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Scissors
Based on the life of the great short-story writer Raymond Carver, particularly his last ten years, Scissors is a funny, compassionate, and convincing portrayal of the creative its compulsions, rewards, and frustrations, and its affinities with tragedy.
Raymond is a writer whose life is fraught with personal and creative struggle. His first marriage, to Marianne, is intense, passionate, and unhealthy. After his divorce, he finds new love and support with Joanne, a poet. All the while, Raymond is in an escalating conflict with his editor, Douglas, who both enhances and distorts Raymond's work. As his success and confidence grow, Raymond strives harder and harder to ensure that his stories are published as written, with his past drinking and his previous life with Marianne always lurking in the background. Douglas thinks the stories are as much his as Raymond's and is determined that only his, heavily edited, versions will appear in print. While Raymond considers his stories the most important part of his life, Marianne and Joanne claim stakes in them as well, leading to a dramatic and unexpected final confrontation with the man known as “Scissors.”
In this brilliantly inventive novel, Michaka crafts a searing tale about the struggles and sacrifices one must endure for both love and art.
Raymond is a writer whose life is fraught with personal and creative struggle. His first marriage, to Marianne, is intense, passionate, and unhealthy. After his divorce, he finds new love and support with Joanne, a poet. All the while, Raymond is in an escalating conflict with his editor, Douglas, who both enhances and distorts Raymond's work. As his success and confidence grow, Raymond strives harder and harder to ensure that his stories are published as written, with his past drinking and his previous life with Marianne always lurking in the background. Douglas thinks the stories are as much his as Raymond's and is determined that only his, heavily edited, versions will appear in print. While Raymond considers his stories the most important part of his life, Marianne and Joanne claim stakes in them as well, leading to a dramatic and unexpected final confrontation with the man known as “Scissors.”
In this brilliantly inventive novel, Michaka crafts a searing tale about the struggles and sacrifices one must endure for both love and art.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 22, 2012
1 person is currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Stéphane Michaka
23 books8 followersStephane Michaka was born in Paris in 1974. He studied at Cambridge University and taught French in South Africa before embarking on a writing career. He has written theater pieces, children's books, television scripts, and radio plays.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 4, 2018
Here’s an unusual book. It’s a fictionalized account of the famous American short story writer, Raymond Carver, and his relationship with his editor, unnamed in the book, but it is Gordon Lish. Even more unusual, given that these folks were Americans, is that the book was written in France and translated from the French.
The book’s title, Scissors, is appropriate, since in the story, Carver’s editor sometimes cuts Carver’s already minimalist short stories in half or cuts the last five pages and often changes the endings – and Carver, needing the money, lets him do it.
The story is mostly dialogue, organized not in chapters, but by the person speaking, so we have headings titled Raymond, Douglas (the fictional editor), Raymond and Maryann (his wife), and so on. His first wife argued with Carver that he should not let the editor change his stories so much. Carver’s second wife, Tess Gallagher, who was his literary executor, fought with Knopf Publishing and eventually won the right to publish Carver’s stories prior to editing by Lish, under the title 'Beginners.'
So the basic story is kind of a mini-biography of Carver during his most productive literary years, his home life, and his relationship with his editor. It’s not a biography of his whole life since it doesn’t really touch on his youth or his later years. It’s a fairly short book, a good read, and it’s amazing how much it is focused on the editing process without getting repetitive.
We start early in the book with this fictional quote attributed to Carver when asked ‘what do you love most in life?’ He did not answer “my wife and children.” He said: “My stories.” So we go from there.
Carver had a problem with alcohol, even carrying a flask to meetings. In the fictionalized account, which is close to real life, we are told he had been hospitalized and/or stayed in detox centers eight times in three years. Eventually he got off alcohol (although he started smoking pot) and died at age 50 from lung cancer. An insightful passage: “But that wasn’t his type of story. He did couples who ruin each other’s lives or people who can’t manage to stay sober or make a home. He wrote about what he knew.”
Some comments from the fictional editor:
“I’ve defined fiction: Reality with a sideways step.”
