A review by gladosisreading
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver

challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This collection was a real mixed bag that came together to paint one brilliant picture. Whilst I loved most of the short story concepts (and even their ordering as a collection, which I felt added to the overall portrait of the Northwest and the complexities of human relationship being painted), the writing style in some felt a bit repetitive and started to drag. 

There were some stand out poignant moments across the collection, but other sections irked me for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe some of the stories just weren't for me!

That being said, I really loved 'After the Denim' and 'Everything Stuck to Him' in particular. 

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