How to be Both in Pop Sugar's Annual Ultimate Reading Challenge

Feb 01, 2019 Claire rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die

I really like the style of Ali Smith. Wonderful writing, interesting characters and ideas. I understand some people might not really like it. It is no novel that follows conservative lines, but rather a meandering collection of connected ideas. For me it works perfectely and I like be submerged in Ali Smith’s interesting world.

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Dec 25, 2014 Lisa rated it really liked it

One of the best things I can say about a book is that, upon finishing it, I want to read it again immediately. This is the case with How to Be Both, and a second read might result in an additional star to my rating and/or the purchase of a plane ticket to Italy.

The book is divided into two sections with the order of the sections randomized by book. In one section, we skim through the life - and afterlife - of Francesco, a fifteenth-century painter who is and is not what s/he seems. In the other ...more

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Nov 11, 2015 Megan rated it it was ok

This is basically two short stories in one novel. Evidently, half of the books were printed with the story featuring Georgia first and the other half with the s3ction featuring Francesco. Georgia is a 16-year-old girl whose mother has suddenly died and Francesco is the ghost (?) of an artist who lived 100s of years ago, the connection between the two is that Georgia went to see his artwork with her mother. The writing is very stream of conciousness, which is ironic since Georgia is a stickler fo ...more

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Jun 05, 2020 Shatterlings rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2018-tbr

At one point in this book it says “They’re never the story I need or really want” and that kind of sums up Ali Smith for me, I keep trying her books and I just end up feeling a bit meh about them. I really feel I should like this one with its art and gender play but it was a struggle to get through. I just don’t connect with the characters enough to care about them and there’s no proper story really to pull me through, but I can appreciate how clever it is, that’s just not enough for me.

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