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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
beautiful writing — each story is so concise and subtle, carver really depicts these flawed relationships so brilliantly. however, i feel like 17 stories in a collection of just 144 pages means the stories get somewhat repetitive after a while
fave stories: why don’t you dance?, i could see the smallest things, after the denim, a serious talk, what we talk about when we talk about love, one more thing
fave stories: why don’t you dance?, i could see the smallest things, after the denim, a serious talk, what we talk about when we talk about love, one more thing
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I admit that Raymond Carver is a bit of an obvious choice for someone without much experience of the American short story. He's got that MFA feel to him, like you need to go through a rite of passage of angry white divorcee stories before you can call yourself a short story reader. He's one of those authors recommended by that kind of person who prides themselves on knowing what 'good fiction' is and those people who think the purpose of art is to be 'real' and 'honest'.
I read What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, and wow. Now I totally understand why. The short stories in the collection are, pretty much without exception, perfectly crafted little snapshots of love and anger and alcohol. With the same simple, careful wording Carver can create situations which are timidly, cautiously endearing ("Why Don't You Dance"), angrily romantic (the titular story) and unexpectedly, suddenly devastating (I'm not going to ruin which those are. Saying a story is going to be endearing is one thing, ruining some of the slickest, sharpest and cruellest stories in the collection is entirely another).
Every collection like this will have stories that don't quite work, but Carver only has one or two here in my opinion. The length of the stories - all between two and maybe ten pages - gives the book a unique feel - moving quickly between narratives that seem to be moving slowly and never losing focus.
The overriding theme of What We Talk About is established from the title and unrelenting throughout. Love is at the heart of the book, just not always in a positive light - love grows, but it also ferments and rots and hurts. Carver's thorough treatment of the topic, alongside his skillfully understated characters and style, make What We Talk About a perfect, maybe even the ultimate, introduction to the American short story.
I read What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, and wow. Now I totally understand why. The short stories in the collection are, pretty much without exception, perfectly crafted little snapshots of love and anger and alcohol. With the same simple, careful wording Carver can create situations which are timidly, cautiously endearing ("Why Don't You Dance"), angrily romantic (the titular story) and unexpectedly, suddenly devastating (I'm not going to ruin which those are. Saying a story is going to be endearing is one thing, ruining some of the slickest, sharpest and cruellest stories in the collection is entirely another).
Every collection like this will have stories that don't quite work, but Carver only has one or two here in my opinion. The length of the stories - all between two and maybe ten pages - gives the book a unique feel - moving quickly between narratives that seem to be moving slowly and never losing focus.
The overriding theme of What We Talk About is established from the title and unrelenting throughout. Love is at the heart of the book, just not always in a positive light - love grows, but it also ferments and rots and hurts. Carver's thorough treatment of the topic, alongside his skillfully understated characters and style, make What We Talk About a perfect, maybe even the ultimate, introduction to the American short story.
reflective
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
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No