“The first sentence tells me everything. Which means, it tells me whether or not I must read the next one. And so on, right up to the last word, where the decision still hangs in the balance.”
“…my way of finding a word under another word. The word I find is clearer, more precise. I make an incision that liberates what the sentence had buried.”
Why does the editor rewrite the endings of Carver’s stories? Because if he asks the writer to rewrite them “…[they] will write another ending worse than the first…”
Carver’s editor feels that he has ‘missed out’ on the suffering that Carver experienced that made him a writer. “If I’d known suffering, if I hadn’t exempted myself from it by becoming one of the three editors who count in this town, I would have been a writer like Raymond. Maybe even better than Raymond.”
Comments from Raymond:
“It seems my stories have political content…I wasn’t really aware that they did, but the academics have detected it. Nothing escapes them.”
The quote above ties in with comments at a cocktail party made by another author: “University professors. They study my short stories and see things in them I didn’t see when I wrote them.” Response: “Impressive.”
All in all I thought this a very good read. It held my interest and taught me a lot about Carver’s life, how he wrote, and his experience of the editorial process.
Lish’s editing of Carver eventually caused an uproar in the literary community. If you are interested in the details, here is a section from the Wikipedia article on Lish under the subheading “Carver edits:” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_...
In August 1998, three years after Carol Polsgrove described Lish's heavy editing of Raymond Carver's Neighbors and published a facsimile page showing the editing, The New York Times Magazine published an article by D. T. Max about the extent of Lish's editing of Carver's short stories which was visible in manuscripts held at the Lilly Library. Carver wrote Lish: “If I have any standing or reputation or credibility in the world, I owe it to you.” In December 2007, The New Yorker published an earlier and much longer draft of Carver's story "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" under Carver's title, "Beginners." The magazine published Lish's extensive edits of the story on its web site for comparison. In May 2010 Giles Harvey wrote an article in the New York Review of Books reviewing Carver's work, and made the observation, "The publication of 'Beginners' has not done Carver any favors. Rather, it has inadvertently pointed up the editorial genius of Gordon Lish." Conversely, Stephen King in The New York Times described Lish's influence as 'baleful' and heartless, singling out the story 'The Bath' as 'a total re-write' and 'a cheat'. In 2013, David Winters wrote a profile of Lish for The Guardian, arguing that the widely publicized association with Carver had distorted Lish's reception, drawing attention away from the formal and stylistic innovation of his own fiction and from the achievements of his students.
And here’s a more recent (2015) interview with Lish from The Guardian given the in-your-face headline “Gordon Lish: ‘Had I not revised Carver, would he be paid the attention given him? Baloney!’” https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
Gordon Lish, now 84, has published a number of novels, collections of short stories and works about writing.
Photos from top: Raymond Carver from flavorwire.com
The author, Stephane Michaka from npr.org
Gordon Lish from theparisreview.org
The book’s title, Scissors, is appropriate, since in the story, Carver’s editor sometimes cuts Carver’s already minimalist short stories in half or cuts the last five pages and often changes the endings – and Carver, needing the money, lets him do it.
The story is mostly dialogue, organized not in chapters, but by the person speaking, so we have headings titled Raymond, Douglas (the fictional editor), Raymond and Maryann (his wife), and so on. His first wife argued with Carver that he should not let the editor change his stories so much. Carver’s second wife, Tess Gallagher, who was his literary executor, fought with Knopf Publishing and eventually won the right to publish Carver’s stories prior to editing by Lish, under the title 'Beginners.'
So the basic story is kind of a mini-biography of Carver during his most productive literary years, his home life, and his relationship with his editor. It’s not a biography of his whole life since it doesn’t really touch on his youth or his later years. It’s a fairly short book, a good read, and it’s amazing how much it is focused on the editing process without getting repetitive.
We start early in the book with this fictional quote attributed to Carver when asked ‘what do you love most in life?’ He did not answer “my wife and children.” He said: “My stories.” So we go from there.
