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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
an interesting novel - starts slow but develops a lovely lot of characters with compelling and raw human emotions. enjoyed !
Really didn’t get on with this, and abandoned halfway. Some beautiful little touches and playful language, but I found it almost impossible to read. I liked Autumn but struggled to engage here.
I am reading Smith's seasonal quartet sequentially and I didn't find much to enjoy in this one. The story continues with new characters only minimally related to those in Autumn and repeated references to art, politics, and the environment. As in her other novels, Smith loves wordplay and there is plenty of that in this story. I had a difficult time connecting to most of the characters except for Lux, so it was a bit of a slog to finish.
I really enjoyed Ali Smith's Autumn, but while Winter was beautifully written, I'm afraid that too much of it went over my head. I'm fully willing to accept that as a fault on my part, but I enjoyed the more typical story line of Autumn to the disembodied head and floating coastline that I just didn't understand in Winter. I appreciated the immediacy that Brexit and the American presidency added to the story, but I do hope that Spring will be a bit more accessible and understandable for me.