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Available
Call number
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Collection
Publication
Hamish Hamilton Ltd
Description
"Why are books so very powerful? What do the books we've read over our lives-- our own personal libraries-- make of us? What does the unraveling of our tradition of public libraries, so hard-won but now in jeopardy, say about us? The stories in Ali Smith's new collection are about what we do with books and what they do with us: how they travel with us; how they shock us, change us, challenge us, banish time while making us older, wiser and ageless all at once; how they remind us to pay attention to the world we make. Woven between the stories are conversations with writers and readers reflecting on the essential role that libraries have played in their lives. At a time when public libraries around the world face threats of cuts and closures, this collection stands as a work of literary activism--and as a wonderful read from one of our finest authors"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member RandyMetcalfe
Sometimes a collection of previously published stories is just that. Which is fine. But for Ali Smith it can also be an opportunity, a chance to leverage the public attention that greets her works these days to a laudable end. The laudable end in this instance is a celebration of the public library
Turning to the twelve stories contained in this collection, you will find the Smith you expect. The writing is full of life, delighting in wordplay, bouncing so quickly from one idea to the next that you have to race just to keep up. As per usual, the voices of precocious adolescent girls ring most true. But sometimes Smith stretches to adults (with a suspiciously youthful tone). There is a lot of monologuing here. But that’s perhaps to be expected when the focus is on an individual’s captivation by words and poetry and novels and dreams, as opposed to the revelation of character through interaction and action. For my part, I enjoyed the stories. (I enjoyed the public library reflections too.) And for wit and wisdom, Ali Smith can always be gently recommended.
Oh, and yes, I was reading a copy that I borrowed from my local public library.
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in the UK (and elsewhere). And so Smith leads into each of her stories with a few pages of thoughts, reflections, reported conversations, or emotional connections to or about public libraries. She draws on her wide circle of peers, including writes like Helen Oyeyemi and Miriam Toews. But she also turns to librarians and others who have worked in libraries for their thoughts. It is an interesting project. Commendable, surely. The desecration of the public library system in the name of “austerity” is hard to read as anything other than an attack on the weak, the vulnerable, and the underlying bonds of community and society. (Actually, why public libraries weren’t attacked more viciously back in the 80’s is now hard to fathom.) But I’m unconvinced that what Smith accomplishes here is anything more than a platform for raising the spectre of their demise. There is a pressing need for reasoned argument, political and social, for the defence of the public library. But warm and fuzzy expressions of how much a library meant to any particular person in their youth is unlikely to impact the kind of people and the kind of thinking that has led to the present decline. Well, I don’t think so at least.Turning to the twelve stories contained in this collection, you will find the Smith you expect. The writing is full of life, delighting in wordplay, bouncing so quickly from one idea to the next that you have to race just to keep up. As per usual, the voices of precocious adolescent girls ring most true. But sometimes Smith stretches to adults (with a suspiciously youthful tone). There is a lot of monologuing here. But that’s perhaps to be expected when the focus is on an individual’s captivation by words and poetry and novels and dreams, as opposed to the revelation of character through interaction and action. For my part, I enjoyed the stories. (I enjoyed the public library reflections too.) And for wit and wisdom, Ali Smith can always be gently recommended.
Oh, and yes, I was reading a copy that I borrowed from my local public library.
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LibraryThing member Helenliz
Maybe because I wanted to love this, it didn't make my heart sing. I'm not sure if that is as I listened to it, many of the stories are in the first person, but listening to the author narrate them I was never quite sure if I was listening to fact or fiction. In between each story is a short piece
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by a variety of people on the importance of libraries to them. This is where I am in wholehearted agreement. Libraries are a vital escape, be that a short term escape within the covers of a book, or into the land of nod (as per one contributor's mother, who she observes having an afternoon snooze in a sunny spot in the library). Or they can be a long term escape from poverty. The only reason I am where I am now is that I had access to the library and to a huge range of reading material, which I devoured indiscriminately, like someone starving. Here I was exposed the the world in all its breadth and majesty and I have never recovered from the shock. We were never quite so poor as to be starving, but I do remember spending quite a lot of my childhood being hungry, in hand me down clothes. Even now, ask me what I want for a present and my first instinct is "books and clothes", Christmas and birthday being the only time I had any of those things. Your library is vital on so many different levels to so many different people. use it, even if you don't need to. Show Less
LibraryThing member CarltonC
Readers of other short story collections by Ali Smith will know what to expect and enjoy this new (2015) collection, as I did, but for those who have not read earlier collections, Ali Smith writes what might be described as disconcerting, sometimes surreal, short stories.
