There but for the

By: Ali Smith

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Paperback | 1 July 2012

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When a dinner-party guest named Miles locks himself in an upstairs room and refuses to come out, he sets off a media frenzy. He also sets in motion a mesmerizing puzzle of a novel, one that harnesses acrobatic verbal playfulness to a truly affecting story.
Miles communicates only by cryptic notes slipped under the door. We see him through the eyes of four people who barely know him, ranging from a precocious child to a confused elderly woman. But while the characters' wit and wordplay soar, their story remains profoundly grounded. As it probes our paradoxical need for both separation and true connection, "There but for the" balances cleverness with compassion, the surreal with the deeply, movingly real, in a way that only Ali Smith can.

Industry Reviews

Whimsically devastating. Playful, humorous, serious, profoundly clever and profoundly affecting * Guardian *
Remarkable. A brilliant novel: funny, serious, always surprising, always true * The Times *
I take my hat off to Ali Smith. Her writing lifts the soul * Evening Standard *
A playfully serious or seriously playful novel full of wit and pleasure. Wonderful * Observer *
Eccentric, adventurous, intoxicating, dazzling. This is a novel with serious ambitions that remains huge fun to read. The writing dances along * Literary Review *
Poignant, empathetic, funny. A book full of kindness and compassion * Time Out *
Fizzying, affectionate, sparkling. Smith presents her world view in words as fresh as lemons. A joyful read * Herald *
A tour de force -- Lionel Shriver * Financial Times *
A virtuoso piece of writing, both funny and gripping . . . Smith is a writer with a rich array of conventional strengths * Times Literary Supplement *
A must read * Toronto NOW *

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