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Title: If You Liked Raymond Carver . . .
Review: or any of the masters of the short story genre, stay away from this book. never have i been so underwhelmed by a collection of short stories that i was compelled to write. the stories and dialogue are limp and ineffectual. the characters shallow and boring.EVERY single story left me flat. where is the authentic, honest hilarity? the imaginative vigor the book jacket states? obviously somewhere else for it is surely not in Carlson's stories.to see where Carlson is coming from, i offer you this quote" I write about personal experiences whether i've had them or not." what sort of metaphorical pap is this? it sounds as if Carlson has spent entirely too much time in bad workshop groups where "there are no bad writers,just bad writing."i am utterly awestruck that these flaccid stories were published anywhere. as my grandfather was fond of saying, "Save Yer Dough."
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