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hein's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
1. Miranda July's new novel, All Fours, sat around a while before I picked it up. Pre-publication copies bear the title's release date, sometimes right on the spine. You could sort them chronologically. I sometimes do.
2. And then you can look at your books, and there's no kidding yourself. You've had that one since it came out three years ag0–in fact, a couple months before that, even! You're never going to read it, are you?
3. All Fours, however, was a stylish pleasure. The narrator / protagonist immerses herself in projects, sometimes long-term, sometimes short-term; ranging from quixotic to quotidian.
4. The narrator / protagonist is unnamed, so let's just call her Marcel.
5. After reading the novel's last page, I went swimming. Around lap four, I remembered the Miranda July story about someone teaching themselves to swim, or maybe inventing a stroke, or pretending to swim in front of the mirror.
5. That story was great! It's in No One Belongs Here More than You, which I can safely remove from my shelf because if I'm not going to open it to check the title of that story, I can certainly re-buy it whenever I want it. In the story, as I remember it, a protagonist engages in a very individual, partly physical, personal project. Like Marcel in All Fours!
6. The book–the protagonist?--obsesses on one's authentic self, but thankfully without that word, "authentic." There's been an interesting little run of thought lately, about how maybe the individual isn't even a real thing, or at least worthy of all that post-mid-century existentialist primacy and valorization and stuff.
7. A nice acquaintane (from my retail life) said hi as I walked to the public pool, towel over my shoulder. Somehow in the course of five seconds I managed to say something weird and awkward back to him. This wasn't part of a project, or an artwork. I was just being my authentic self, without even trying! While swimming, I thought: it's okay to be yourself, at least a little. I just read a whole pretty great novel about it
https://www.matthewhattiehein.com/sevencents/swimming-with-miranda-july
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Classism, Infidelity, Alcohol, Drug use, and Medical content
mhh831666's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Cursing, Child death, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Violence
katrinky's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
4.0
I enjoyed this more than "the first bad man," for many reasons. I know more kinky people now, I know many peri- and post-menopausal people now, I have seen Miranda July in person now, it's a book about marriage and nonmonogamy and parenting and art and I've done all of those things now. it landed for me. I wish I knew more about design so I could picture the motel room better. I also can't believe FMH exists as a thing that can happen, holy shit. anyway, this book is unnerving and fun to read and a legit valuable source of information about menopause!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Dementia, Suicide, Incest, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Death of parent
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