Nov 05, 2015 ali smith is the author of free love and other stories, like, other stories and other stories, hotel world, the whole story and other stories, the accidental, girl meets boy, the first person and other stories, there but for the, artful, how to be both, public library and other stories and autumn. Smith s book that, in inferior hands, could have been a worthy. Ali smith and the short story are made for each other. I have waxed lyrical about the value of libraries before. The whole story and other stories ebook by ali smith. The whole story and other stories by ali smith books. In examining the distances and connections between ourse. Hardcover, 207 pages published october 2nd 2008 by hamish hamilton ltd first published january 2nd 2008. Ruminations on language and personal reminiscences dot a mischievous collection. She has been twice shortlisted for the man booker prize, twice nominated for the orange prize and won the whitbread novel of the year in 2005. This collection of stories is held together by smiths love of libraries, books and words.
Oct 19, 2016 yet somehow this doesnt feel like smiths best work. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Free love and other stories is a short story collection by scottish bookershortlisted author ali smith, first published in 1995 by virago press. Public library and other stories by ali smith biisbooks. For smith, stories are what make people love each other and are the evidence of it. A collection of 12 smartly constructed observations of the way we think and write, from whitbread awardwinning scottish author smith the accidental, 2006, etc. Many of ali smiths new stories concern a nameless couple. Ali smith is the author of many works of fiction, including, most recently, winter, autumn, public library and other stories, and how to be both, which won the baileys prize for womens fiction, the goldsmiths prize, and the costa novel of the. Public library and other stories by ali smith penguin.
The dozen stories in the first person, ali smiths latest collection, are deceptively simple. Public library and other stories by ali smith overdrive. What does the unraveling of our tradition of public libraries, so hardwon but now in jeopardy, say about us. Jan 25, 2009 many of ali smiths new stories concern a nameless couple. These stories fizz with life the times literary supplement. Individually lucid and luminous, these tales resonate subtly together. The first person and other stories effortlessly appeals to our hearts, heads and funny bones. Public library and other stories is published by penguin books. The song was released on 5 march 2007, on the album ballads of the book. Ali smiths collection of stories other stories and other stories proves this wrong on every single of its 180 pages, almost with every single sentence even. Read the whole story and other stories by ali smith available from rakuten kobo. The book offers compellingly quirky demonstrations of how our imaginations react to ordinary people and everyday occurrences.
Her books have won and been shortlisted for many awards. Buy other stories and other stories 1st edassuch by ali smith isbn. Ali smith was born in inverness in 1962 and lives in cambridge. Public library and other stories is a short story collection by scottish author ali smith, published in 2015. She is the author of spring, winter, autumn, public library and other stories, how to be both, shire, artful, there but for the, the first person and other stories, girl meets boy, the accidental, the whole story and other stories, hotel world, other stories and other stories, like and free love. Theyre told in a simple, conversational tone, often by a narrator who could be ali smith herself. Other stories and other stories 1999 by ali smith other stories and other stories is a stunning collection of short stories from ali smith. The book consists of several stories interspersed with observations about the importance and value of public libraries. Ali smiths short stories are a dazzling testament to the joy of text, writes allan massie.
Characters tell stories that unfold into other stories or spin off into litcritish textual analysis. This one has the narrator ali listening to two men in a cafe discussing the. Alice munro says that every short story is at least two stories. Ali smith is the author of free love and other stories, like, other stories and other stories, hotel world, the whole story and other stories, the accidental, girl meets boy, the first person and other stories, there but for the, artful, how to. Ali smith possesses the perfect characteristics of the short story writer. Buy the whole story and other stories new ed by ali smith isbn. Individually lucid and luminous, these formally inventive and exquisite tales resonate subtly together. The whole story and other stories by ali smith nook book. Other stories and other stories by ali smith goodreads.
Unlike most of my recent reading experiences, public library was a genuine pleasure to read. A wildly inventive collection of fiction from the man booker prizeshortlisted and baileys prizewinning author of how t. From the critically acclaimed author of hotel world comes a collection of uniquely inventive stories that thread the labyrinth of coincidence, chance. The stories in ali smith s new collection are about what we do with books and what they do with us. Smiths book that, in inferior hands, could have been a worthy. Sometimes you finish an ali smith book unsure about the final meaning of this variety show but certain that you have been in the presence of an artist who rarely. One day the nonreader discovers the reader crying over a book called traces of a writer, which fetishises. In 1995 she published her first book, free love and other stories, a collection of 12 short stories which won the saltire first book of the year award and scottish arts council book award. The whole story and other stories by ali smith waterstones. I can quickly see it becoming a favorite, but it is definitely not a book you a sharp literary mind and exquisite technique, smith executes this short story collection with fervor and interest. The whole story and other stories is a short story collection by scottish booker shortlisted author ali smith, first published in 2003 by hamish hamilton. Other stories and other stories by ali smith librarything.
