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  <title><![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]></title>
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    <![CDATA[&quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; effortlessly appeals to our hearts, heads and funny bones. Always intellectually playful, but also very moving and funny, Smith explores the ways and whys of storytelling. In one, a middle-aged woman conducts a poignant conversation with her gauche fourteen-year-old self. In another, an innocent supermarket shopper finds in her trolley a foul-mouthed, insulting and beautiful child. Challenging the boundaries between fiction and reality, a third presents its narrator, 'Ali', as she drinks tea, phones a friend and muses on the relationship between the short story and - a nymph. Innovative, sophisticated and intelligent, the stories in &quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; are packed full of ideas, jokes, nuance and compassion. Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Oct 27 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Oct 27 12:11:39 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Oct 27 14:34:27 -0700 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[My dog has been waking me up every two or three hours every night. Last night she was licking her water bowl and dragging it across the floor, so I filled it then went back to bed; then she woke me up two hours later 'cause she had to pee, and then she woke me up two more hours later because she was...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/36317447">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Anne]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
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  <average_rating>3.38</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Feb 26 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Feb 27 05:04:40 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Feb 27 05:41:21 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[This was my first Ali Smith book, and now I see what all the fuss has been about. If you admire Cate Kennedy, Lydia Davis, Miranda July, and/or Kevin Brockmeier, Smith shares something with all of these writers--but first and foremost, she rocks a style all her own. She writes with a fierce, intelli...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47673811">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47673811]]></url>
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Fran]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
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  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[&quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; effortlessly appeals to our hearts, heads and funny bones. Always intellectually playful, but also very moving and funny, Smith explores the ways and whys of storytelling. In one, a middle-aged woman conducts a poignant conversation with her gauche fourteen-year-old self. In another, an innocent supermarket shopper finds in her trolley a foul-mouthed, insulting and beautiful child. Challenging the boundaries between fiction and reality, a third presents its narrator, 'Ali', as she drinks tea, phones a friend and muses on the relationship between the short story and - a nymph. Innovative, sophisticated and intelligent, the stories in &quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; are packed full of ideas, jokes, nuance and compassion. Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
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  <published>2008</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Nov 05 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Oct 19 07:48:28 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Nov 05 08:09:08 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[I've been wanting to delve in to Ali Smith's short stories for a while. So when I found a hidden one at the back of the shelf in waterstones with an old 3for2 sticker on it, I grabbed it &amp; ran to the counter.<br/><br/>I have not been disappointed apart from the annoyance of her not using any speec...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75010877">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75010877]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>47045594</id>
    <user>
    <id>42841</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jodi]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Shakopee, MN]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Feb 21 08:41:43 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Feb 21 08:42:28 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I can’t remember if this is the year that we proclaim the death of the novel or if it’s the short story that’s supposed to be dead. Maybe it’s fiction in general, or publishing specifically. It’s hard to keep up with all the death knells. So depending on what’s supposed to be dead at the...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47045594">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47045594]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47045594]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>49280653</id>
    <user>
    <id>305802</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kate]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Canada]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>0.0</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a fetid misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s mysterious illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,”an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a woman meets her fourteen-year-old self but can’t figure out how to guide her--or even whether she should in “Writ.” <br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Mar 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Mar 14 16:51:20 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Mar 15 05:52:34 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[In <em>The First Person and Other Stories</em>, Ali Smith continues to stretch the limits of the short story form. Her experiments don't always work. But even when they don't, they're thought-provoking, and when they do, they're dazzling. &quot;Writ,&quot; a story which centres on a conversation between the ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49280653">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49280653]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49280653]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>45262218</id>
    <user>
    <id>1443670</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Linda]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Wilmette, IL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1443670-linda]]></link>
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    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; effortlessly appeals to our hearts, heads and funny bones. Always intellectually playful, but also very moving and funny, Smith explores the ways and whys of storytelling. In one, a middle-aged woman conducts a poignant conversation with her gauche fourteen-year-old self. In another, an innocent supermarket shopper finds in her trolley a foul-mouthed, insulting and beautiful child. Challenging the boundaries between fiction and reality, a third presents its narrator, 'Ali', as she drinks tea, phones a friend and muses on the relationship between the short story and - a nymph. Innovative, sophisticated and intelligent, the stories in &quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; are packed full of ideas, jokes, nuance and compassion. Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Feb 10 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Feb 03 10:37:22 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Feb 10 14:03:47 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[<br/><br/>  Ali Smith is so original and fresh a writer,that<br/>I am going to read her book The Accidental.  One<br/>amazing story, the child, is about a woman's discovery<br/>of a child in her supermarket trolley.  The child turns<br/>out to be the id or the devil.  ANother amazing story<br/>...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45262218">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45262218]]></url>
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Linda]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Providence, RI]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
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  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; effortlessly appeals to our hearts, heads and funny bones. Always intellectually playful, but also very moving and funny, Smith explores the ways and whys of storytelling. In one, a middle-aged woman conducts a poignant conversation with her gauche fourteen-year-old self. In another, an innocent supermarket shopper finds in her trolley a foul-mouthed, insulting and beautiful child. Challenging the boundaries between fiction and reality, a third presents its narrator, 'Ali', as she drinks tea, phones a friend and muses on the relationship between the short story and - a nymph. Innovative, sophisticated and intelligent, the stories in &quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; are packed full of ideas, jokes, nuance and compassion. Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Feb 23 08:18:25 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Feb 23 08:21:15 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I don't really like to read short stories but Ali Smith may have convinced me otherwise with &quot;True Short Story&quot; in this collection.  I really liked the title story -- read it three times before I put the book down.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47250067]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47250067]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>59809493</id>