Carver had a problem with alcohol, even carrying a flask to meetings. In the fictionalized account, which is close to real life, we are told he had been hospitalized and/or stayed in detox centers eight times in three years. Eventually he got off alcohol (although he started smoking pot) and died at age 50 from lung cancer. An insightful passage: “But that wasn’t his type of story. He did couples who ruin each other’s lives or people who can’t manage to stay sober or make a home. He wrote about what he knew.”
Some comments from the fictional editor:
“I’ve defined fiction: Reality with a sideways step.”
“The first sentence tells me everything. Which means, it tells me whether or not I must read the next one. And so on, right up to the last word, where the decision still hangs in the balance.”
“…my way of finding a word under another word. The word I find is clearer, more precise. I make an incision that liberates what the sentence had buried.”
Why does the editor rewrite the endings of Carver’s stories? Because if he asks the writer to rewrite them “…[they] will write another ending worse than the first…”
Carver’s editor feels that he has ‘missed out’ on the suffering that Carver experienced that made him a writer. “If I’d known suffering, if I hadn’t exempted myself from it by becoming one of the three editors who count in this town, I would have been a writer like Raymond. Maybe even better than Raymond.”
Comments from Raymond:
“It seems my stories have political content…I wasn’t really aware that they did, but the academics have detected it. Nothing escapes them.”
The quote above ties in with comments at a cocktail party made by another author: “University professors. They study my short stories and see things in them I didn’t see when I wrote them.” Response: “Impressive.”
All in all I thought this a very good read. It held my interest and taught me a lot about Carver’s life, how he wrote, and his experience of the editorial process.
Lish’s editing of Carver eventually caused an uproar in the literary community. If you are interested in the details, here is a section from the Wikipedia article on Lish under the subheading “Carver edits:” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_...
In August 1998, three years after Carol Polsgrove described Lish's heavy editing of Raymond Carver's Neighbors and published a facsimile page showing the editing, The New York Times Magazine published an article by D. T. Max about the extent of Lish's editing of Carver's short stories which was visible in manuscripts held at the Lilly Library. Carver wrote Lish: “If I have any standing or reputation or credibility in the world, I owe it to you.” In December 2007, The New Yorker published an earlier and much longer draft of Carver's story "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" under Carver's title, "Beginners." The magazine published Lish's extensive edits of the story on its web site for comparison. In May 2010 Giles Harvey wrote an article in the New York Review of Books reviewing Carver's work, and made the observation, "The publication of 'Beginners' has not done Carver any favors. Rather, it has inadvertently pointed up the editorial genius of Gordon Lish." Conversely, Stephen King in The New York Times described Lish's influence as 'baleful' and heartless, singling out the story 'The Bath' as 'a total re-write' and 'a cheat'. In 2013, David Winters wrote a profile of Lish for The Guardian, arguing that the widely publicized association with Carver had distorted Lish's reception, drawing attention away from the formal and stylistic innovation of his own fiction and from the achievements of his students.
And here’s a more recent (2015) interview with Lish from The Guardian given the in-your-face headline “Gordon Lish: ‘Had I not revised Carver, would he be paid the attention given him? Baloney!’” https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
Gordon Lish, now 84, has published a number of novels, collections of short stories and works about writing.
Photos from top: Raymond Carver from flavorwire.com
The author, Stephane Michaka from npr.org
Gordon Lish from theparisreview.org
December 10, 2015
Total crap. Do not believe a word of the hype and blurbs regarding this book. A middle-school child could have written this, and still come across with more of the truth in his fiction than Michaka coyly managed. It is not surprising to me that devotees of Lish have completely ignored this book. If it were any good there would have been some sort of outrage. A novel easily discounted for its poor attempt at copying important literary lives and a hopelessly failed attempt at exhibiting them on the page.
September 8, 2013
Michaka uses such a unique style, I was drawn in quickly. The quick changes in perspective kept my attention and made for a quick read. He really puts Carver's priorities in the spotlight, a fresh perspective. Seeing the contrasts between writer and editor in such a format is intriguing.
