This collection of short stories by Raymond Carver explores the ideas of love and
relationships, which can sometimes result
in tragic consequences. With stories that are told in both first person narration and with an omniscient narrator, the
reader often enters the story as if he or she were dropping in on a conversation, and gives the reader a sense of voyeurism, always eager to learn more but never learning the entire story. The stories range from tales of jealousy, extramarital affairs, and the struggles of couples who have been together for many years, including divorce and the death of a child. Stories are told from the points of view of both men and women and rarely romanticize relations, rather the characters often reflect on the failures within their own lives and
relationships as if they were your good friends confessing their inner secrets. Most of the stories are quite short, but are very detailed, and usually end unexpectedly, leaving the reader to wonder what is to become of the characters he or she has learned to identify with.