See all books authored by ali smith, including autumn, and how to be both, and more on. Ali smith is the author of free love and other stories, like, other stories and other stories, hotel world, the whole story and other stories, the accidental, girl meets boy, the first person and other stories, there but for the, artful, how to be both, public library and other stories and autumn. Ali smith cbe frsl born 24 august 1962 is a scottish author, playwright, academic and journalist. A wildly inventive collection of fiction from the man booker prizeshortlisted and baileys prizewinning author of. Rochester tenth of december thailand the first person and other stories the lottery and other stories the persephone book of short stories the refugees tinder press tom rachman tracy chevalier travel viet thanh nguyen vintage virago press. Jun 24, 2004 ali smith was born in inverness in 1962. Once i did, public library and other stories really worked for me.
In 2008 ali smith produced the book lover a collection of her favourite writing including pieces from sylvia plath, muriel spark, grace paley, and margaret atwood. Those lectures, presented here, took the shape of discursive stories that refused to be tied down to either fiction or the essay form. In other stories and other stories, ali smiths second collection, published by granta books in 1999, stories are so important that they overlap each other, crowding into each other, elbowing each other out of the way. The first person and other stories, by ali smith fiction. Despite this small reservation it is still a good read, comforting and easy. Buy the whole story and other stories by ali smith from waterstones today. Born in inverness, scotland, in 1962, smith now lives in cambridge, england. On the whole, the whole story and other stories is a book i enjoyed, but i had to think very hard through it. The whole story and other stories is a short story collection by scottish bookershortlisted author ali smith, first published in 2003 by hamish hamilton. Switching back to short fiction after a highly successful debut novel hotel world, smith crafts 12 sharp, unsettling stories tuned to a frequency just beyond the. Mar 31, 1999 other stories and other stories is a stunning collection of short stories from ali smith. Public library and other stories by ali smith librarything. Rachel cusk discovers genuine tales of love and sorrow amid outlandish farces in ali smiths the whole story and other stories.
In 2012, ali smith delivered the weidenfeld lectures on european comparative literature at st. The carriage had been packed, all the seats taken ten minutes before the train left and the train still filling with people until the moment before its doors closed on us. Other stories and other stories is a stunning collection of short stories from ali smith. Always intellectually playful, but also very moving and funny, smith explores the ways and whys of storytelling. Her first collection of stories, free love, won the saltire first book award and a scottish arts council award. It was her first published book and won the saltire first book of the year award.
In examining the distances and connections between ourselves and others, expertly inching us closer to the bone, ali smiths storytelling has never seemed so necessary, so moving or so joyous. In ali smiths story virtual, a woman goes to visit her aunt, who is in hospital for a minor operation. The history of history january 20, 2019 by nirmala in books, short story collections leave a comment in the history of history, the narrator is a teenage girl impacted by her mothers nervous breakdown. Ive never read anything by ali smith, so i feel like i had to spend some time adjusting my brain to her writing, to her whimsical thought processes. Smiths book is certainly precious, but its earnestness and certainty that we are the sum of what we read is affecting and welltaken. Take the first story, gods gift a short 10 pages evocation of a woman numbed by the loss of her lover. In examining the distances and connections between ourselves and others, and lightly and expertly inching us closer to the bone, storytelling itself has never seemed so necessary, so moving or so joyous. It also includes work from lesser known writers like joseph roth and clarice lispector. British authors stories make the case for physical libraries as an essential community resource. In examining the distances and connections between ourselves and others, and lightly and expertly inching us closer to the bone, storytelling itself has never seemed so necessary. Public library and other stories by ali smith, 9780241974599, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Public library and other stories audiobook by ali smith. The opener, last, observes a handicapped woman accidentally trapped on a train through the eyes of a narrator whose mind wanders to the etymologies of buxom, stamina, clue, and other words, to thoughts of her childhood and pressing manyleaved clovers in a book. This is a valiant project that depicts the everyday joy of books and makes a passionate.
Apr 26, 2003 the whole story and other stories by ali smith 192pp, hamish hamilton. Smith s first story doesnt seem to be fiction at all, but a story about short stories, which ends with a list of other writers definitions of the short story. This collection of stories is held together by smith s love of libraries, books and words. Smiths first story doesnt seem to be fiction at all, but a story about short stories, which ends with a list of other writers definitions of the short story. Ali smith is the author of many works of fiction, including, most recently, winter, autumn, public library and other stories, and how to be both, which won the baileys prize for womens fiction, the goldsmiths prize, and the costa novel of the year award. The fourth story in the collection, the beholder was shortlisted for the sunday times short story award. Her recent publications include how to be both 2014, winner of the goldsmiths and baileys prize and the costa book award for best novel. The stories in ali smiths new collection are about what we do with books and what they do with us. Ali smith is the author of hotel world, which was shortlisted for both the orange prize and the booker prize in 2001 and won the encore award and the scottish arts council book of the year award in 2002. The book was written at a time when many public libraries were being closed, thanks to the age of austerity. Ali smith author ali smith is the author of many works of fiction, including the novel hotel world, which was shortlisted for both the orange prize and the booker prize and won the encore award. Jan 20, 2019 the first person and other stories by ali smith. The first person and other stories by ali smith kirkus.