The stories can be playful,
The stories in this collection are separated by short pieces of opinion about people's recollection of what public libraries mean to them and the perceived consequences of public funding cuts to libraries in the UK. This may sound a somewhat arbitrary structure, but actually works very well (at least to a UK resident).
The stories can be playful,
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surprising and whimsical. They delight in language, but often do not have a strong narrative. They can refresh your vision and make you see ordinary events anew. Rather like a mental palate cleanser!The stories in this collection are separated by short pieces of opinion about people's recollection of what public libraries mean to them and the perceived consequences of public funding cuts to libraries in the UK. This may sound a somewhat arbitrary structure, but actually works very well (at least to a UK resident).
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LibraryThing member JJbooklvr
I am not sure if I would have picked up this book on my own. The publisher was kind enough to send me an advanced readers copy of it so I figured I would take a shot and give it a try. I am so glad I did! Part love letters to libraries and part great short stories adds up to one of my favorite
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reads so far this year. Each story is so good I had to force myself to slow down to savor each one. The essays on how important libraries were to different authors was also a treat to read. It brought me back to my childhood and what an influence my local library and librarians had on me growing up. Put this on your must read list! Show Less
LibraryThing member Beamis12
3.5 Four hundred libraries in the UK are in danger of closing. Although I live in the USA, I have worked at my local library for almost twenty years, so this collection was a big draw for me. Of course she doesn't make it easy, these stories are challenging, take work to meander through, she
So a mixed bag, but maybe one to wander through when you are in the mood for a challenging read, a different type of story.
ARC from publisher.
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doesn't believe in the linear format. They start out one way, meander towards something different before finding their way back. They are original, strange but all have to do with words, their meanings, poetry, music, love of reading, listening to words, languages etc. A variety of stories, but my three favorites were the first, a story called Last, The Poet and the story, Ex-wife which shows a man who doesn't understand his wife's love of books, reading and knowledge but comes to a better understanding when he reads Mansfield. But my calcite parts were those interspersed between stories when different authors, such as Kate Atkins, recalls their early love of libraries and what libraries mean to them.So a mixed bag, but maybe one to wander through when you are in the mood for a challenging read, a different type of story.
ARC from publisher.
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LibraryThing member bodachliath
Ali Smith is always interesting, engaging, passionate and entertaining. The unifying theme of this collection is libraries, why they still matter and why we should fight for their survival. It consists of stories interleaved with thoughts garnered from various writers and other friends about their
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experiences of libraries. Smith's own stories are fascinating - often light on conventional plot but full of intriguing insights and connections, largely about the lives of other writers and poets, but also about the nature of reading and learning, and how the seeds of knowledge and memory can be planted in the most hostile of surroundings. I was almost tempted to use the word rambling, but there is nothing random about the way Ali Smith arranges her thoughts. Show Less
LibraryThing member chrisblocker
Aside from this collection, the only work of Ali Smith's I've read is a novel, how to be both. With so little knowledge of the author, it may be premature for me to make assumptions about her writing, but I think it's safe to say that Smith is a very talented writer who speaks in thunderous
It can be difficult to make strong opinions about this style of writing. Many of us belong to a society that is far too fast paced for such stories. While part of me wants to celebrate everything Smith and her ilk write, I must acknowledge that sometimes the stories may be a bit too unassuming. In her latest collection, Smith pairs her stories with brief reflections on public libraries. For the most part, the stories have little to do with libraries, though some touch momentarily on research or reading. Though a couple of the stories appealed to me, the strongest moments come from the library vignettes. These little reflections are often poignant. Overall, the collection has a nice rhythm and certainly captures the beauty of language, but it doesn't possess enough substance or heart as a whole to motivate a more enthusiastic response from me. Public Library and Other Stories aside, I do look forward to reading more of Smith's writing.