June 20, 2013
Interesting if underwhelming fictional account of life of Raymond Carver, dealing particularly with Carver's relationship with his editor Gordon Lish. Lish (Douglas in this book) was known to have made drastic cuts to Carver's stories before publishing them, hence the title. Author Michaka actually created four short stories written by the fictional Raymond that are part of the narrative. Translated from French.
December 14, 2017
Every character in this book is a gigantic, yet pathetic, jerk. If you can handle that, there's also some kind of interesting commentary on the way the people around a writer influence and transform their works. After finishing, you should probably go hug a puppy or something.
July 6, 2020
Une histoire d’amour, celle de Maryann et de Raymond. Une histoire qui a démarré un peu trop vite. Raymond et Maryann sont mariés lors de la naissance de leur deuxième enfant, Raymond a 20 ans et Maryann deux ans de moins que lui.
> On était des gamins, avec deux enfants arrivés trop tôt. Qu’est-ce que vous faites quand la route se resserre et que vous ne pouvez plus reculer ?
Raymond avait une destinée, celle d’être écrivain. Ce métier, surtout lorsque l’on n’est pas connu et que l’on n’a pas d’argent, est difficilement compatible avec la vie de famille. Alors, ils ont dû cumuler les petits boulots, mettre de côté les études, pour subvenir aux besoins de leur famille. Les journées sont longues et pénibles, il est difficile de se concentrer. Qu’importe Raymond écrira quand même.
> Courir d’une tâche à l’autre, d’un enfant à l’autre, de Théo à Sophie et de Sophie à Théo. Comment je vais pouvoir écrire ? Pas même un roman, je n’espère plus ça, mais des nouvelles, des histoires qui s’écrivent en peu de temps.[…] On avait des ambitions, des rêves à revendre. Maintenant on a trois crédits à rembourser, plus de quoi à payer le chauffage et le lave-linge est parti avec l’huissier. Aucun magazine ne publie mes nouvelles. Rien ne bouge, je n’écris plus, je suis pieds et poings liés.
La rencontre avec le troisième protagoniste de cette histoire, l’éditeur Gordon Lish, sera déterminante. Voici l’un des propos croustillant que lui prête l’auteur.
> Elle frotte son museau contre la vitre – c’est une image, n’en abusez pas, je dis à mes étudiants. Une image est un grain de beauté, près d’une autre elle devient une verrue.
Elle propulsera Raymond Carver sur le devant de la scène, lui qui reste aujourd’hui l’un des plus grands nouvellistes américain. Gordon a récolté le surnom de “ciseaux” à force de pratiquer des coupes franches dans les textes des auteurs qu’il publie.
La vie de Carver sacrifiée par l’alcool et la souffrance, la relation avec son éditeur, tout cela soulève bien des questions. Faut-il souffrir à ce point pour être un génie ? Serait-il devenu Carver sans cette vie ? Les coups de ciseaux de Lish ont-ils sublimé ou au contraire dénaturé l’oeuvre de Carver pourtant connue pour son minimalisme ? Est-ce que le comportement de Lish était lié à une frustration par rapport à sa propre carrière d’écrivain ? Stéphane Michaka donne des éléments de réponse à toutes ces questions, et à bien d’autres encore, à travers ce très bon livre qui demeure un roman bien qu’il contienne de nombreux éléments biographiques. L’une de ses réussites est sa forme. L’auteur a fait le pari risqué, mais réussi, de donner tour à tour la parole aux quatre protagonistes de cette histoire – je n’avais pas encore parlé de la poétesse Tess Gallagher. Mais ce n’est pas tout, il a repris à son compte l’art de la nouvelle de Carver pour l’utiliser dans son roman et alimenter le récit. Il souligne ainsi le lien étroit entre la vie et l’oeuvre de Carver – lisez les nouvelles de Carver pour vous en convaincre.
C’est un très beau roman, très touchant qui ouvre en grand une porte sur l’oeuvre de cet immense écrivain. Au delà du plaisir de lecture qu’il procure, il donne envie – et je ne peux que vous y encourager fortement – de se plonger dans l’oeuvre de Carver.
