• About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Published Articles
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Published Articles

Search

Cemara Dinda
Book Review: What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
Blog post

Book Review: What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver

January 28, 2017

My next review is one of Raymond Carver’s collection of short stories I’ve heard nothing but brilliant things about. How it’s like a loving pat in the back and a slap in the face all at once. Now, if there’s one literary fear that I have, it’s short stories. I guess I’ve always been spoiled with an in-depth plot that sudden twists and turns of a short story just puts me off. But this year, I’m determined to put aside that fear and embrace all the surprises and wild guesses that come while reading this form of literature.

Anyways, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is a spectacular start of my “therapy” because of how honest it was writtan, and I felt every bit of affection and tragedy from the many men and women that are beautifully disintegrating right before my eyes.  And all of that is done through slice-of-life storytellings to remind us how all of us are a little broken. In fact, Carver reminds me so much of Hemingway because so much detail is presented to us on the surface, leaving us to dig a little deeper. Sure, there was a lot of head tilting on my part where I rummage through words on the page. wondering what on Earth is happening. However, I think that’s just where the beauty lies in this book because heck, how many times in life were we shrouded by uncertainty? Furthermore, it takes me one read-through of a dinner conversation to rediscover that yes, love is anything but simple.

Don’t expect revelations and big conclusions from this book because instead you’ll find regrets, unresolved arguments, men walking away from confrontations – carrying their ashtrays, and a woman’s indifference that sinks her deeper into an unhappy marriage. So, I’m thanking Carver for embedding a reminder that human nature is neverendingly complex. Yet we do hold some power in letting  compassion and love shine through the litte cracks.

What an amazing read and I’m really optimistic about tackling this literary fear throghout 2017.

Tags:

  • book review
  • ,
  • books
  • ,
  • cemara dinda
  • ,
  • literature
  • ,
  • raymond carver
  • ,
  • what we talk about when we talk about love

Post navigation

Keepin’ it Real with Klasik Coffee
Book Review: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Search

Pages

  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Published Articles

Recent Posts

  • On An Evening
  • Here’s To 2018
  • If It Wasn’t on Social Media, Did it Actually Happen? Welcome to Post-Reality!
  • Home
  • Currently Reading… Gentayangan by Intan Paramaditha

Archives

  • January 2019
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • October 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • January 2014

Categories

Search by Tags

antiques beauty book review book reviews books buku cafe coffee culinary culture democracy empowerment food gender gender equality health indonesia indonesian books indonesian literature indonesian women jakarta labuan bajo latte life lifestyle literature manado music nature north sulawesi nusa tenggara timur poems poetry postgrad life prose sastra simple joys simplicity the simple things thoughts travel vintage women women's empowerment yogyakarta

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2021
Cressida by LyraThemes.com