Reviews tagging 'Death'

How to Be Both by Ali Smith

7 reviews

kirstym25's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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withlivjones's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a real stream-of-consciousness novel with some beautiful prose and a real no-plot-just-vibes feel. Half historical fiction, half contemporary literary fiction, it’s like two interconnected novellas in one. Ali Smith’s exploration of grief in the second half of the novel is so real and heartbreaking, and her classic insertion of contemporary politics into the novel did not go amiss (I personally rather enjoy it, although I can see why others might not). I do, however, feel that occasionally the narrative wandered a little too far off course and the book could’ve done with being a bit shorter to really hammer home the themes of grief and love. 
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magicsarah's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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strabbyfieldz's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective fast-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? No

4.25

I wish I could see this book as a whole and this book as a string of sentences in my head at the same time. 
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bectothebooks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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maysa2005's review against another edition

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dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

4.5

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ohwowbee's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny reflective sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

So beautiful! So wonderful! Can't believe it took me so long to pick this up, but it is a wonderful story that vibrates off of the page. I love the dual narrative. While I think it would definitely be possible to read in reverse, I now know I can never go back to reread George's story without knowing Frenchesco's story, and vice versa. And yet that knowing doesn't diminish the impact of either life, or either plot. An incredible experiment of both form and narrative, absolutely nailed. I can't wait to reread, and inevitable find new brilliant ways to see each character.

You want a queer love story about death and art and childhood and history and life??? Why not have a slice of this bad boy. 


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