Les éditions françaises étant trop onéreuses, j’ai opté pour celle en anglais proposée par la Library of America. Il s’agit d’une maison d’édition à but non lucratif – eh oui ça existe – dont la mission est de préserver le patrimoine de la littérature américaine. Elle propose une très belle collection, ressemblant à celle de la Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, d’ouvrages reliés, imprimés sur papier bible a des prix vraiment très abordables – rien à voir avec la Pléiade de ce côté là. Outre son exhaustivité et de façon à ce que chacun puisse se faire sa propre idée, ce Raymond Carver: Collected Stories contient la version originale Beginners et la version découpée par Lish What We Talk About When We Talk About Love du recueil de nouvelles Beginners dont la nouvelle éponyme découpée par Lish sert à illustrer la couverture de Ciseaux.
Également publié sur mon blog.
> On était des gamins, avec deux enfants arrivés trop tôt. Qu’est-ce que vous faites quand la route se resserre et que vous ne pouvez plus reculer ?
Raymond avait une destinée, celle d’être écrivain. Ce métier, surtout lorsque l’on n’est pas connu et que l’on n’a pas d’argent, est difficilement compatible avec la vie de famille. Alors, ils ont dû cumuler les petits boulots, mettre de côté les études, pour subvenir aux besoins de leur famille. Les journées sont longues et pénibles, il est difficile de se concentrer. Qu’importe Raymond écrira quand même.
> Courir d’une tâche à l’autre, d’un enfant à l’autre, de Théo à Sophie et de Sophie à Théo. Comment je vais pouvoir écrire ? Pas même un roman, je n’espère plus ça, mais des nouvelles, des histoires qui s’écrivent en peu de temps.[…] On avait des ambitions, des rêves à revendre. Maintenant on a trois crédits à rembourser, plus de quoi à payer le chauffage et le lave-linge est parti avec l’huissier. Aucun magazine ne publie mes nouvelles. Rien ne bouge, je n’écris plus, je suis pieds et poings liés.
La rencontre avec le troisième protagoniste de cette histoire, l’éditeur Gordon Lish, sera déterminante. Voici l’un des propos croustillant que lui prête l’auteur.
> Elle frotte son museau contre la vitre – c’est une image, n’en abusez pas, je dis à mes étudiants. Une image est un grain de beauté, près d’une autre elle devient une verrue.
Elle propulsera Raymond Carver sur le devant de la scène, lui qui reste aujourd’hui l’un des plus grands nouvellistes américain. Gordon a récolté le surnom de “ciseaux” à force de pratiquer des coupes franches dans les textes des auteurs qu’il publie.
La vie de Carver sacrifiée par l’alcool et la souffrance, la relation avec son éditeur, tout cela soulève bien des questions. Faut-il souffrir à ce point pour être un génie ? Serait-il devenu Carver sans cette vie ? Les coups de ciseaux de Lish ont-ils sublimé ou au contraire dénaturé l’oeuvre de Carver pourtant connue pour son minimalisme ? Est-ce que le comportement de Lish était lié à une frustration par rapport à sa propre carrière d’écrivain ? Stéphane Michaka donne des éléments de réponse à toutes ces questions, et à bien d’autres encore, à travers ce très bon livre qui demeure un roman bien qu’il contienne de nombreux éléments biographiques. L’une de ses réussites est sa forme. L’auteur a fait le pari risqué, mais réussi, de donner tour à tour la parole aux quatre protagonistes de cette histoire – je n’avais pas encore parlé de la poétesse Tess Gallagher. Mais ce n’est pas tout, il a repris à son compte l’art de la nouvelle de Carver pour l’utiliser dans son roman et alimenter le récit. Il souligne ainsi le lien étroit entre la vie et l’oeuvre de Carver – lisez les nouvelles de Carver pour vous en convaincre.
