Perspectives

Literary Movement

 The short story “The Lie” by Raymond Carver can be considered an example of dirty realism and minimalist fiction.

Literary minimalism tends to have few details and revolve around the relationships between characters, rather than showing them as individuals. In Carver’s case, his short stories usually reflect this while he presents the mu…

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Works by the same author

The short story “So Much Water So Close to Home” by Raymond Carver also presents the flawed relationship between a wife and her husband. In the story, Claire becomes nervous after her husband discovers the body of a young woman on a fishing trip, suspecting that he and his friends are the ones who killed her. When you compare the two stories, consider how the relationship between the two couples suffers from a lack of proper communication. Both the husband in “So Much Water So Close to Home” and the wife in “The Lie” eventually resort to distracting their partners instead of tackling the issues that are bothering them. 

In Raymond Carver’s short story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”, two couples discuss the nature of love and their different experiences with it. Just like “The Lie”, the story also addresses the issues of love and communication. 

The short story “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” deals with a husband whose wife confesses she cheated on him at a party. When comparing the two stories, you can look at the characters’ relationships and the way they communicate with each other.