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whispers. What I mean by that is that her stories are decorated in gorgeous language, yet they're unassuming. They are often peopled by strong characters experiencing some small personal growth. There may not be much in the way of story. And while the stories may be affecting, they are not necessarily the most memorable.It can be difficult to make strong opinions about this style of writing. Many of us belong to a society that is far too fast paced for such stories. While part of me wants to celebrate everything Smith and her ilk write, I must acknowledge that sometimes the stories may be a bit too unassuming. In her latest collection, Smith pairs her stories with brief reflections on public libraries. For the most part, the stories have little to do with libraries, though some touch momentarily on research or reading. Though a couple of the stories appealed to me, the strongest moments come from the library vignettes. These little reflections are often poignant. Overall, the collection has a nice rhythm and certainly captures the beauty of language, but it doesn't possess enough substance or heart as a whole to motivate a more enthusiastic response from me. Public Library and Other Stories aside, I do look forward to reading more of Smith's writing.
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LibraryThing member Laura400
This is more uneven and less knit together than most of her work, though praiseworthy. In America, where we don't have the same issue to rally around, I'd recommend it only to Ali Smith fans. Readers new to her would be better served reading one of her amazing novels.
I thought the best part was the
I thought the best part was the
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interleaved non-fiction pieces about people's memories of, and attachment to, libraries. Show Less
LibraryThing member St.CroixSue
One of my favorite authors writing about one of my favorite subjects. ‘Woven between the stories are conversations with writers and readers reflecting on the essential role that libraries have played in their lives.” Although the writer is British, the connection to libraries is universal.
LibraryThing member shmibs
ali smith is forever beautifully clever, informal prose. shows here definitely, but short stories lend themselves less to her poeticisms. her writing yields reduced density, which in novel form means a gradual, natural, zero-effort getting-to-know. here, though, we move too quickly on, and
definitely worth a read, but start with her other works and take this as a casual lunch break fille
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characters and settings blend together, still poetic but less alive and themselves.definitely worth a read, but start with her other works and take this as a casual lunch break fille
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LibraryThing member MarianneHusbands
I had no intention of buying this book. I was not aware of it before I bought it. I had heard of Ali Smith but my interest in her work has never been piqued. Purely by chance I came across Public Library in Waterstones during a post Christmas book token spendfest and in the course of my browsings
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it leapt out at me, being one of the books on the shelf displayed face front instead of spine side. ' Public Library' - not only am I a reader but a bibliophile and out and out obsessive compulsive bibliomaniac and so a book with library in the title got my juices flowing - after a quick read of the blurb - ' wonderful stories on the power of books' I was caught and moments later it was mine. It got it's turn today - a rainy Sunday with intermittent power cuts. I was happily surprised. This was not a series of stories about people roaming libraries - although Ali Smith does link each story with retrospectives from friends on what public libraries mean or more commonly meant to them. These are stories about how books and language and literature are in our consciousness and form links between our past and present and between life and death. Yes, death, I thought about death a lot reading these stories. I felt a real connection with the writing here - it reads as I think - jumping around making connections moving off in tangents then coming back to where it started. I also thought and am still thinking about the demise of public libraries in the UK. I am not sure the case was made here in defence of the public library - we are living right now in the dystopia of Fahrenheit 451, to some degree, in the UK and even more so in other parts of the world. There was much talk of a sense of community - of those isolated from the so-called advantages of the modern world - such as people lacking technology skills or funds to access computers, of the homeless ( I wonder if you can get a library card if your address is NFA?) and mothers with young children and yet I ask myself how many people are there who a) cannot afford a 50p charity shop book and b) actually want to read a book - does this number justify the public money spent on libraries giving free access - for the purposes of a chinwag and a warm up out of the cold? I heard somewhere that the number of households without a single book in it are growing rapidly - a sad and worrying fact for the human race. And I suppose I myself am an illustration of what I feel here - here I am a reader - not particularly well off but being able to own the books I read - they are MY books part of me and I want to own the words forever not just borrow them and have to go to the bother of finding the time and inclination to return when done - my books can sit for months and many will sit for years - but they are there waiting for me in my space when I want them - my sofa cost £5.50 from ebay, the telly £47.50 again from ebay ( 32 inch ) and I have a whole house teeming with books bought mostly secondhand from charity shops, secondhand bookshops, amazon, ebay and in some rare cases new from new bookshops. So I think about what I value and what the world I live in today values - For some it is the biggest tv screen at a couple of thousand pounds, that new sofa several hundreds more and others getting the latest Fifty Shades on the KODI stick. Just how relevant are libraries now with books so readily available from a multitude of sources. So what did this book do for me - well it gave me pleasure, it made me want to experience more of Ali Smith's writing and it made my grey cells jump and buzz and come to life and ponder on until the next brain buzzer comes along Show Less
LibraryThing member thorold
Appropriately enough, I borrowed this (well, actually, my mother borrowed it for me) from the small branch library that still manages to open a couple of days a week in the village where my parents live.
