Our book group choice for January 2010 is Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver. With this, his first collection, Carver breathed new life into the short story.
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? is a collection of short stories by Raymond Carver, first published in 1976. The stories are set in the American Midwest and West Coast, and they depict the lives of working-class people struggling with poverty, alcoholism, and marital discord. The stories are characterized by their spare, minimalist style, and they offer a bleak but honest portrait of the American Dream gone sour.
The title story, “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?”, tells the story of a man who learns that his wife had an affair with a friend years earlier. The man is initially enraged, but he eventually comes to terms with the betrayal. However, the story ends with the man standing over his sleeping wife, wondering if he is capable of violence.
“The Bath” is another story about marital discord. A man and his wife are taking a bath together, and the man begins to think about how their marriage has deteriorated. He realizes that he no longer loves his wife, and he wonders if it is too late to save their relationship.
“A Small, Good Thing” is a story about a couple who loses their young son in a car accident. The couple is devastated by their loss, and they struggle to come to terms with their grief. The story is a moving exploration of the pain of loss and the power of love.
“Cathedral” is one of Carver’s most famous stories. It tells the story of a man who is invited to dinner at his friend’s house. The man is blind, and he is initially hesitant to go, but he eventually agrees. At dinner, the man’s friend describes a cathedral that he has seen, and the man is able to imagine it in his mind. The story is a powerful exploration of the power of imagination and the importance of human connection.
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? is a collection of stories that is both bleak and beautiful. The stories are unflinching in their depiction of the harsh realities of life, but they also offer a glimpse of hope and redemption. Carver’s spare, minimalist style is perfectly suited to these stories, and he creates a powerful portrait of the American working class.
Discussion Questions
- What was your initial reaction to the book? Did it hook you immediately, or take some time to get into?
- Do you enjoy short stories?
- What was your favorite quote/passage?
- Which story was your favourite?
- Did you pick out any key themes throughout the book?
- Which character did you relate to the most, and what was it about them that you connected with?
- Did the book change your opinion or perspective about anything? Do you feel different now than you did before you read it?
- How do the characters cope with the challenges they face?
- What is the significance of the title of the book?
- What is the role of alcohol in the book?
- How does the book portray the American working class?
- What is the role of gender in the book?
- How does the book explore the themes of love, loss, and betrayal?
- What is the significance of the setting of the book?
- How does the book reflect the cultural and social context of the time period in which it was written?
- What is the significance of the title story, “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?”
- To whom would you recommend the book? Why or why not?