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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.
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:
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
bectothebooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual content
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
With How to Be Both it was the structure of the novel which was unique. There are two main sections, each from the perspective of a main character separated by centuries. George is a girl trying to come to terms with the death of her mother. Francesco del Cossa is a renaissance painter, a woman who lived as a man, and whose frescoes George visited with her mother. The unique aspect is the book can be read in any order. In fact two separate versions were printed, half with George’s section first, half with the Francesco’s. I was really interested in the connections, parallels and intertwining between the two stories, especially around topics like gender, the boundary between life and death, the link between past and present, not to mention the concept of seeing - what we see first versus the many different layers that can be seen by those who take the time to look. I do wonder how my reaction to this book was affected by the version I read. It’s no secret that I struggle a little with Ali Smith and with meditations on art. I initially felt a little all-at-sea and wonder if that could have been avoided had I read George’s section, which i found more accessible, before Francesco’s.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
jasminepatel003's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book wasn’t really up my street because it was so difficult to read and usually i gravitate towards simpler writing styles but I’m really glad I did finish it and I thought it was such an interesting structure for a book. I can see myself rereading this because I feel like there’s lots of aspects I probably missed because they went over my head. The prose was really beautiful despite being SO challenging and there were some sections and descriptions that really blew me away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
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
I thought it was near perfect
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
lillywiggers's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
rosalind's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia
deedireads's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
How to Be Both is a fascinating novel broken into two parts, which can be read in any order. I enjoyed it and I’m eager to read more Ali Smith.
For you if: You like experimental literary fiction.
FULL REVIEW:
TL;DR REVIEW:
How to Be Both is a fascinating novel broken into two parts, which can be read in any order. I enjoyed it and I’m eager to read more Ali Smith.
For you if: You like experimental literary fiction.
FULL REVIEW:
Can we never get to go beyond ourselves? her mother says. Never get to be more than ourselves? Will I ever, as far as you’re concerned, be allowed to be anything other than your mother?
No, George says.
And why is that? her mother says.
Because you’re my mother, George says.
Ah, her mother says, I see.
I read How to Be Both as part of the #ReadingWomen challenge to get through all the past years’ winners of the Women’s Prize. This book won in 2015, and I can see why. It’s sort of cerebral, but also moving and curious and sweeping and beautiful. I really enjoyed it.
The book is broken into two parts: camera and eyes, which you can read in any order. Copies of the book are randomly printed so that sometimes camera comes first, and sometimes eyes comes first. For me, camera was first. It’s set in the present day and features a teenager named George (Georgia) whose mother recently passed away. She’s grappling with grief and a spark of romance with her friend, H (Helena). Eyes, on the other hand, is narrated by the spirit of George’s mother’s favorite artist, who’s been yanked to the present and spends time observing George and connecting what’s happening to their own life in the 1460s.
The more you read this one, the more its title makes sense. There’s so much there about duality. History or present? Metaphor or literal? Interpretation or rules? Truth or imagination? Past or present?
This book felt really intriguing from a craft perspective, something just a little experimental with Ali Smith’s genius peeking through to say hello. I’m really glad I read it, and it’s definitely made me want to read more of her work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
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