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Author Raymond Carver received a remarkable appreciation five years after his death. Some of his best short stories were woven together into a movie by the legendary Robert Altman, who directed the film and co-authored its screenplay. When the movie was released, the nine short stories were released in a special collection, and both the movie and the book were called "Short Cuts."

The book is a great example of Carver in action. The writer was celebrated in his lifetime for his ability to capture the private pain of his characters, compressing it into intense crisis which could be captured in a few pages. These stories are no exception, each one showing a single moment which would suddenly become life-altering. Some critics have said Carver uses a "minimalist" style which was perfect for short stories. Maybe it's appropriate that his stories were gathered together into this short collection, packing nine examples of his powerful vision into just 150 pages.

It's interesting how the film's version of the stories work even better in print. "Vitamins" tells the story of a cheating husband, his date, and a stranger at a bar. As the character moves through his simple desires, he bumps up against the obvious answers about what's right and what's wrong - but ends up unhappy more because people are just unpredictable. And "A Small Good Thing" tells the story of a couple whose child is in a car accident, culminating with the moment when they confront a local baker over a series of ill-timed prank phone calls.

But this book offers a unique second perspective, since it comes with an introduction by Robert Altman. "Human behavior, filled with all its mystery and inspiration, has always fascinated me," Altman writes, adding that he shares the author's ultimate belief in "the arbitrary nature of luck." In trying to explain the deeply personal stories, he ultimately reveals a lot about himself. Even in apologizing for the liberties he took in the film, he reveals his true love for Carver's work, writing that "it all began here. I was a reader turning these pages. Trying on these lives."

Altman adds that "writing and directing are both acts of discovery." But when the stories are this intensely personal, reading can be an act of discovery too.

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