C’est un très beau roman, très touchant qui ouvre en grand une porte sur l’oeuvre de cet immense écrivain. Au delà du plaisir de lecture qu’il procure, il donne envie – et je ne peux que vous y encourager fortement – de se plonger dans l’oeuvre de Carver.
Les éditions françaises étant trop onéreuses, j’ai opté pour celle en anglais proposée par la Library of America. Il s’agit d’une maison d’édition à but non lucratif – eh oui ça existe – dont la mission est de préserver le patrimoine de la littérature américaine. Elle propose une très belle collection, ressemblant à celle de la Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, d’ouvrages reliés, imprimés sur papier bible a des prix vraiment très abordables – rien à voir avec la Pléiade de ce côté là. Outre son exhaustivité et de façon à ce que chacun puisse se faire sa propre idée, ce Raymond Carver: Collected Stories contient la version originale Beginners et la version découpée par Lish What We Talk About When We Talk About Love du recueil de nouvelles Beginners dont la nouvelle éponyme découpée par Lish sert à illustrer la couverture de Ciseaux.
Également publié sur mon blog.
August 17, 2015
On audiobook, a really splendid audio production, with four excellent readers.
I'm the target market for this book. In college I had a whole seminar on Raymond Carver, the writer this book is (fictionally speaking) about. I've read everything he's written, and I wrote about a lot of his stories, so I remember them really well. I read with fascination the New Yorker article that came out in 2007 about Carver and his editor, Gordon Lish (a very important character in this book). So I ate this up, and wonder how much research went into it. I also wonder if there is some kind of editorial code of conduct for editors? If there is, Lish did not follow it. I was so interested in the subject matter that I don't know if I can judge this book as art or if I would suggest it to someone who didn't have a strong interest in Carver or in the relationship between writer and editor. It is very well-written. I'm glad I happened upon it. Now I wish someone would release a collection of Carver stories in audio! It would be great to read them again that way.
I'm the target market for this book. In college I had a whole seminar on Raymond Carver, the writer this book is (fictionally speaking) about. I've read everything he's written, and I wrote about a lot of his stories, so I remember them really well. I read with fascination the New Yorker article that came out in 2007 about Carver and his editor, Gordon Lish (a very important character in this book). So I ate this up, and wonder how much research went into it. I also wonder if there is some kind of editorial code of conduct for editors? If there is, Lish did not follow it. I was so interested in the subject matter that I don't know if I can judge this book as art or if I would suggest it to someone who didn't have a strong interest in Carver or in the relationship between writer and editor. It is very well-written. I'm glad I happened upon it. Now I wish someone would release a collection of Carver stories in audio! It would be great to read them again that way.
January 2, 2021
Forbici ripropone lo spaccato di vita che va dall’incontro di Raymond con Gordon (che nel romanzo si chiama Douglas), passando dal divorzio con Maryann (Marianne), l’incontro con Tess (Joanne), fino alla morte di lui. Si conclude nel momento in cui Joanne comunica a Douglas che ha intenzione di pubblicare i racconti originali di Ray. L’idea alla base del romanzo è interessante perché, anche se il caso è stato ampiamente discusso, non ha trovato e non troverà mai una soluzione, ed è curioso immaginarlo in una dimensione più letteraria. Diversi scrittori si sono trovati a prendere posizioni contrastanti: se Don DeLillo, che ha collaborato diverse volte con Lish, pensa che l’editor sia diventato famoso per le ragioni sbagliate, quando Philip Roth parla dei racconti di Carver non ha dubbi: «[...] in occasione della sua prima pubblicazione il testo non fu solo rivisto, ma addirittura fatto a pezzi».
https://www.scratchbook.net/2018/05/c...
https://www.scratchbook.net/2018/05/c...
July 11, 2013
Scissors is unlike any other book I have read. Based on the life of Raymond Carver, the author writes the novel in snippets, thoughts and short-stories. And it works! I was captivated from the start. The book wrapped itself around me and didn't let go. When I finished reading I felt adrift, alone and mourning the book's finality.
