Is Alice Munro's work considered too bleak or pessimistic?
I don't think of my work as bleak. I present life as it is, with its disappointments and difficulties, certainly, but also with moments of unexpected beauty and grace. People are not simple, and their lives are rarely straightforward. My aim is to show the intricate workings of the human heart, the quiet struggles and the small victories. If there's a certain unflinching quality, it's because I believe in showing the complexities rather than shying away from them. The extraordinary, after all, is often found in the ordinary, if you look closely enough.
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