A review by rebeccarjallen
Public Library and Other Stories by Ali Smith

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I do think this got a higher star rating because I listened as an audiobook - I don't usually have much joy with short story collections, but I did enjoy this as an audio experience, especially given that it is narrated by Ali Smith herself. I particularly enjoyed 'The Poet', and have even made a note of it so I can return to it at a later date - something I very rarely do. It really reminded me of my Grandma in a nostalgic, slightly sad, but quite tantalising way. Unsurprisingly, I also really enjoyed the meditations on library-based experiences. On the whole these made me quite angry as I consider the fate of libraries in this day and age...