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Quotes:
That’s what winter is: an exercise in remembering how to still yourself then how to come pliantly back to life again.
——————
That sounds quite rude; see what happens with words? It’s not what she means. She means words will make it less than it is, or something it isn’t.
Later on her way home, as she walks down a street, there’ll be words again, she’ll be dazed with it, blasted by it, made roofless like a house after a gale by it and the walls all down, made open, maybe such a thing as too open because this street she’ll be on, it’s a pretty run-down street but it will be vibrant to her, though below her there’ll be nothing but a pavement, but beautiful, the pavement, well get real, pavements aren’t beautiful, and the bus shelter a beauty, buildings, scruffy, beautiful, beautiful fast food place, shockingly beautiful coin-operated launderette full of strangers whose profiles in the late evening sun are, yes, though she’ll know they aren’t really, but they will be, right then, unbelievably beautiful.
That’s what winter is: an exercise in remembering how to still yourself then how to come pliantly back to life again.
——————
That sounds quite rude; see what happens with words? It’s not what she means. She means words will make it less than it is, or something it isn’t.
Later on her way home, as she walks down a street, there’ll be words again, she’ll be dazed with it, blasted by it, made roofless like a house after a gale by it and the walls all down, made open, maybe such a thing as too open because this street she’ll be on, it’s a pretty run-down street but it will be vibrant to her, though below her there’ll be nothing but a pavement, but beautiful, the pavement, well get real, pavements aren’t beautiful, and the bus shelter a beauty, buildings, scruffy, beautiful, beautiful fast food place, shockingly beautiful coin-operated launderette full of strangers whose profiles in the late evening sun are, yes, though she’ll know they aren’t really, but they will be, right then, unbelievably beautiful.
funny
reflective
Another capacious triumph from the only writer I know of who can use puns to make you feel so many feelings. More expansive than Autumn, elegant and fitting as a second movement in the quartet. Remind me to reread this in December someday.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars. This is the second book I’ve read as part of Smith’s seasonal quartets. I really like the concept of the series. Like “Autumn“ this book was much more of a meditation about winter and the holidays. It was not a traditionally plot-driven novel. The themes of refugees, national identity, and so – called Christian values of exclusion and nationalism was really timely for me to read just now. It’s interesting to see a UK perspective of similar issues that we talk about here in the US. It was also interesting to read unflattering views of how Trump‘s leadership corroborates nationalism in the UK. The book ends quoting a speech Trump gave in 2017 about how the important thing was that Americans would say “merry Christmas” and not have to “dilute” their national identity by saying “happy holidays”. It was a mic drop that took some restraint on Smith’s part, but I thought it worked really well.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-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