What we talk about when we talk about love is a 1981 collection of short stories by american writer raymond carver as well as the title of one of the stories in the collection. We like to think it might have something to do with the very nature of carvers story which is that were all beginners at love and therefore we cant ever really understand what we talk about when we talk about love we can try as we might but love is elusive confusing and messy messy messy. What we talk about when we talk about love is a collection of seventeen very short but potent stories that reveal the raw and ragged face of love no love is not a many splendored thing as frank sinatra would have us believe. What we talk asout when we talk as out love jyly friend lelllcginnis was talkingllel mcginnis is luj a cardiologist and sometimes that gives him the right the four of us were sitting around his kitchen table drinking gin. A short summary of raymond carvers what we talk about when we talk about love this free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of what we talk about when we talk about love