Reviews

Autumn by Ali Smith

ivyleiff's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

kyouwa_today's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Lots of time jumps here between the two main characters. Beautiful prose that reads like poetry. Wonderful story of a life as it happens. 

gretatimaite's review against another edition

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Oh, Ali! the way you played with time and love has overwhelmed me.

gkamens's review against another edition

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challenging slow-paced
Was supposed to read for a class about Britain post WWII, too dumb to understand its significance on my own

jenny_hedberg's review against another edition

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3.0

This is a very poetic book. In some ways it feels like a stream of consciousness that has been styled into poetry. While it was beautiful to read, it also slowed down the pace. It made me read more in the moment instead of looking to see what was going to happen next. I think this is the true strength of Smith's writing in this novel - her ability to craft a moment and make the reader explore that moment. Wordplay shifts the meaning of the moment and creates links between different moments so that the transition between events feels more conceptual than time-based.

I sometimes appreciated these things just for the experience of reading but I also grew impatient. I like stories more than I like language and in Autumn it was hard to see the forest for all the trees, they just demanded so much individual attention.

an0987's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

The writing style if both playful and poetic. I enjoyed reading this meditative and beautiful story. I’m certain that I will return to it in the years to come 

belleohara30_'s review against another edition

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2.0

2.5 stars, very confusing

msilkwolfe's review against another edition

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5.0

Wonderful and brilliant. Quite literary and gives you lots to think about. I could imagine writing a paper on this one.

emilykitty1234's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

annivalo's review against another edition

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5.0

- maaginen, terävä ja hallittu kieli
- rakastettavat päähenkilöt
- ihmissuhteet, merkityksellisyys, rakastaminen, yhteys, ikääntyminen, omalaatuisuus, taiteilijuus, oivallukset, feminismi, brexit
- koskettava, monitasoinen, informatiivinen, leikkisä