede" mean?

  • Mieeeeee

    lovely life

  • Shamus

    I really enjoy Raymond Carver's short stories. He gives us these little glimpses into people's lives. ✨

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