This is the book that will have me reaching for it again and again in the years to come. I highly recommend the read.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of "Scissors" by the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
This is the book that will have me reaching for it again and again in the years to come. I highly recommend the read.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of "Scissors" by the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
February 6, 2017
If you like Raymond Carver's short stories, you'll love Stephane Michaka's fictitious take on Carver's life, specifically his relationships with his lovers and his editor.
What I enjoyed most about Michaka's novel was his inclusion of four short stories modeled in Carver's voice. It reminded me of Joyce Carol Oates' novel Wild Nights in which she writes four short stories in the voice of four authors including Hemingway and Poe.
What I enjoyed most about Michaka's novel was his inclusion of four short stories modeled in Carver's voice. It reminded me of Joyce Carol Oates' novel Wild Nights in which she writes four short stories in the voice of four authors including Hemingway and Poe.
January 23, 2018
"Ciseaux" est un roman qui dépeint la relation entre l'auteur Raymond Carver et son éditeur, Gordon Lish (Douglas, dans le livre). On assiste pas aux débuts de l'auteur mais bien à cet instant où l'éditeur décide de le prendre sous son aile... Cet instant où l'éditeur prend le pas sur l'auteur, en "taillant" comme il l'entend dans les écrits qu'il reçoit. On ne parle pas simplement de petites corrections, mais bien d'ôter la moitié (voire plus) des textes, d'en changer le titre, d'en changer l'essence ! Le processus artistique est complétement bousculé. Stéphane Michaka développe, à travers divers points de vue, toutes les interrogations qui en découlent. L'auteur développe aussi une autre partie de la vie de Raymond Carver, sa partie privée : la relation entre lui et Marianne, sa femme.
Ces deux relations sont placées sur le même piédestal, comme si elles avaient la même importance. Ca renforce cette idée que la relation entre un éditeur et son écrivain est belle est bien une relation qui parfois, peut être fusionnelle. (Ne dit-on pas, "De la haine à l'amour, il n'y a qu'un pas?"). Tout s'imbrique, tout s'explique.
*
Pour être franche, je ne connaissais pas Raymond Carver, et encore moins son éditeur. Je me suis pourtant laissée porter au fil des pages, sans que ce manque de culture n'altère ma lecture. J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé "Ciseaux". Le format, plutôt en paragraphe qu'en chapitres, à chaque fois d'un point de vue différent (Ray, Douglas, Marianne, etc..) fait que l'on tourne les pages sans s'en rendre compte.
Les 4 nouvelles qui ponctuent la fiction de Stéphane Michaka ont toute leur place. Elles ne sont pas là par hasard, mais illustrent idéalement les différentes évolutions que connaissent les relations décrites ici.
Ces deux relations sont placées sur le même piédestal, comme si elles avaient la même importance. Ca renforce cette idée que la relation entre un éditeur et son écrivain est belle est bien une relation qui parfois, peut être fusionnelle. (Ne dit-on pas, "De la haine à l'amour, il n'y a qu'un pas?"). Tout s'imbrique, tout s'explique.
*
Pour être franche, je ne connaissais pas Raymond Carver, et encore moins son éditeur. Je me suis pourtant laissée porter au fil des pages, sans que ce manque de culture n'altère ma lecture. J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé "Ciseaux". Le format, plutôt en paragraphe qu'en chapitres, à chaque fois d'un point de vue différent (Ray, Douglas, Marianne, etc..) fait que l'on tourne les pages sans s'en rendre compte.
Les 4 nouvelles qui ponctuent la fiction de Stéphane Michaka ont toute leur place. Elles ne sont pas là par hasard, mais illustrent idéalement les différentes évolutions que connaissent les relations décrites ici.
