I was wondering going into this novel whether or not it was a continuation of the characters and stories of Autumn. And it isn’t. Autumn is the first of the Ali Smith novels I have really enjoyed. I have maintained the ideas that a)she’s a very good writer, b) she’s going to be considerably important in years to come, c) I am deeply interested in her work, and d) she will win a Booker Prize before too long. Perhaps this is it. Autumn was better […]
42: In the seasonal sequence, we see the consequences of nationalism.
I am fresh off the Autumn reading high, and I am so curious to see how Ali Smith is going to use the seasons to make social commentary. I read both Autumn and Winter fairly quickly, so there is absolutely something compelling about Ali Smith’s literary style that has grabbed me. In Winter, Smith completely changes the characters and basic plot, although the post-Brexit Britain is ever in the foreground. This time, Sophia and Art, a mother and son, are the major characters. Sophia is […]
41: Seasons come and go, but apparently, bad choices are forever.
I’ve been curious to see how British literature would be changing post-Brexit. Zadie Smith’s Swing Time begins to address this shift in Britain post-2010, but it foreshadows Brexit. Therefore, I was interested to see how Ali Smith’s Autumn would be incorporating Brexit into its main plot. I had heard buzz about her seasonal cycle, but had not made the plunge until my end-of-school-year library binge saw this and the next book make its way into my basket. I am really, really glad I gave this […]
She likes to read, she reads all the time, and she prefers to be reading several things at once, she says it gives endless perspective and dimension.
Autumn – 4/5 Stars I liked this one a lot, and I have solid hopes for the second book. I do not know going into that one whether or not it will be a continuation of this story or a reversal or twist or riff off the themes. It’s also interesting to be reading these while sort of being in the middle of the Karl Ove Knausgard seasonal quartet as well. So this book takes place among many years, jumping back and forth. It centers […]