I’m older. I’ve read a lot of classics, but never got around to Carver. Came across his short stories in the library and thought it was time. Only lasted four stories. There is a modern trend to write short stories that have no arc. No real start and no real finish. I call them snapshots. I just really don’t like them. It’s like listening to a piece of music that never resolves. I expect to get slammed for this or told they’re like haikus or something. Nope.
by acer-bic
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Here’s another post in the community about carver and might give you some insight as to why he wrote in the way you describe as snapshots.
I read will you please be quiet please for school and really enjoyed figuring out the message he was trying to convey.
“Vignettes” is the word I would use. I really like them, personally, but they don’t satisfy the same need as more fleshed-out stories.
One interesting thing about Carver is that his stories were heavily edited by Gordon Lish. There is a whole backstory there that makes the stories less interesting to some and more interesting to others.
There’s a theory that every story needs to have a character arc; the character develops in one way or another. Carver often has characters who are unable to understand their own emotions or those of other characters. Subsequently, they fail to grow or develop. Instead, the reader develops insight and (potentially) develops based on their own understanding or opinion. It’s not the case in every story by any means, and it’s not as effective in some stories as others. And even being aware of it doesn’t mean it will work for you – I’ll be the first to admit that Carver’s not for everyone. Still, it might be worth mentioning.
When Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize a critic complained that her stories were too epiphany-driven, the characters are changed in the end. Some people really love that style and some like Carver’s style where it’s up to the reader to decide if the character has been affected or not.
I like both styles.