Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

How to Be Both by Ali Smith

2 reviews

helen's review against another edition

4.0

This book was published with two editions which have the same text but swap who's story comes first. The first half of the book will either be about George, a 16 year old girl living in contemporary Cambridge who's mother has just died, or Francescho, a Renaissance artist in 15th century Ferrara, who painted the fresco visited by George and her mother just before her death.

In my ebook version, Francescho's story came first*. This part starts off with an unconventional structure and I had difficulty sinking into the narrative. If I'd read George's story first, I would've enjoyed it more.

So with the caveat that you should read George's story first, I recommend it for readers who like:

• Queer protagonists
• The power of art (definitely look up the real artwork while reading)
• Writing that has humour while deftly dealing with some heavy themes, including death, grief and identity
• Re-reading - you get so much more on a second read, once the whole story (the overpainting and the underpainting) is revealed.
• The occasional experimental writing - word fragments, layout, tense trickery, song lyrics (including a lyric about DNA set to the meter of Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus and then translated into Latin)

*My ebook version had both editions - Francescho followed by George, and then George followed by Francescho.

Content notes:

both protagonists have mothers who die young, grief, references to war executions, racist/xenophobic slur (infidel), plague, a character is discovered to be cross-dressing after being grabbed in the crotch (no outing happens as a result), on page sex, off page violent death of minor character, description of flaying as depicted in a painting, alcohol abuse

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent and Grief

Minor: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia

penofpossibilities's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

You should read this without knowing anything about it and with an open and philosophical mind (or not) 

I thought it was near perfect

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Alcoholism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual content, Pedophilia, and Stalking

Minor: Xenophobia, Transphobia, Ableism, Animal death, Antisemitism, Bullying, and Misogyny