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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
reflective
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
i think i must’ve missed something. this was so unenjoyable to me
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
rolled this dice on raymond carver after recognising the name. ordered two more of his books halfway through reading this. finished the book while drinking, as is appropriate. can't wait for more.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
There was a time when I thought I loved my first wife more than life itself. But now I hate her guts. I do. How do you explain that? What happened to that love? What happened to it, is what I’d like to know. I wish someone could tell me.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver is a collection of short stories. I did not love all the stories and I did not like the ones that went nowhere.
dark
mysterious
ok wow, I was super confused at first because I didn't know it was a bunch of short stories but each story was kinda scary and uncomfortable
I LOVED IT
new favorite book !
I LOVED IT
new favorite book !
VERDICT: 2 stars. Overrated, but vaguely interesting in that the tales are quite short and minimalistic. And most (all, I think?) ended suddenly or in mid-scene, with no conclusion of any sort.
While this is not always a bad thing, my ratings of the stories are:
1 x 3.5 stars
2 x 3 stars
10 x 2 stars
4 x 1 star
----------
avg = 1.97 stars
This felt like experimental fiction that was sometimes stylistically okay/adequate, but went nowhere and accomplished little to nothing.
I like weird short stories. I don't mind those that are tiny slices of life, or those that end mid-scene. But I've sent it done far better than here. Maybe Carver's style just isn't for me -- but I'd certainly try another book or two by him to be sure. If you've never tried Carver, ignore this review and read/judge for yourself!
I found these short story collections better than WHEN WE TALK...:
[b:The Night in Question|251374|The Night in Question|Tobias Wolff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1173146489l/251374._SY75_.jpg|140805] by Tobias Wolff (4 stars)
[b:The Language of Sharks|1192263|The Language of Sharks|Pat MacEnulty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328705207l/1192263._SY75_.jpg|1180305] by Pat MacEnulty (4+ stars)
[b:Small Avalanches and Other Stories|303581|Small Avalanches and Other Stories|Joyce Carol Oates|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1399771902l/303581._SX50_.jpg|1382397] by Joyce Carol Oates (3+ stars)
While this is not always a bad thing, my ratings of the stories are:
1 x 3.5 stars
2 x 3 stars
10 x 2 stars
4 x 1 star
----------
avg = 1.97 stars
This felt like experimental fiction that was sometimes stylistically okay/adequate, but went nowhere and accomplished little to nothing.
I like weird short stories. I don't mind those that are tiny slices of life, or those that end mid-scene. But I've sent it done far better than here. Maybe Carver's style just isn't for me -- but I'd certainly try another book or two by him to be sure. If you've never tried Carver, ignore this review and read/judge for yourself!
I found these short story collections better than WHEN WE TALK...:
[b:The Night in Question|251374|The Night in Question|Tobias Wolff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1173146489l/251374._SY75_.jpg|140805] by Tobias Wolff (4 stars)
[b:The Language of Sharks|1192263|The Language of Sharks|Pat MacEnulty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328705207l/1192263._SY75_.jpg|1180305] by Pat MacEnulty (4+ stars)
[b:Small Avalanches and Other Stories|303581|Small Avalanches and Other Stories|Joyce Carol Oates|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1399771902l/303581._SX50_.jpg|1382397] by Joyce Carol Oates (3+ stars)
Carver dépeint une génération perdue issue des classes moyennes voire populaire dans les États Unis des années 80, errant dans un monde tragique, vidé de sens, au ralenti. Un monde imbibé d'alcool dans lequel les couples et les familles ne peuvent tenir mais où chaque petite interaction entre personnages déborde d'intensité.
À travers une écriture répétitive, minimaliste, l'auteur fait jaillir dans de très courtes nouvelles - alternant des scènes du quotidien des plus banales avec des scènes de violence frappante - une forme de poésie absolument glaçante.
Le meilleur souvenir de littérature de ma licence, encore mieux en le relisant. Attention à ne pas tout lire en une soirée quand même au risque de se jeter par la fenêtre.
(je mets pas 5/5 parce que je sens qu'il a écrit des trucs encore plus dingues que je ne connais pas encore)
À travers une écriture répétitive, minimaliste, l'auteur fait jaillir dans de très courtes nouvelles - alternant des scènes du quotidien des plus banales avec des scènes de violence frappante - une forme de poésie absolument glaçante.
Le meilleur souvenir de littérature de ma licence, encore mieux en le relisant. Attention à ne pas tout lire en une soirée quand même au risque de se jeter par la fenêtre.
(je mets pas 5/5 parce que je sens qu'il a écrit des trucs encore plus dingues que je ne connais pas encore)
This was a pleasant quick read of unrelated short stories with an overarching theme. The writing style was minimalist, yet there were layers of depth behind the characters in each story. From reading the title, I thought the book was going to be a romance, but I was mistaken. Most of the short stories deal with cheating, murder, and failed marriages. It is definitely a dark read, but I liked how honest the stories were. Carver reveals a side of American society that is rarely shown, but that is a more honest representation of life than the majority of media out there, such as Hallmark movies.