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kglas's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
5.0
I just finished reading the whole seasonal quartet, and here is my experience with some recommendations.Â
1) It's definitely best to read the seasonal quartet in the order im which the books were published: autumn - winter - spring - summer. Even though there are new characters at the heart of each novel, it is such a delight to re-encounter some loveable ones in more than one of them. Especially, half of the fun of reading Summer at the end is recognising the characters and stories from previous seasons.Â
2) I read Autumn twice. I finished it and realised that for understanding more deeply I needed to read it again , and that was fully worth it. I may also re-read some of the quartet at some point and I am sure I'll keep discovering connections and passages that I haven't realised so far.
3) I regularly checked out the references to artists and other writers, looking at their work online. That made the reading experience more complete and made me get to know some exciting works of art I'd had no idea about before reading these books.Â
To sum up, I adore Ali Smith's masterful writing style, her wordplay, the topics she picks up (female art, migration, the Brexit, climate change, COVID 19, activism, ...) and the loving, caring characters she has created. Â
AÂ must-read for anyone who loves good and sometimes complex novels.
1) It's definitely best to read the seasonal quartet in the order im which the books were published: autumn - winter - spring - summer. Even though there are new characters at the heart of each novel, it is such a delight to re-encounter some loveable ones in more than one of them. Especially, half of the fun of reading Summer at the end is recognising the characters and stories from previous seasons.Â
2) I read Autumn twice. I finished it and realised that for understanding more deeply I needed to read it again , and that was fully worth it. I may also re-read some of the quartet at some point and I am sure I'll keep discovering connections and passages that I haven't realised so far.
3) I regularly checked out the references to artists and other writers, looking at their work online. That made the reading experience more complete and made me get to know some exciting works of art I'd had no idea about before reading these books.Â
To sum up, I adore Ali Smith's masterful writing style, her wordplay, the topics she picks up (female art, migration, the Brexit, climate change, COVID 19, activism, ...) and the loving, caring characters she has created. Â
AÂ must-read for anyone who loves good and sometimes complex novels.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Confinement, Xenophobia, Grief, and Suicide attempt
at806's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Classism, Colonisation, Deportation, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
megsotto's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Deportation, Confinement, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Grief, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Cancer
deedireads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Spring is my favorite of Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet so far. It’s a deeply felt novel with smart, resonant social commentary.
For you if: You love characters that feel real enough to break your heart.
FULL REVIEW:
I’m currently reading Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet in order, season by season (with @caseys_chapters!). I’ve liked them all, but I think Spring is my favorite so far.
This one focuses on two main characters: Richard, an older man who was once a moderately successful film director, mourning the loss of his closest friend; and Brit, a corrections officer for the quartet’s fictional security company (which is also involved with border security). Richard has decided there’s nothing left for him, and Brit finds herself traveling with a remarkable young schoolgirl named Florence.
I think this one felt a little less abstract in terms of how it related to the season it’s named for, which helped. It sang with positioning of spring against the idea of borders and migration and the kind of impossible, barely-there hope that always exists despite the brokenness of the world. It might also be that the social commentary felt a little fresher (since the book is newer); I was particularly struck by Brit and the momentum that keeps her from opening her eyes, much less taking action.
But even considered on its own, the power of Ali Smith’s prose is (as always) somehow unnameable but also unmistakeable, and the characters broke my heart. This was deeply felt and effective, and I can’t wait to read Summer.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Spring is my favorite of Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet so far. It’s a deeply felt novel with smart, resonant social commentary.
For you if: You love characters that feel real enough to break your heart.
FULL REVIEW:
I’m currently reading Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet in order, season by season (with @caseys_chapters!). I’ve liked them all, but I think Spring is my favorite so far.
This one focuses on two main characters: Richard, an older man who was once a moderately successful film director, mourning the loss of his closest friend; and Brit, a corrections officer for the quartet’s fictional security company (which is also involved with border security). Richard has decided there’s nothing left for him, and Brit finds herself traveling with a remarkable young schoolgirl named Florence.
I think this one felt a little less abstract in terms of how it related to the season it’s named for, which helped. It sang with positioning of spring against the idea of borders and migration and the kind of impossible, barely-there hope that always exists despite the brokenness of the world. It might also be that the social commentary felt a little fresher (since the book is newer); I was particularly struck by Brit and the momentum that keeps her from opening her eyes, much less taking action.
But even considered on its own, the power of Ali Smith’s prose is (as always) somehow unnameable but also unmistakeable, and the characters broke my heart. This was deeply felt and effective, and I can’t wait to read Summer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Confinement
katekenney's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
4.25
I had very few preconceptions about this book other than finding the concept of four independent, seasonal novels really interesting. I read this book way faster than expected. The author deftly navigates multiple voices and manages to tell story wrapped in a much bigger story about the unfailing persistence of life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide attempt and Trafficking
Non-linear storytelling, some questions left answeredcrazytourists_books's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
The third book of the quartet that I am reading and my least favourite so far.Â
Again, I loved the writing style, the artistic references (consistent in all three books), the sweetness that's lingering in the pages, and Smith's effort to address brexit and the worl wide humanitarian/migration crisis. But there were a few holes in the story, which I am sure were deliberate but left me unsure, wondering, and some surreal descriptions that I didn't particularly enjoyed.Â
Now I wait, till summer comes!
