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corpuslibris's review against another edition
2.0
I've love both of the novels of hers that I've read, but on the whole I've been less blown away with her short stories. There were certainly a few good ones in this new collection, a couple with absurd topics or twists that made me think. Smith has a dry wit and a level of wordplay that strikes me as particularly British, akin to some of Jeanette Winterson's short stories. But not as good as Hotel World or The Accidental.
caitlinrpowell's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
podsticles's review against another edition
3.0
While there is no doubt that Ali Smith is a good writer, I don’t feel like anyone ever mentions how unusual her subjects are. While I enjoyed reading Autumn, I thought there were parts that were quite obscure and didn’t belong in the story. Smith had shoehorned Pauline Boty and Christine Keeler into a book in which, in my opinion, they didn’t really have a part to play. And I feel the same about some of the topics in this collection - some seem a bit shoehorned in, without necessarily working or making sense.
With this collection, while the writing is excellent, it’s all just a bit strange.
In ‘The Child’ the narrator returns to her shopping trolley to discover an unknown baby sitting in it. Nobody in the supermarket owns the baby, everyone insists it is hers, so she eventually ends up taking it away in her car. And then the baby starts talking (“And as for gay weddings. Don't make me laugh”) and swearing at her, which I found incredibly creepy - I kept picturing Chucky.
In ‘Writ’ the narrator is having a conversation with her 14 year old self. Her real-live teenage self, sitting there in her home.
‘Fidelio and Bess’ is about an opera and went WAY over my head.
My favourites were ‘No Exit’, in which the narrator calls their ex to discuss a memory of a cinema with a fire door that led to nowhere, and ‘True Short Story’, in which the author overhears 2 men discussing the merits of short stories versus novels, and in which the author discusses the availability on the NHS of a cancer drug that her friend Kasia needs.
Smith is unquestionably a talented writer, but other than knowing that she is skilled and intelligent, once I have read the stories I am left with almost no lasting impression of them. There are the stories ‘The Third Person’, ‘The Second Person’, and ‘The First Person’, none of which I can remember anything about besides that they just feel very self-referential and therefore quite self-indulgent to me.
I think this will be my last reading of Smith’s work, which is disappointing. I’m torn between 2 and 3 stars but for the writing it gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
With this collection, while the writing is excellent, it’s all just a bit strange.
In ‘The Child’ the narrator returns to her shopping trolley to discover an unknown baby sitting in it. Nobody in the supermarket owns the baby, everyone insists it is hers, so she eventually ends up taking it away in her car. And then the baby starts talking (“And as for gay weddings. Don't make me laugh”) and swearing at her, which I found incredibly creepy - I kept picturing Chucky.
In ‘Writ’ the narrator is having a conversation with her 14 year old self. Her real-live teenage self, sitting there in her home.
‘Fidelio and Bess’ is about an opera and went WAY over my head.
My favourites were ‘No Exit’, in which the narrator calls their ex to discuss a memory of a cinema with a fire door that led to nowhere, and ‘True Short Story’, in which the author overhears 2 men discussing the merits of short stories versus novels, and in which the author discusses the availability on the NHS of a cancer drug that her friend Kasia needs.
Smith is unquestionably a talented writer, but other than knowing that she is skilled and intelligent, once I have read the stories I am left with almost no lasting impression of them. There are the stories ‘The Third Person’, ‘The Second Person’, and ‘The First Person’, none of which I can remember anything about besides that they just feel very self-referential and therefore quite self-indulgent to me.
I think this will be my last reading of Smith’s work, which is disappointing. I’m torn between 2 and 3 stars but for the writing it gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
veeronald's review against another edition
4.0
I know I've reviewed this book before, but some of my reviews seem to be disappearing. I read this several months ago, and can remember little of it, other than my affinity to its cool writing brushing against my mind, and the small epiphanies it sprouted.
These stories are beautiful, but grow weaker from the first and most prominently sublime story, True Short Story.
These stories are beautiful, but grow weaker from the first and most prominently sublime story, True Short Story.
frickative's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this. My reading habits this year have been horrible, jumping from Stephen King to Stephen King without pausing for anything more challenging. I picked The First Person up from the library on a whim, and from the second page on I was so pleased to be reading it. It was so refreshing, after weeks of middle-of-the-road, no-thinking-required writing. I took a break for a few days after the fourth story, and when I came back to it the shine had worn off a little - it was brilliant, but downgraded a touch from The Best Thing Ever. Still, if I could have a civil partnership ceremony with "The third person", I would. I absolutely love the way it flits from scene to scene mid-paragraph. I actually found it a little too compelling if anything - I read it all in two sittings, but in retrospect I wish I'd paused between stories more to mull them over a while. Still, my fault entirely, and I'll definitely be reading more Ali Smith in future. 8/10.
bedsidestack's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
-this was actually a very good short story collection
-i only found three that were boring and out of those three i only ended up skimming one
-my fave was 'writ' in which the narrator meets her fourteen year old self. i thought that idea was really neat and very well done.
-ali smith's writing is still a+ for me
-this was actually a very good short story collection
-i only found three that were boring and out of those three i only ended up skimming one
-my fave was 'writ' in which the narrator meets her fourteen year old self. i thought that idea was really neat and very well done.
-ali smith's writing is still a+ for me
balancinghistorybooks's review against another edition
5.0
2015: I read the entirety of this sitting in the library in Bury St Edmunds, and loved every word.
2017: It feels so wonderful that I have the opportunity to reread this collection, and include it in my thesis.
2017: It feels so wonderful that I have the opportunity to reread this collection, and include it in my thesis.
odyssey's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ktreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0