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1.93k reviews for:
What We Talk about When We Talk about Love / Beginners (A Vintage Short)
Raymond Carver
3.83 AVERAGE
1.93k reviews for:
What We Talk about When We Talk about Love / Beginners (A Vintage Short)
Raymond Carver
3.83 AVERAGE
The most unique, funny, bleak, and unsettling collection of short stories I have ever read. Carver sheds light on everyday people with all of their flaws and eccentricities in these small town, slice-of-life narratives.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
These short stories are really forms of poetry to me. I love the PNW setting and the way Carter deals with a variety of topics in a humanistic manner.
Lire du Raymond Carver, c'est atterrir dans un autre pays. Dans une région du monde qui nous serait racontée par des monsieurs d'un certain âge, pas vieux mais pas loin, qui n'ont jamais vraiment appris à vivre avec leurs émotions. Les phrases qu'ils forment sont un peu clairsemées, sujet verbe complément pas de fioritures, & elles dévalent la vie qui bouillonne autour comme si elles ne la voyait pas.
Dans les nouvelles de ce recueil, les gens boivent beaucoup & jouent aux cartes ; ils chassent, ils pêchent, ils se promènent en truck les vitres baissées, sans attacher leur ceinture ; ils faillissent aux gens qu'ils aiment & se retrouvent seuls. En général, ils parlent beaucoup, dans des dialogues qui s'entortillent brillamment dans les récits. & leurs vies, souvent, prennent des tournants inquiétants qui viennent nous écorcher le cœur.
J'ai aimé chacune des nostalgies lancinantes que ces histoires font naître : elles sont trop vraies pour qu'on puisse leur reprocher tout le morne & le maussade qu'elles déversent sur nous. Mais je crois pas que j'aurais pu endurer beaucoup plus que les cent cinquante-neuf pages du recueil, parce qu'à la fin je commençais à être prête à m'écrouler sous le poids de toute la misère humaine ordinaire que ces nouvelles brassent si bien. C'est dur de lire un livre qui parle avec autant de justesse des choses qui se terminent & qui jamais, jamais ne redeviennent ce qu'elles ont été.
Dans les nouvelles de ce recueil, les gens boivent beaucoup & jouent aux cartes ; ils chassent, ils pêchent, ils se promènent en truck les vitres baissées, sans attacher leur ceinture ; ils faillissent aux gens qu'ils aiment & se retrouvent seuls. En général, ils parlent beaucoup, dans des dialogues qui s'entortillent brillamment dans les récits. & leurs vies, souvent, prennent des tournants inquiétants qui viennent nous écorcher le cœur.
J'ai aimé chacune des nostalgies lancinantes que ces histoires font naître : elles sont trop vraies pour qu'on puisse leur reprocher tout le morne & le maussade qu'elles déversent sur nous. Mais je crois pas que j'aurais pu endurer beaucoup plus que les cent cinquante-neuf pages du recueil, parce qu'à la fin je commençais à être prête à m'écrouler sous le poids de toute la misère humaine ordinaire que ces nouvelles brassent si bien. C'est dur de lire un livre qui parle avec autant de justesse des choses qui se terminent & qui jamais, jamais ne redeviennent ce qu'elles ont été.
But he stays by the window, remembering. They had laughed. They had leaned on each other and laughed until the tears had come, while everything else -- the cold, and where he'd go in it -- was outside, for a while anyway. (Everything Stuck to Him, p. 135)
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is categorized as “dirty realism,” and I don’t disagree.
I just don’t think this collection of short stories aged well, or maybe it’s that they’ve aged too well. The violence the women in these short stories experience because men are overwhelmed with complex topics like love, the passage of time, and unfulfilled dreams is astounding.
Yet, my news feed is bombarded with billionaire-bros funding legislation that takes away the rights of everyone because they were dumped or bullied in high school. So, I guess Carver’s America is the America I’m living in.
The only story I truly enjoyed was the books namesake, it is really brilliant. I would like to slap Mel in the teeth.
I just don’t think this collection of short stories aged well, or maybe it’s that they’ve aged too well. The violence the women in these short stories experience because men are overwhelmed with complex topics like love, the passage of time, and unfulfilled dreams is astounding.
Yet, my news feed is bombarded with billionaire-bros funding legislation that takes away the rights of everyone because they were dumped or bullied in high school. So, I guess Carver’s America is the America I’m living in.
The only story I truly enjoyed was the books namesake, it is really brilliant. I would like to slap Mel in the teeth.
Well… I’m one of those people who picked up this book because the title hooked me, sparking my curiosity. Apparently, it’s a collection of short stories that feel so random and seem to go nowhere. Such a small book with only 134 pages, yet it still took me a week to finish.
Raymond was known as the short story guy, and this collection is considered one of his greatest works. It’s amazing how he brought minimal stories to life, capturing basic conversations. Some of them felt incredibly relatable—like, yeah, that’s what life is: normal, yet basic. I also loved his sense of humor, which was subtly funny at times. However, since the stories are short and some feel too random, I struggled to connect with the characters. I guess it’s probably not my cup of tea.
Raymond was known as the short story guy, and this collection is considered one of his greatest works. It’s amazing how he brought minimal stories to life, capturing basic conversations. Some of them felt incredibly relatable—like, yeah, that’s what life is: normal, yet basic. I also loved his sense of humor, which was subtly funny at times. However, since the stories are short and some feel too random, I struggled to connect with the characters. I guess it’s probably not my cup of tea.
Relatos cortos, nada obvios, muchas veces desgarradores. Carver tiene una sensibilidad que va más allá de su tiempo o su género. Muy recomendable.
My first attempt at reading a collection of short stories and the rawness, realness and brutality this captures when exploring the different tales of love broke my heart. Love is such a beautiful thing but also such a tragedy. If you’re after a quick read and like to look deeper and really reflect on the reality of love, I can’t recommend this enough.