July 23, 2019
I'll give this a 3 1/2 stars. I don't know who Raymond Carver is but if what his life was in this book whoa it was sad and kind of a waste in a way...I did love the stories written by Raymond whether they were his or the authors version they were sad but yet you saw the Love he had for his wife in his stories even though he said it was not him.....The only thing I can not understand is not just this book but a lot of books is the cussing. There is a whole dictionary full of words and authors feel like they have to use cuss words to make a point..Please stop doing that,this is coming from someone who had a sailors mouth until one day I heard myself I sounded stupid so I quit cussing. I'm not judging just saying there are other options...Recommend.. tragedy, love, and loss all in a book..Gina Clabo
December 12, 2024
I found the format of this book interesting. I liked the way the short stories were interspersed with the main narrative. It’s been a while since I’ve read any of Carver’s work, but I think this author did a good job emulating Carver’s style. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the characters or story to be compelling, and I struggled the whole way through.
May 14, 2017
Interesting...in a concept novel way...but that's about it.
October 3, 2017
I could not get into this book the whole way through I couldn't wait until it finished. It was a short book. Half way though it got a bit more interesting.
August 19, 2013
I have loved Raymond Carver since I was seventeen and picked up _Another Path to the Waterfall_ and _Where Water Comes Together with Other Water_.
Scissors was a very interesting novel. It was cut up into small segments, all with the first person views of Raymond, his two loves, and his editor. (However, why Michaka changed the names of his wives, I really don't know.) Additionally, there were three short stories written not by Carver, but by Michaka in the style of Carver.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to the Carver fans out there. It really inspired me to break open my own Carver collection and read it again - like meeting an old friend, really.
Scissors was a very interesting novel. It was cut up into small segments, all with the first person views of Raymond, his two loves, and his editor. (However, why Michaka changed the names of his wives, I really don't know.) Additionally, there were three short stories written not by Carver, but by Michaka in the style of Carver.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to the Carver fans out there. It really inspired me to break open my own Carver collection and read it again - like meeting an old friend, really.
November 23, 2015
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads. I loved it. It does take a while to get used to. The writing style is really unique, something I at least had never seen before. But once I got used to that, the story was amazing. I couldn't put it down. And I love the way the author intermingles the written short stories to further the plot. All in all, a great book that I would recommend to anyone looking for something fresh and exciting.
January 4, 2015
This was an enjoyable, if sad, read. I picked this up at my local library after reading one of Carver's stories in one of my college classes. As the author states, the characters and events is only very loosely based on Carver's life and the short stories were entirely of his own invention. Keeping this in mind, the book was very clever and well-written. If you enjoy stories about authors, this is a nice short book.
August 29, 2013
"[An] empathetic exploration of an author's soul, his allegiance to his writing above all else, and the increasingly painful submission to his editor that eventually leads to a breaking point ... Like the best literary homages, Scissors evokes a craving for the original — and, in this case, further consideration of the aesthetic questions at the heart of Carver's published work."—NPR
January 5, 2014
Well written story of Raymond Carver told by his current wife, former wife and editor. The format builds a very rounded view of a imperfect artist and his editor. I enjoyed and would read something by her again.
September 18, 2014
I wanted to give 3.5 stars. And I think if I had read Raymond carver I would have given in 4 or 5. Nonetheless, interesting window into relationship between writer and editor, and surrounding relationships as well.
February 5, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The style of writing was fun, and the characters were interesting in a way that I haven't read before. I enjoyed it, and as a creator I feel like I learnt something from this book. It was a quick read, and worth every minute spent.
August 21, 2013
My NPR.org review:
http://www.npr.org/2013/08/21/2091989...
http://www.npr.org/2013/08/21/2091989...
September 5, 2013
I loved this book. it gave real insight into the writing/ editing process. plus I love Carver.
October 18, 2013
A novel based loosely on the authors take on Raymond carver, his life and his work. Inventive, compelling and it made me want to actually read more about carver and reread his work.
December 4, 2013
i liked the multiple perspectives, as they each voiced their present whether together or apart frm each other. nicely built and undone relationships. convincing!
August 31, 2014
If you've read Raymond Carver, you will find this interesting especially his relationship with his publisher. Short, easy read.
April 15, 2016
Life is art, then becomes art again. Michaka novelizes Ray Carver's struggle with alcohol, writing and marriage/family--not an easy trio. Memories from the Creative Writing Department at Syracuse.
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