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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Carver is really a master at telling you only what you need to know, deceptively simple but loaded with meaning (and usually some kind of undertone of despair). It took me forever to read this book; Raymond Carver's careful writing forces me to be a careful reader.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is Raymond Carver's classic collection of short stories. Unfortunately, this may have been another case of me having heard a few too many positive comments about Carver, and this book in particular. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, but I somehow expected something more. Even writing this review, I find it difficult to specifically recall most of the stories, and there were only a few that really touched me. That said, Carver's style of writing is definitely unique and something that has been emulated by many writers since. The stories have a quietness to them, the writing is sparse and simple, and they focus on men and woman without ambition and without direction. It is just a glimpse into their lives, peeking in and then vanishing just as quickly.
One story I particularly enjoyed was "I Could See the Smallest Things" where a woman has a midnight chat with a neighbour her husband was once friends with but had a falling out, the man is killing slugs. Afterwards, the woman goes inside to her sleeping husband, the drool on his face reminding her of the slugs she just saw. The title short story is one of the longer ones in the collection, although still pretty short, and "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" was a memorable reflection on what love means to different people. When Carver is successful his stories are looks into the lives of the ordinary through a dirty lens which blurs the nonsense and keeps only what is essential.
Overall, the book provides some simple and beautiful moments but the lack of resolution in the stories was a technique which didn't always work for me. The stories are all very bleak and occasionally run together because I didn't find that there were any ups and downs to the collection but that it mostly ran at a similar frequency. Also, perhaps due to the brevity of many of the stories, I sometimes I felt as if Carver really hadn't let the reader know enough about the characters to get me interested or invested in the story. Ultimately, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is a good introduction to a famous contemporary short story writer but although Carver peeked my interest, he didn't capture my heart.
One story I particularly enjoyed was "I Could See the Smallest Things" where a woman has a midnight chat with a neighbour her husband was once friends with but had a falling out, the man is killing slugs. Afterwards, the woman goes inside to her sleeping husband, the drool on his face reminding her of the slugs she just saw. The title short story is one of the longer ones in the collection, although still pretty short, and "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" was a memorable reflection on what love means to different people. When Carver is successful his stories are looks into the lives of the ordinary through a dirty lens which blurs the nonsense and keeps only what is essential.
Overall, the book provides some simple and beautiful moments but the lack of resolution in the stories was a technique which didn't always work for me. The stories are all very bleak and occasionally run together because I didn't find that there were any ups and downs to the collection but that it mostly ran at a similar frequency. Also, perhaps due to the brevity of many of the stories, I sometimes I felt as if Carver really hadn't let the reader know enough about the characters to get me interested or invested in the story. Ultimately, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is a good introduction to a famous contemporary short story writer but although Carver peeked my interest, he didn't capture my heart.
Es un compendio de historias super cortas y super random de temas que pasan en las relaciones amorosas: infidelidad, aburrimiento, impotencia ante las cosas que pasan en la vida.
Las historias en sí son muy bleh para mí gusto en el sentido que narran una cosa específica y listo, como que cuente un acontecimiento sin nada más. Bien olvidables todas.
Las historias en sí son muy bleh para mí gusto en el sentido que narran una cosa específica y listo, como que cuente un acontecimiento sin nada más. Bien olvidables todas.
Breathtakingly good. I found it hard to keep reading at times because the emotional impact of the stories was so intense. Technically speaking Carver is truly a master of understatement and really, really tight writing. I mainly picked this up because Murakami lists him as an inspiration, and I can definitely see the influence on his style. So glad I read this!
challenging
dark
sad
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
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this book is, like, fine. it just doesn't do it for me. it's not describing what i would describe when i talk about love. maybe it's outdated, or maybe my love is just different than Carver's. it just didn't resonate for me.
my favorite story, the one i connected to the most, was the one told by the boy who had just lost his father. (i will find it's name and edit this later)
my favorite story, the one i connected to the most, was the one told by the boy who had just lost his father. (i will find it's name and edit this later)
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot