I read some Raymond Carver short stories back in the 1970s, I recall liking them. So when I went looking for them again, I learned there were a few stories published posthumously. I chose to read Kindling because it won the O’Henry Award for Short Stories in 1999.
What I like about Raymond Carver’s stories is the simplicity of the story. In this story, Kindling, Raymond Carver leaves many of the details to the imagination of the reader. He tells the story of Myers who comes to the home of Sol and Bonnie after they advertised a room for rent. All we know about Myers is that he is “between lives;” he’s come from a “drying out facility” and is now sober.
This is the first time Sol and Bonnie have rented out a room in their house. They find Myers to be no trouble at all. In fact, he seems to come out of his room only when Sol and Bonnie are at work. Sol has a hunch that Myers will not hurt them.
It’s the character of Myers that was of interest to me. I wondered if this self-isolation of Myers’ would be healthy for him. Would it tempt him out to visit bars? Myers seems to like the sound of the running water in the river and the sight of the mountain peaks outside his window. All of these traits and one final event kept me reading and kept me pulling for Myers. The question in my mind: Can he move on in his life in a positive way?
You can read this short story online here: Kindling by Raymond Carver Come back and let me know what you think.
Short Story Monday is sponsored by John at Book Mind Set.