Reviews

All Fours by Miranda July

lvleggett's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Never have I ever encountered a book that is so direct and well-informed about perimenopaus. I felt as the narrator felt as she unearthed this new information about what was happening -- or about to happen -- to her body. I was shocked, bereft, angered, and giddy with it all. But that's not all that this book is. It is about coming to terms with a major life change. It is about accepting who you are and what you want - and then having the guts to go for it. The narrator is self-absorbed, distracted by desire at times but also full of life and love. I reveled in her awkward romances and deep friendships. I laughed at her observations. I willed her through this confounding phase of life. This is a provocative, funny, chaotic book about midlife. It doesn't represent all middle-aged women, but the fact that it represents any is something interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Suicide, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Dementia and Death

rosamondreads's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

chelsea21's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jaimeleigh318's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

shelbynotsweet's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

rainyreadss's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

At 46, an unnamed narrator upends her entire life. What she finds is entirely sensual, vulnerable, human. All at once, she navigates womanhood, motherhood, marriage, artistry, desire & what it means to grow older. 

All Fours elicits all the senses; every page is full of touch, taste, sight, sounds & smells. Surreal, yet sensible & so sensual. The strangeness is never the punchline: it just is. Everything is bathed in a warm golden light. Full of laughter, questionable decisions, heavy desires & impossible humanness at every turn. 

Thank you Riverhead Books and Lexie Smyth/Barnes & Noble for the special ARC. 

liat_'s review against another edition

5.0

she was so real for this 

orla_h's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

carammcdermott's review against another edition

3.0

I first encountered Ms July in her film Me and You and Everyone we Know. I knew immediately that she wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste but I was instantly intrigued. I’ve followed her career over the years, sometimes with joy, other times disappointment. This book sits somewhere in the middle. It’s very much written in her style, and I think might appeal to lovers of Melissa Broder. But I felt there were too many subplots, and so it all felt a little underdeveloped and underwhelming as a result. 

nathansnook's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

There comes a book every so often that just makes sense. Sense in the way that it speaks to your life. Sensible in the way that it reassures the vast void that is your own life. Sensual in the way that it fills in parts of that void.

"𝘐 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘷𝘦; 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯."

This couldn't have come at the right time, but it explores the unflinching discomfort of being a middle aged woman. It takes the crisis on its head and spins you round and round in what feels like a delirious and stark portrait in humor and vulnerability. A weird comfort is reached in the okayness of laughing during sex. In admitting all that one shouldn't admit in pillow-talks. Sex is still a playground and everything outside of it will always continue to depress you but keeps you wondering, fascinated, and lived.

With every lash of humor, there are strokes of brilliance. Morsels of thought so beautiful, poignant, combatted with left-field lines that will have you burst out laughing in public. Surprises. Miranda July is so good at them, keeps me on my toes. Delights me.

Miranda July's writing never fails to keep promise that the childhood imagination still runs deep and wild. Play is forever and if you're not playing anymore, then the wonder is gone. And if the wonder is gone, then why are we here?

For fans of Martyr! and Beautyland, this one strikes much more closer for 'adult' adults.

🥮🥮🥮

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