Raymond Carver books in order
Penman, poet, screenwriter, novelist, prose writer, teacher, short story writer
- Lived
- 1938–1988
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 22
Raymond Carver published 1 novel, 1 novella, 13 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book, 2 poetry collections and 4 other books, beginning with Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? (1976). The best-known is What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Raymond Carver
Start here
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
Raymond Carver's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? (1976)
Novellas in order
Ultramarine (1986)
Short story collections in order
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981)
Cathedral (1983)
Fires (1983)
The Best American Short Stories, 1986 (1986)
Elephant (Apr 1988)
Where I'm Calling From (May 1988)
A New Path to the Waterfall (1989)
American Short Story Masterpieces (1989)
No Heroics Please (1992)
Short Cuts (1993)
Call If You Need Me (2000)
Beginners (2009)
Collected Stories (2009)
Non-fiction in order
Conversations with Raymond Carver (1990)
Poetry in order
Where Water Comes Together with Other Water (1985)
All of Us (1996)
Other books in order
The Stories of Raymond Carver (1985)
Ray Carver Reads (1987)
Granta 68 Love Stories Granta (1999)
Carver Country (2011)
About Raymond Carver
Raymond Clevie Carver Jr. was an American short story writer and poet. He published his first collection of stories, Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?, in 1976. His breakout collection, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981), received immediate acclaim and established Carver as an important figure in the literary world. It was followed by Cathedral (1983), which Carver considered his watershed and is widely regarded as his masterpiece. The definitive collection of his stories, Where I'm Calling From, was published shortly before his death in 1988. In their 1989 nomination of Carver for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the jury concluded, "The revival in recent years of the short story is attributable in great measure to Carver's mastery of the form."
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Raymond Carver FAQ
- How many books has Raymond Carver written?
- Raymond Carver published 1 novel, 1 novella, 13 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book, 2 poetry collections and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Raymond Carver's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.
- What is Raymond Carver's last book?
- Conversations with Raymond Carver (1990).
- What is Raymond Carver's most famous book?
- What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981) is Raymond Carver's most widely read book.
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.