Friday 6 March 2015

How to read Ali Smith's How To Be Both

Which comes first? The chicken or the egg? Depending on which version of the book you read, you could start with the chicken or the egg: There are two narratives making up the novel and half the books were printed starting with one narrative, and the other half with the other. Confused yet? Try reading the actual book! It's a very clever novel, dealing with life, death, the concept of time - the past, present and future - and art (what, another art novel? but it's not just a book about art...)

The version I purchased started with the teenage girl's narrative, for which I am grateful because I did struggle with the second narrative. So I gave it a couple of weeks, and then read it again, but this time, in the reverse order. Having some time to mull it over, and then read it again, gave my brain time to catch up with the immense cleverness of this novel. So that's my advice on how to read How To Be Both: Regardless of which version you first read, give yourself a break and then read it in reverse.

It's a challenging read but worth it for its originality and the blurring of the many concepts that make up a typical novel.

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