How to Be Both by Ali Smith

How to Be Both

Ali Smith

372 pages • first pub 2014 (editions) user-added

fiction contemporary lgbtqia+ literary challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Description

How To Be Both is a novel all about art's versatility. Borrowing from painting's fresco technique to make an original literary double-take, it's a fast-moving genre-bending conversation between forms, times, truths and fictions. There's a renaissa...

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Community Reviews Summary of 3,610 reviews

Moods

reflective 77%
emotional 55%
challenging 52%
mysterious 29%
funny 26%
hopeful 20%
inspiring 20%
sad 18%
adventurous 10%
informative 7%
dark 4%
lighthearted 3%
relaxing 2%

Pace

medium 57%
slow 36%
fast 5%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 80% | A mix: 15% | N/A: 2% | Plot: 1%

Strong character development?

Yes: 55% | It's complicated: 26% | No: 14% | N/A: 3%

Loveable characters?

Yes: 67% | It's complicated: 19% | No: 11%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 53% | No: 29% | It's complicated: 14% | N/A: 3%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 44% | It's complicated: 25% | No: 24% | N/A: 6%

Average rating

3.82

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Content Warnings

Submitted by users as part of their reviews

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