Raymond Carver Collections books in order

Raymond Carver's collections span his entire career, from early poetry to the landmark short story volumes that changed American fiction.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Near Klamath 1968 Raymond Carver Buy
2 Where I’m Calling From 1969 Raymond Carver Buy
3 Winter Insomnia 1970 Raymond Carver Buy
4 Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? 1976 Raymond Carver Buy
5 Furious Seasons and Other Stories 1976 Raymond Carver Buy
6 At Night the Salmon Move 1976 Raymond Carver Buy
7 Furious Seasons 1976 Raymond Carver Buy
8 Fires 1977 Raymond Carver Buy
9 What We Talk About When We Talk About Love 1981 Raymond Carver Buy
10 Cathedral 1983 Raymond Carver Buy
11 Where Water Comes Together with Other Water 1984 Raymond Carver Buy
12 The Stories of Raymond Carver 1985 Raymond Carver Buy
13 Collected Stories 1985 Raymond Carver Buy
14 Ultramarine 1986 Raymond Carver Buy
15 Early for the Dance 1986 Raymond Carver Buy
16 Those Days 1987 Raymond Carver N/A
17 In a Marine Light 1987 Raymond Carver Buy
18 All of Us 1988 Raymond Carver Buy
19 Elephant and Other Stories 1988 Raymond Carver Buy
20 A New Path to the Waterfall 1989 Raymond Carver Buy
21 Carver Country - The World Of Raymond Carver 1990 Raymond Carver Buy
22 Three Stories 1990 Raymond Carver Buy
23 Short Cuts 1990 Raymond Carver Buy
24 No Heroics, Please 1992 Raymond Carver Buy
25 Call If You Need Me 2000 Raymond Carver Buy
26 Beginners 2009 Raymond Carver Buy

Raymond Carver’s collections are the core of his literary legacy. The twenty-six volumes span from early poetry chapbooks to posthumous compilations. The landmark collections are What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981) and Cathedral (1983).

Later compilations like Call If You Need Me (2000) and Beginners (2009) offered new looks at familiar work, including original unedited versions of stories that Gordon Lish had famously cut.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Raymond Carver Collections series?

There are 26 books in the Raymond Carver Collections series, published between 1968 and 2009.

What is the first book in the Raymond Carver Collections series?

The first book in the Raymond Carver Collections series is Near Klamath, published in 1968.

Which Raymond Carver collection should I read first?

Cathedral (1983) is the best starting point with some of his greatest stories. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981) is the other essential collection.

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