Again, I loved the writing style, the artistic references (consistent in all three books), the sweetness that's lingering in the pages, and Smith's effort to address brexit and the worl wide humanitarian/migration crisis. But there were a few holes in the story, which I am sure were deliberate but left me unsure, wondering, and some surreal descriptions that I didn't particularly enjoyed.Â
Now I wait, till summer comes!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
amelreads's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Racism, and Confinement
Moderate: Trafficking, Police brutality, Violence, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Colonisation
Minor: Torture and Sexual assault
alicea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
 Each of the books in Smith's Seasonal Quartet focus on a few major subjects/social justice issues/moral imperatives. Spring explores the detainment of refugees and migrants as well as the dehumanization of the people who we place in these centers (as well as the general disregard and/or derision that our society has for people labeled 'other' or 'foreign') . She looks at this topic through a few different lenses so that the reader can get a full view of the situation. We see the inside of a detainment facility in the UK through the eyes of a Detainment Officer named Brittany who has lost all compassion for the people under her 'care'. [A/N: The care aspect is dubious at best if the person doing the caring sees the people as inconveniences instead of humans which is pretty much the main point that Smith is making.] When Brittany meets a young girl at the train station who seems to have an almost hypnotic effect on everyone that she meets (including Brittany) the story takes a turn because Brittany (as well as the reader) is confronted with serious questions about otherness, belonging, and moral responsibility on a macro scale.
The same time that this storyline is unfolding there is a parallel storyline following a director named Richard who has lost someone very close to him and has decided that life has lost all meaning as a result. His story is told very descriptively through literature and film references and without any visuals still manages to evoke clear pictures in the mind of the reader. (If you couldn't tell I really loved it.) Rainer Maria Rilke and Katherine Mansfield's stories are told alongside his as he wrestles with adapting a book about them into a film. I feel that Smith's writing is valuable and poignant as well as incredibly relevant (purposely so which is why I somewhat regret not reading these as they came out). I'm very much looking forward to the last in the series but I'm also sad to be finishing the journey. Spring is a definite 10/10.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
 Spring by Ali Smith 🌸
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Long overdue for the #alismithreadalong but it's here!!
🌸 The plot: Richard is a filmmaker who is grieving the death of his close collaborator, Paddy. He's been asked to help adapt a book about Katherine Mansfield and Rainer Maria Rilke, but his new partner is butchering it and without Paddy's insight, Richard doesn't see the point any more. Brit is a worker at an immigration detention centre where the daily meaningless cruelty of the job is wearing away at her humanity. Brought together by chance encounters with Florence, a twelve year old girl with a remarkable gift, Richard and Brit are caught up in a story about connection and hope that is bigger than both of them.
Spring is probably my second favourite of the Seasonal Quartet, but it's the one that I find hardest to read. Its analysis of the UK government's treatment of refugees seems to get more prescient with every passing year: the routine dehumanisation of vulnerable people, the constant directive from right wing media to share nothing, close the doors and send them somewhere else, enshrining cruelty as standard procedure. The aptly-named Brit is an infuriating character, because of the ways in which she suppresses her conscience, acting out of fear and anger and surrendering responsibility for her actions. You want her better nature to win out, but she just doesn't seem ready.
Still, like all Alis, this is ultimately a hopeful book. Richard's story really blazed out at me on this reread, the way it speaks to Ali's devotion to the theme of companionship in all her work. His love for Paddy felt vivid and beautiful despite the pain of his grief, and the message the book leaves you with is that while hostility grows here, resistance and hope do too. Smith dares to suggest that deep under the surface, good things are growing, and while it's only a glimmer of hope, I'll take it.
🌸 Read it if you want to see the impact of Theresa May's hostile environment depicted alongside hope for change and resistance.
🚫 Avoid it if you're sensitive to depictions of suicidal thoughts/ suicide attempts and particularly forced incarceration.Â
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Long overdue for the #alismithreadalong but it's here!!
🌸 The plot: Richard is a filmmaker who is grieving the death of his close collaborator, Paddy. He's been asked to help adapt a book about Katherine Mansfield and Rainer Maria Rilke, but his new partner is butchering it and without Paddy's insight, Richard doesn't see the point any more. Brit is a worker at an immigration detention centre where the daily meaningless cruelty of the job is wearing away at her humanity. Brought together by chance encounters with Florence, a twelve year old girl with a remarkable gift, Richard and Brit are caught up in a story about connection and hope that is bigger than both of them.
Spring is probably my second favourite of the Seasonal Quartet, but it's the one that I find hardest to read. Its analysis of the UK government's treatment of refugees seems to get more prescient with every passing year: the routine dehumanisation of vulnerable people, the constant directive from right wing media to share nothing, close the doors and send them somewhere else, enshrining cruelty as standard procedure. The aptly-named Brit is an infuriating character, because of the ways in which she suppresses her conscience, acting out of fear and anger and surrendering responsibility for her actions. You want her better nature to win out, but she just doesn't seem ready.
Still, like all Alis, this is ultimately a hopeful book. Richard's story really blazed out at me on this reread, the way it speaks to Ali's devotion to the theme of companionship in all her work. His love for Paddy felt vivid and beautiful despite the pain of his grief, and the message the book leaves you with is that while hostility grows here, resistance and hope do too. Smith dares to suggest that deep under the surface, good things are growing, and while it's only a glimmer of hope, I'll take it.
🌸 Read it if you want to see the impact of Theresa May's hostile environment depicted alongside hope for change and resistance.
🚫 Avoid it if you're sensitive to depictions of suicidal thoughts/ suicide attempts and particularly forced incarceration.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Racism and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent, Self harm, War, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
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