What We Talk About When We Talk About Love

by Raymond Carver
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love cover
Good Books rating 4.5
Short Story Collections
Technical
  • ID: 3757
  • Added: 2025-10-20
  • Updated: 2025-10-20
  • ISBN: 9780099449843
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2003-01-01
  • Reviews: 3

Raymond Carver's 'What We Talk about when We Talk about Love' is a powerful collection of short stories that explore the intricacies of human connections. The stories feature ordinary people, often lacking in education or prospects, who struggle with the emotional complexities of love and relationships. Carver's minimalist style and sharp observations make these tales both poignant and unsettling. /n/n The collection is known for its raw and unflinching portrayal of human nature, highlighting the ironies and contradictions that arise when people attempt to articulate their deepest emotions. Carver's work has been praised for its ability to capture the essence of everyday life with a profound sense of realism and emotional depth.

Reviews
Reddit - r/literature · 2025-10-20
Resonant 4.50

The reviewer praises Carver's 'gruffly beautiful' writing and the resonant portrayal of ordinary, dysfunctional characters.

This reviewer loved Carver's 'gruffly beautiful' writing style and found the portrayal of ordinary, dysfunctional characters to be deeply resonant. They appreciated how the stories capture the grimy, understated perils of everyday life, making the book a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Quick quotes

    I loved Carver's gruffly beautiful writing. The grimy and understated perils of ordinary, dysfunctional characters in the stories resonated well ...

    They appreciated how the stories capture the grimy, understated perils of everyday life, making the book a compelling and thought-provoking read.

    The reviewer loved Carver's 'gruffly beautiful' writing style and found the portrayal of ordinary, dysfunctional characters to be deeply resonant.

Goodreads · 2025-10-20
Powerful 4.50

The reviewer praises Raymond Carver's frank and economical prose, which they found impactful. They highlight the book's ability to convey powerful emotions through simplicity.

This reviewer was deeply moved by Carver's straightforward and unflinching writing style. They found the book's ability to explore complex emotions through simple, direct language to be both haunting and thought-provoking. The stories resonate long after finishing the book, leaving the reader to ponder the raw truths about love and human relationships.

Quick quotes

    There's something about Raymond Carver's writing, in its frankness and economical prose, which knocked me completely off balance.

    The stories resonate long after finishing the book, leaving the reader to ponder the raw truths about love and human relationships.

    They found the book's ability to explore complex emotions through simple, direct language to be both haunting and thought-provoking.

The Irish Times · 2018-06-02
Unflinching 4.50

The reviewer highlights Carver's ability to write about pain, loss, and despair with a cold, hard clarity. They find his writing unflinching and impactful.

This reviewer praises Carver's unflinching portrayal of pain, loss, and despair. They note that Carver's writing is not about beautiful sentences but about capturing the harsh realities of life. The book is described as a raw and unvarnished look at love and human relationships, written with a cold, hard clarity that leaves a lasting impression.

Quick quotes

    Carver doesn't write pretty sentences. He writes pain and loss and despair. He writes it the way he sees it. And he sees it cold and hard and unflinchingly.

    The book is described as a raw and unvarnished look at love and human relationships, written with a cold, hard clarity that leaves a lasting impression.

    They note that Carver's writing is not about beautiful sentences but about capturing the harsh realities of life.

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