All Fours

I haven't read the first novel by Miranda July, but now I absolutely have to. This, their second novel, is a real triumph: thought-provoking, brilliantly written and intelligently constructed, it provides a real burst of inspiration, and more than that, a close affinity with the protagonist. It's a meditation on sex, monogamy, art, hope, ageing (and I was going to say 'womanhood', but really, I think, humanity). The brilliantly clever use of humour reveals this writer to be more than adept. Please write more, Miranda July. Excellent. Highly, highly recommended. My grateful thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC.

Bold, brave and brilliant.

A semi famous artist embarks on a journey driving from LA to NY, leaving her husband and child. Where she ends up isn’t where she (or I!) expected.

July considers a lot through her protagonist: what does it mean to be middle aged?
What does peri-menopause look like? What happens if we talk about? What about sex and desire? Marriage? Inter-generational trauma? Being an artist? When can you reinvent yourself? The impacts of a traumatic birth? Being a mother?

All Fours is a no holds barred tale, thoroughly enjoyable and deeply moving. I’ve already preordered a copy for a friend - grateful to see FMH represented in fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Based mainly on romance and women's themes, I found the adult fiction book quite refreshing. Miranda writting style it’s really good and kind. was funny was raw was relatable so I think it’s a book to many people will enjoy.

I remember reading No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda and I was so in awe and transfixed by that collection that I knew I had to read this book. It made me feel immersed in the life's and and often relatable tribulations of the women throughout, .

Absolutely fantastic.
I loved both of Miranda July’s previous books and so was very excited and eager for this one.
It didn’t disappoint.
It’s almost exactly the kind of book I’d expect from July, but with enough surprises that it doesn’t feel worn out or rehashed.
I hate to use the word quirky but I guess it applies — maybe unique, and unforeseen, would be better, but either way the characters are all wonderfully intriguing and the story is beautiful and weird in all the best ways.
It won’t be for everyone but if you’ve enjoyed Miranda July’s previous work you’ll definitely love this. If you’ve never read July before try this if you like fiction with quirky characters in strange situations, odd family dynamics, women in crisis, with a healthy dose of sex too, all of it written in such beautiful, memorable and highlightable sentences that I’ve ended up marking up almost half the book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I was so excited to get this ARC and it did not disappoint. All fours is raw, funny, sexy and honest. From the very start I was excited and comforted by Miranda July's writing.

All Fours is raw, frank, and at times, uncomfortable reading. As a queer woman in my early 40s, the writing and storyline hit harder than maybe for other readers - I found myself caught in a spiral of anxiety at times, analysing my thoughts and behaviours - am I perimenopausal? Am I heading for sexual dysfunction? Do I need to ditch my partner for a doomed relationship with hip-hop dancer? But in a weird way, I appreciated the questions that arose. It made me realise how little we talk about perimenopause and it's genuinely prompted me to look into it more and to discuss it with my partner and friends.

I oscillated between enjoying the novel & July's often darkly humorous writing, infused with a liberating exploration of 40-something female sexuality, and cringing and feeling repulsed at some of the content. The narrator blowing £20k to remodel a hotel room like it's nothing, the hook-up with a much older woman (not the age difference, rather the way this event is described), the obsession the narrator develops with this average guy, and the way he's elevated to some kind of god-like status.

There is a lot of sexual content, which won't be for everyone. It's a sharp contrast to the way women's sexual desires are often portrayed in novels - chaste, sanitised, or merely alluded to.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.