There But for the (Hardcover) by Ali Smith

from SamSattler

Having read two of Ali Smith's earlier novels, I knew not to expect anything resembling a conventional novel when I began There But For The. Smith is one of those novelists who seem to be just as concerned about style and experimentation with form as they are about plot and characters - and There...

from SandDune

Another of those books that I can't make my mind up about. Did I really like it or did I not? Was it a beautifully constructed book or one that is just too clever for its own good? At the moment I'm leaning to the first of those opinions and my immediate reaction on finishing it is to want to rea...

from brenzi

Let me play devil's advocate here. Does the fact that the part that made the most sense was told by an eighty year old woman with dementia tell you anything about this book? How about the idea of page after page of stream of consciousness? Paragraphs that are pages long? How about a premise that ...

from mrstreme

Hold on to your thinking caps - you will need them for Ali Smith's latest novel, There But For The.  Told from four different perspectives, this novel centers around the self-imprisonment of Miles Garth. A guest at a dinner party, Miles excuses himself from the table and ventures upstairs. While ...

from Cariola

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. There but for the isn't an easy book for me to write about, because it is one of those rare books that one doesn't just read but actually experiences, participates in. It's not a book to be breezed through for the plot. You have to work at it, often backing up and...