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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
- so mundane I love it
- the final line !!!!
- love short story format
- the final line !!!!
- love short story format
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know if I got it for many of the short stories. I think it would have been better if I had the time/energy to fully analyze them.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The number of short story collections I’ve read is very minimal. Three at most. So maybe I just don’t understand the art of short story writing or what a collection of them is supposed to look like because I did not enjoy this book. Each one had to do with men drinking or killing things or going crazy against their families. I was very surprised by the violence. It was written in the 1980’s so maybe that had something to do with it as well.
Overall, underwhelming. There were maybe two of the short stories I’d say were good and that’s being generous. I probably just am missing the whole point but if someone picks up your book, they shouldn’t need to be a part of some elite club to get it.
Overall, underwhelming. There were maybe two of the short stories I’d say were good and that’s being generous. I probably just am missing the whole point but if someone picks up your book, they shouldn’t need to be a part of some elite club to get it.
“Things change, he says. I don’t know how they do. But they do without you realizing it or wanting them to.”
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is an interesting, but incredibly beautiful, collection of short stories. I picked this book up years ago when I was in a reading slump and wanted just books with pretty titles. I didn’t get around to it until now and maybe I am glad I did.
The stories in this book are not your typical love stories. They are deep, dark, deal with heavy emotions and gives you insight in some cold, dark, realism. Almost all of the stories end abruptly, wanting to let you figure out what happened to the characters. Which reminds me of this quote by Rebecca Y.: “unfinished love keeps some allure for many years.” And it’s true. I still find myself thinking about what really happened on the trip in So Much Water So Close To Home.
Carver’s writing style is old fashioned, repeating dialogue, show with quite some tell and leaving just the end to your imagination. None of it bothered me, but it’s not a style of writing we are used to these days. It added a layer to the dark, cold, stories. But mostly, it gave this book ‘slices of life’. Carver’s writing ensures you are there with the characters, you can see/hear/smell/feel all the things they do in the hope that it teaches you not to do those things.
My favorite stories in this collection are: The Bath, After The Denim, So Much Water So Close To Home, A Serious Talk, Everything Stuck To Him and of course What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (definitely my personal favorite).
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is an interesting, but incredibly beautiful, collection of short stories. I picked this book up years ago when I was in a reading slump and wanted just books with pretty titles. I didn’t get around to it until now and maybe I am glad I did.
The stories in this book are not your typical love stories. They are deep, dark, deal with heavy emotions and gives you insight in some cold, dark, realism. Almost all of the stories end abruptly, wanting to let you figure out what happened to the characters. Which reminds me of this quote by Rebecca Y.: “unfinished love keeps some allure for many years.” And it’s true. I still find myself thinking about what really happened on the trip in So Much Water So Close To Home.
Carver’s writing style is old fashioned, repeating dialogue, show with quite some tell and leaving just the end to your imagination. None of it bothered me, but it’s not a style of writing we are used to these days. It added a layer to the dark, cold, stories. But mostly, it gave this book ‘slices of life’. Carver’s writing ensures you are there with the characters, you can see/hear/smell/feel all the things they do in the hope that it teaches you not to do those things.
My favorite stories in this collection are: The Bath, After The Denim, So Much Water So Close To Home, A Serious Talk, Everything Stuck To Him and of course What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (definitely my personal favorite).
good for people that want to read some 4 pg vignettes about middle class domestic disputes. tone can be nice, but there's not much else here. it's mostly a bunch of middle-aged white male writer cliches. no idea why this is rated so high on goodreads, guess I'm missing something.
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Violence
Minor: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced