What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver

Published by

Sarah Ann

on

February 22, 2013

I learned about this book in Esquire magazine, where it was featured in a list of “must-reads” for men. I don’t remember why I wanted to read it, because I’m not a man and I don’t want to be one.

There are 17 short stories in What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Most of them are about 3 to 4 pages long. Practically every story is a gritty account of someone’s downfall in life and reflects the less-humane side of people.

These stories take place in the suburbs of Seattle. Some are about individuals, some are about couples whose relationships have fallen apart, some are about family, and a few are about best friends. The stories are not all written from a man’s point of view as you might expect.

My two favorite stories in What We Talk About When We Talk About Love are “Tell the Women We’re Going” and “Popular Mechanics.” Both stories have jarring and disturbing endings. I enjoyed them simply for the shock-value alone.

Frankly speaking, I’ve never really liked short stories or poetry. But I liked how this one had me glued to it from beginning to end. I wouldn’t recommend this book because many of the stories are dated and not timeless. While reading it, I found myself transported to the set of a 1970s movie, cigarette smoke lingering in the air and all.

Other books by Raymond Carver include:

What did you think about this collection of short stories?

Last Updated on November 29, 2025 by Sarah Ann

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