There But For The

Wordplay. The virtuoso wordplay in Ali Smith’s novel, There But For The, mesmerized me at times. I found myself having to pause, and find the connection from one part to another, if there was one. I’d plow ahead, and delight in her choice of words, and get lost again. Smith presents a story from four viewpoints, and explores the notion of our separation from each other with glee. What plot there is involves a dinner guest leaving the table and locking himself in an upstairs room of the hosts, who are strangers to him. We learn something about him and the other characters from this core action. Readers who love wordplay are those most likely to enjoy this creative, unusual, and finely written novel. Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended) Click here to purchase There But For The from amazon.com.