The UK has lost an incredible number of public libraries in recent years, partly as a result of
We get everything we would expect from an Ali Smith book, of course - illuminating glimpses at what's wrong with our world, initially puzzling but ultimately very satisfying narrative tricks, and entertaining sidelights on writers and artists we might or might not know about (Katherine Mansfield, who's never far away in Smith's fiction, gets a starring role this time). Good stuff, definitely.
The UK has lost an incredible number of public libraries in recent years, partly as a result of
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a perception that books are not relevant to the digital age, but mostly because local authorities are so starved of cash under the Tories that they simply can't afford to provide any services that are not essential to keeping their citizens alive and well. In this book, Ali Smith mounts a spirited defence of books and libraries, directly in the passages between the stories where she asks her friends and fellow writers what access to library books menat to them, and indirectly in the stories themselves. We get everything we would expect from an Ali Smith book, of course - illuminating glimpses at what's wrong with our world, initially puzzling but ultimately very satisfying narrative tricks, and entertaining sidelights on writers and artists we might or might not know about (Katherine Mansfield, who's never far away in Smith's fiction, gets a starring role this time). Good stuff, definitely.
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LibraryThing member camharlow2
I found this a somewhat disjointed and rather disappointing collection of short stories. The sole unifying theme that seemed to be common between tem was the repeated appreciation of books and language and how these can challenge and change us.
This was reinforced by the observations and comments
This was reinforced by the observations and comments
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before each story. These were written by a variety of correspondents with the author, in which the writers supported the ethos and work of libraries and demonstrated their positive effect, while lamenting the decline and lack of support for libraries by those responsible for financing them. Show Less
LibraryThing member JBD1
Twelve short stories by Ali Smith, interwoven with short contributions by other writers on what libraries have meant to them over the courses of their careers. A great read, and an important reminder of the vital nature of libraries.
LibraryThing member Bruyere_C
DNF. I liked How to Be Both but guess I don’t really enjoy much else by Ali Smith.
LibraryThing member Bookish59
Stunning book filled with stories of lost love, nature, art, music, books, wisdom, memory and family.
Alternating with true love testaments to the real human hunger and need for libraries; the minds and souls they nourish; the salvation they provide to the lost and searching which is all of us,
Public Library is brimming with outpourings of imagination, the beauty of the natural world that fortunately can be found in city parks. And just as nature and parks, grass, trees, flowers cultivate our senses and well-being, libraries with their books, stories, poems and access to data develop our minds and spirits, and improve our lives in both obvious and mysterious ways.
Very good read!
Alternating with true love testaments to the real human hunger and need for libraries; the minds and souls they nourish; the salvation they provide to the lost and searching which is all of us,
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whether we know it or not. Public Library is brimming with outpourings of imagination, the beauty of the natural world that fortunately can be found in city parks. And just as nature and parks, grass, trees, flowers cultivate our senses and well-being, libraries with their books, stories, poems and access to data develop our minds and spirits, and improve our lives in both obvious and mysterious ways.
Very good read!
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015
Physical description
240 p.; 5.67 inches
ISBN
0241237467 / 9780241237465
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 823.914 |