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A review by lewreviews
Summer by Ali Smith
4.0
As with the other books that make up Ali Smith's Seasons Quartet, Summer follows a similar structure of navigating varied journeys with even more varied characters that eventually come together to show how connected we really are, despite whatever differences we may share.
I've enjoyed this thoroughly in all of Smith's books, but with Summer, the first 60 pages are that good that I really wish we got a whole novel dedicated to the characters we meet in the beginning. I found that once we turned our focus away from them, I wasn't as engaged or interested as I was, and only found myself absorbed once more when the story came full circle, and thus back to them.
Despite that, though, it's a beautiful conclusion to an incredible and ambitious Quartet that is a hallmark of our time and the struggles we face. I will always appreciate how Smith gives a human face to even the biggest issues, and how they do so with empathy, compassion, and what seems to be a genuine love for people and what they can be.
I've enjoyed this thoroughly in all of Smith's books, but with Summer, the first 60 pages are that good that I really wish we got a whole novel dedicated to the characters we meet in the beginning. I found that once we turned our focus away from them, I wasn't as engaged or interested as I was, and only found myself absorbed once more when the story came full circle, and thus back to them.
Despite that, though, it's a beautiful conclusion to an incredible and ambitious Quartet that is a hallmark of our time and the struggles we face. I will always appreciate how Smith gives a human face to even the biggest issues, and how they do so with empathy, compassion, and what seems to be a genuine love for people and what they can be.