Beginners is a collection of stories by famous writer and poet, Raymond Carver.
Why Don’t You Dance? The story follows a young couple who make their way to a yard sale. They meet the drunk owner who happens to be selling all of his possessions. Before they leave the sale, the man puts on music and starts dancing, he insists that the young couple join him. They enjoy dancing for a few minutes then depart. Later, the young woman mocks the man to her friends.
Where is Everyone? In this story, the protagonist remembers witnessing a disturbing scene of his old mother kissing a man on his couch. On the other hand, his wife falls in love with another man in her Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. He feels disoriented watching these events unfold. The protagonist then remembers the death of his father which prompts him to hug his wife before they have dinner.
Tell the Women We’re Going. This is a story of two friends, Bill and Jerry. After they leave their wives and kids, they go out for a drive and end up drinking at a nearby Rec Center. Two beautiful young women pass them riding bicycles. Jerry tries to pick them up but they refuse. He gets furious and ends up bashing them to death with a rock.
So Much Water Close to Home. In this story, Stuart and his friends are out camping and drinking. They come across the body of a dead girl but decide to report the incident the next morning. After a night of drinking and singing around the campfire they wake up and report the body. His wife is shocked by his indifference and begins to think that Stuart and his friends murdered the girl.
The Fling. This is the story of a young man named Les. His parents divorced a few years ago for reasons unknown to him. As he sits in his office, he connects the dots and realizes that his father was cheating on his mother with a saleswoman. He feels disgusted by his father’s actions and vows not to view him the same way again.
