How to be Both by Ali Smith
How to be Both by Ali Smith
In this dual-novel, George’s and Francesco’s stories intertwine despite George being a 20th century girl and Francesco a real-life 16th century Italian artist. This is a textual hall of mirrors in which the dead interweave with the living and nothing is certain. Both stories are told in separate parts in the book. But… depending on which of the two versions you happened to stumble across, chance will dictate which story is presented first. Both versions work so much so that it was shortlisted for the 2014 Man-Booker Prize. A great review at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/07/how-to-be-both-review-ali-smith-dual-narrative-francesco-del-cossa