You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A boy is poisoned by the chemicals used in a cornfield. Whales die due to plastic pollution. Ladies tie themselves to a fence to protest. Nuclear weapons. People and bombing. A dog in a space capsule dies after a week of orbiting the earth. World's threatened resources. War wounded, mentally or physically. Shakespeare, Christmas Carol. Rhymes, lullabies, songs. The book is a kaleidoscope of events happening in the world. Ali Smith weaves so many issues into this novel. She plays with words, full of puns. Art discussions, sculptor.
YOU DON’T WANT GERMS IN YOUR WHEATGERM: WHEATGERM; GERMS, GRAVITY; GRAVENESS. I enjoyed these funny comparisons. She has come up with witty rhymes too.
If one is not used to her style of writing, it can be difficult to read but once you get used to it, it's fun. Winter is the story of Sophia and her son Arthur, fondly called Art. Sophia is a retired businessperson and Art is a blogger. They meet for Christmas which also includes his estranged aunt, Sophia’s sister Iris and Arthur brings Lux along, asking her to pose as his girlfriend Charlotte. Sophia has some mental illness due to which she sees stuff.
More than a story, it’s a playful rendition of words, a mixed salad of funny, and serious events, and an exploration of songs, rhymes, lexicology, and puns.
Though this novel comes second in the seasonal quartet, it can be read as a standalone. If you enjoy fun with words, this is your book!
YOU DON’T WANT GERMS IN YOUR WHEATGERM: WHEATGERM; GERMS, GRAVITY; GRAVENESS. I enjoyed these funny comparisons. She has come up with witty rhymes too.
If one is not used to her style of writing, it can be difficult to read but once you get used to it, it's fun. Winter is the story of Sophia and her son Arthur, fondly called Art. Sophia is a retired businessperson and Art is a blogger. They meet for Christmas which also includes his estranged aunt, Sophia’s sister Iris and Arthur brings Lux along, asking her to pose as his girlfriend Charlotte. Sophia has some mental illness due to which she sees stuff.
More than a story, it’s a playful rendition of words, a mixed salad of funny, and serious events, and an exploration of songs, rhymes, lexicology, and puns.
Though this novel comes second in the seasonal quartet, it can be read as a standalone. If you enjoy fun with words, this is your book!
I'm so glad that I snuck this book in before Winter ended! I feel like I left it to the last couple of days of the season like I did for Autumn.
A lot of this novel went over my head but I did understand the pointed commentary towards Brexit, the juxtaposition of most of the characters highlighted the importance of having these conversations. Maybe if we had we would have been left with a different result of the vote which has (and will have) a devastating impact on so many lives. I particularly loved the four main characters and how their differences were brought to the forefront, their diversity in ideas at times gave a claustrophobic feeling. I found the back and forth in time disorientating at times, I feel like you need to let go and just drift along the story and then you'll be fine. I'm excited to continue this series even though I don't fully understand it!
A lot of this novel went over my head but I did understand the pointed commentary towards Brexit, the juxtaposition of most of the characters highlighted the importance of having these conversations. Maybe if we had we would have been left with a different result of the vote which has (and will have) a devastating impact on so many lives. I particularly loved the four main characters and how their differences were brought to the forefront, their diversity in ideas at times gave a claustrophobic feeling. I found the back and forth in time disorientating at times, I feel like you need to let go and just drift along the story and then you'll be fine. I'm excited to continue this series even though I don't fully understand it!
Playful, inventive and daring! Ali Smith is always a delight to read, although she also takes a bit of work (thanks to just how daring she is with her style). I loved reading something so contemporary and beautifully written. However, I didn’t think it was as good as the first book in the series, Autumn, and I was also disappointed that the story from Autumn did not continue in Winter. All in all though, I really enjoyed this!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. At first glance, it’s one of those “dysfunctional family that eventually manages to reconcile and find love” kinds of stories, but there are enough layers and stylistic flair to keep it interesting and funny. Although I don’t feel like any of the writing styles Smith uses are super original, she switches it up so often and so well within one novel. It’s really great to read. Thematically, the book is largely about how we can reconcile fundamentally different worldviews and find community despite it. I sometimes felt that it was too on the nose, especially when it came to dialogue between the characters. I also didn’t love how neatly it seemed to end. But even if it wasn’t thematically the most subtle, Smith has so many references and allusions that you still feel like you have to think throughout the book to catch and understand each one of them, which was another aspect that I really enjoyed.
This is an interesting one to review. Definitely a slow start but I think is an example of why I'm glad that I make myself finish almost every book I read. What stands out the most to me after reading Autumn a few months ago and this now, is that the through line of this series seems to be unpacking and dealing with the trauma of living through 2016. I'm interested to see what the other two books will reveal, but I will tell you that these books have very little to do with the seasons they are named after and really don't have to be read during those seasons. I didn't realistically think I had to do that, but I do love a seasonal read so I thought why not. Good food for thought in this series though!
Stream of consciousness, mixing everything together. Gorgeous.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes