The Love House

The first Carver story that I read was called Chef`s House. The story was well written, describing the rebirth of a couple`s love which had been lost. I like how Carver leaves out some specific details from the context of the story, giving you the chance to put it into your own context, or relate it to a past experience. The characters` situation has happened millions of couples around the world. Basically, they were happily married, until their relationship ended due to alcohol. Years later, when their kids were all grown up, Wes, the husband, asks his wife to spend a summer with him at his friend Chef`s house. The reason why this house seemed so surreal to them, was because it strengthened their relation. Alcohol had brought the two apart, and not one drop of it was consumed there. It recreated all the best moments from when they were together. In their minds, it was as if their relationship would only work if they were at Chef`s house. It is for this reason that as soon as Chef kicks them out, they begin to worry. I like the fact that Carver never fully describes exactly what went on in the characters` heads right at that moment. He does, though, carefully illustrate their expressions, so that the reader can somehow guess their feelings. I assumed that the two eventually will have developed a tighter bond, but as soon as they leave the house, Wes would begin to drink again. It was that look on his face at the end of the story, that Carver so carefully describes, and which his wife was very familiar with, that made suspect such a thing would happen.