Reviews tagging 'Death'

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver

12 reviews

sxndaze's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I could hear my heart beating. I could hear everyone's heart. I could hear the human noise we sat there making, not one of us moving, not even when the room went dark.

for a period of about two years, i was obsessed with the movie stuck in love. it references the titular story and quotes the ending lines at the end of the film and from that moment, i had wanted to read this collection.

this collection is a lot. short stories still mystify me, and i’m working on my understanding of them. i enjoyed a few of them and felt like i glazed through the rest, but the title story really spoke to me. is it because i tried more? who knows. but im glad i read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Death

trhyne's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Grief, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death, and Gaslighting

_poppy_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Hmm. Quite a distinct style you kinda have to like. Every day life sometimes in it’s cruelest forms. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Medical content

babelfish's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Carver is a genius. If you have never read any minimalistic writing this is an excellent place to start. Made up of vingnettes about people in the American south, focusing on relationships, love, and loneliness. Sometimes almost feeling dystopian while feeling completely believable and mundane. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol and Alcoholism

Moderate: Rape, Emotional abuse, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, and Mental illness

Minor: Medical content

kaitoro_walker13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Loved it, but the last two should have been cut.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death

beccaellison17's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

this book is just all violence 
i really hate the way he writes r
this book is so sinister 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, Physical abuse, and Rape

extreme violence against women in ever single story

wishlissa's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Death, Car accident, Mental illness, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual violence, Infidelity, and Grief

katsusho_'s review

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

It's alright, the writing is simple to get through and the stories are fairly interesting. Good for a quick read, though I find that there's nothing too remarkable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol and Addiction

Moderate: Death

rzh's review

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

this was an intriguing and neat little collection of short stories: i liked them for what they were, but this wasnt perhaps my cup of tea because it did just feel a little too mysterious because of the unresolved nature of the stories… if you enjoy closure you will not enjoy this. 3 stars 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Animal death

lghrndn's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

Bleak, misogynistic, violent, hopeless. Almost entirely devoid of any human connection. I guess I don't relate to middle-aged alcoholic men? Why Don't You Dance, The Bath, and the title story were the least insufferable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Murder, Sexism, Stalking, and Violence