    <user>
    <id>803830</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Paul (formerly known as Current)]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Hartland, WI]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/803830-paul-formerly-known-as-current]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1200788520p3/803830.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">4005147</id>
  <isbn>0241144264</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780241144268</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">17</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223155222m/4005147.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223155222s/4005147.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4005147.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; effortlessly appeals to our hearts, heads and funny bones. Always intellectually playful, but also very moving and funny, Smith explores the ways and whys of storytelling. In one, a middle-aged woman conducts a poignant conversation with her gauche fourteen-year-old self. In another, an innocent supermarket shopper finds in her trolley a foul-mouthed, insulting and beautiful child. Challenging the boundaries between fiction and reality, a third presents its narrator, 'Ali', as she drinks tea, phones a friend and muses on the relationship between the short story and - a nymph. Innovative, sophisticated and intelligent, the stories in &quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; are packed full of ideas, jokes, nuance and compassion. Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon May 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 15 17:46:05 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jun 15 18:01:49 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Although the voice in many of these stories has its own uniqueness, in general, I did not connect with either the voice or the stories finding both more bland than experimentally interesting.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59809493]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59809493]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>40050795</id>
    <user>
    <id>3947</id>
    <name><![CDATA[G]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Ann Arbor, MI]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3947-g]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192315388p3/3947.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">5998111</id>
  <isbn>0307377717</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307377715</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">11</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5998111.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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            <shelf name="middle-ground" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Dec 13 21:02:12 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Dec 13 21:02:12 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Not her best. I have to go back and read a few stories but I was a little disappointed after the promise of <em>The Accidental</em>. Hopefully the next novel will be more to my liking.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40050795]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40050795]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>43143156</id>
    <user>
    <id>247047</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Pamster]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Chicago, IL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/247047-pamster]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1219327103p3/247047.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">5998111</id>
  <isbn>0307377717</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307377715</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">11</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5998111.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jan 15 11:39:35 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jan 17 12:30:19 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Short stories about short stories, beautiful and smart.  The Accidental really blew me away, I gotta hold onto a star in case her next is that awes.  First story?  Holy shit.  A trainweeper. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43143156]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43143156]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>57293264</id>
    <user>
    <id>1570228</id>
    <name><![CDATA[CuriousLibrarian]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Jamaica Plain, MA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1570228-curiouslibrarian]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1222534448p3/1570228.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">4005147</id>
  <isbn>0241144264</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780241144268</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">17</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223155222m/4005147.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223155222s/4005147.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4005147.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; effortlessly appeals to our hearts, heads and funny bones. Always intellectually playful, but also very moving and funny, Smith explores the ways and whys of storytelling. In one, a middle-aged woman conducts a poignant conversation with her gauche fourteen-year-old self. In another, an innocent supermarket shopper finds in her trolley a foul-mouthed, insulting and beautiful child. Challenging the boundaries between fiction and reality, a third presents its narrator, 'Ali', as she drinks tea, phones a friend and muses on the relationship between the short story and - a nymph. Innovative, sophisticated and intelligent, the stories in &quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; are packed full of ideas, jokes, nuance and compassion. Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="abandoned-books" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon May 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon May 25 15:52:56 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon May 25 15:55:09 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I actually abandoned this about a month ago having read 4.5 stories of a 12 story collection. And I can't even remember enough about the stories I <em>did</em> read to say why.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57293264]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57293264]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>51834176</id>
    <user>
    <id>2021387</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Thorn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2021387-thorn-motherissues]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">5998111</id>
  <isbn>0307377717</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307377715</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">11</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5998111.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="read-2009" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Apr 07 12:39:18 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 09 15:05:28 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Lovely, charming, wordy fun in these short stories. These worked for me so much better than the experimental Winterson stories they resemble. I loved the characters but even more the VOICES.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51834176]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51834176]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>78209843</id>
    <user>
    <id>1277413</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Pamela]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Berkeley, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1277413-pamela]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1214587696p3/1277413.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">5998111</id>
  <isbn>0307377717</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307377715</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">11</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5998111.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Nov 17 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 18 11:09:02 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Nov 18 11:12:59 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Perhaps because of Ali Smith's reputation, I was a bit flummoxed by these short stories.  I found them original and clever but too cerebral to be fully engaging.  ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78209843]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78209843]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>43469100</id>
    <user>
    <id>67001</id>
    <name><![CDATA[HiphopQuyn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Juan, PR]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/67001-hiphopquyn]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1178640321p3/67001.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">4005147</id>
  <isbn>0241144264</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780241144268</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">17</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223155222m/4005147.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223155222s/4005147.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4005147.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; effortlessly appeals to our hearts, heads and funny bones. Always intellectually playful, but also very moving and funny, Smith explores the ways and whys of storytelling. In one, a middle-aged woman conducts a poignant conversation with her gauche fourteen-year-old self. In another, an innocent supermarket shopper finds in her trolley a foul-mouthed, insulting and beautiful child. Challenging the boundaries between fiction and reality, a third presents its narrator, 'Ali', as she drinks tea, phones a friend and muses on the relationship between the short story and - a nymph. Innovative, sophisticated and intelligent, the stories in &quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; are packed full of ideas, jokes, nuance and compassion. Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jan 18 10:53:22 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jan 20 11:27:44 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I love Ali Smith. She's never afraid to bend the rules of writing and treats all kinds of love as both normal and extraordinary. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43469100]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43469100]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>40246567</id>
    <user>
    <id>80835</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Celeste]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Cambridge, MA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/80835-celeste]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">5998111</id>
  <isbn>0307377717</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307377715</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">11</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5998111.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="story-collections" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Mar 23 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Dec 16 13:47:58 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 09 13:15:07 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The dozen stories in <em>The First Person</em> are deceptively simple: no verbal pyrotechnics, no otherworldly setting, no last-minute epiphanies, and most of the time, no traditional rising action or climax. They sneak up on you, camouflaged as innocuous little anecdotes about innocuous little interactions ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40246567">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40246567]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40246567]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>72801185</id>
    <user>
    <id>1953526</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Ariel]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <isbn>0307377717</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307377715</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">11</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5998111.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Sep 28 13:44:14 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 28 13:44:38 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[after 'hotel world', a bit of a letdown.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72801185]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72801185]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>55731445</id>
    <user>
    <id>551515</id>
    <name><![CDATA[David]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Reston, VA]]></location>
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  <isbn>0307377717</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307377715</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">11</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5998111.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon May 11 17:56:30 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 27 16:53:34 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[In the opening story of this collection, Smith attributes to Alice Munro the observation that &quot;every short story is at least two short stories,&quot; and that's quite true of the Paleyesque pieces here.  The strongest is &quot;Writ,&quot; a confrontation between the narrator and &quot;my fourte...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55731445">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55731445]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55731445]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>67798402</id>
    <user>
    <id>2637760</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sandy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2637760-sandy-flynn]]></link>
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  <isbn>0241144264</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780241144268</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">17</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223155222m/4005147.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223155222s/4005147.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4005147.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; effortlessly appeals to our hearts, heads and funny bones. Always intellectually playful, but also very moving and funny, Smith explores the ways and whys of storytelling. In one, a middle-aged woman conducts a poignant conversation with her gauche fourteen-year-old self. In another, an innocent supermarket shopper finds in her trolley a foul-mouthed, insulting and beautiful child. Challenging the boundaries between fiction and reality, a third presents its narrator, 'Ali', as she drinks tea, phones a friend and muses on the relationship between the short story and - a nymph. Innovative, sophisticated and intelligent, the stories in &quot;The First Person and Other Stories&quot; are packed full of ideas, jokes, nuance and compassion. Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Thu Aug 27 11:53:31 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Aug 17 16:06:20 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 27 11:53:31 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[It seems disjointed and I simply can't follow a few of the stories but it's interesting.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67798402]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67798402]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>47155731</id>
    <user>
    <id>374577</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Beth]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Charlotte, NC]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/374577-beth]]></link>
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  <isbn>0307377717</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307377715</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">11</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5998111.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Mar 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Feb 22 10:49:11 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Mar 04 10:08:10 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[2.5 stars.  ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47155731]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47155731]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>42320047</id>
    <user>
    <id>895306</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Emily]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Los Angeles, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/895306-emily]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1214118850p3/895306.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <isbn>0307377717</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307377715</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">11</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The First Person: and Other Stories]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5998111.The_First_Person_and_Other_Stories</link>
  <average_rating>3.42</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>71</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In these energetic, exhilarating stories, Ali Smith portrays a world of everyday dislocation, where people nevertheless find connection, mystery, and love. In “Astute Fiery Luxurious,” a misdelivered package throws the life of a couple into disarray. A boy’s unexplained illness in “I Know Something You Don’t Know” drives his mother to seek guidance from homeopathic healers, with inconclusive results. In “The Child,” an unnervingly mature young boy voices offensive humor that genteel society would rather not acknowledge. And a confident older woman meets her awkward fourteen-year-old self in “Writ” but can’t figure out how to guide her–or even whether she should.<br/><br/>As Smith explores the subtle links between what we know and what we feel, she creates an exuberant, masterly collection that is packed full of ideas, humor, nuance, and compassion.  Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jan 25 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jan 07 23:29:33 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jan 25 11:58:28 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[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 a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42320047">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42320047]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42320047]]></link>
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