Can we please talk about All Fours, by Miranda July?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I expected something much different, after reading all the hype about this book.
I too couldn't relate, nor did I find it it a compelling story. And as a 52 yr old lady in peri, I think I'm the audience.

I guess the parts I couldn't relate to made me thankful that I couldn't!

Definitely could have done without the extremely cringe scenes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished this. I think it is on lists and getting buzz because she called attention to female midlife and perimenopause. However, the narrator is un-self aware, frivolous and completely selfish. So, it ultimately does nothing to help cast introspection on my own midlife because she is not relatable whatsoever.

I do think we all are vulnerable to a mid-life WTF moment. But I think it’s shallow to imply that a sexual renaissance is the fix. Sex is not going to answer your existential questions and make your life make sense.

I don’t think I’d recommend this book because it didn’t meet two of my most important criteria: it didn’t leave me wanting to spend more time with the character(s) — it did the opposite — and it didn’t change the way I think or feel about anything.

That said I’m happy for the PPs who found it impactful because it does touch on an underserved topic. I just don’t think this should be the definitive tome for peri women

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished this. I think it is on lists and getting buzz because she called attention to female midlife and perimenopause. However, the narrator is un-self aware, frivolous and completely selfish. So, it ultimately does nothing to help cast introspection on my own midlife because she is not relatable whatsoever.

I do think we all are vulnerable to a mid-life WTF moment. But I think it’s shallow to imply that a sexual renaissance is the fix. Sex is not going to answer your existential questions and make your life make sense.

I don’t think I’d recommend this book because it didn’t meet two of my most important criteria: it didn’t leave me wanting to spend more time with the character(s) — it did the opposite — and it didn’t change the way I think or feel about anything.

That said I’m happy for the PPs who found it impactful because it does touch on an underserved topic. I just don’t think this should be the definitive tome for peri women

+1

What's better that talks about the peri experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious if the people who disliked this book had seen her previous work. I thought the book was wonderfully in keeping with the other quirky, high-concept work she does. But it is a very specific style.

Bumping this comment. Miranda July is not neatly packaged chick lit - not for all tastes! I quite like her work but I remember going to one of her movies that I loved and my date was like wtf was that??!

[Anonymous]

I had not read/ seen any of the author's previous work. But friends and algorithms kept throwing it at me, so I gave it a try. I'm right in the target demographic, or so I thought.

I quit halfway through. I kept expecting it to get good-- sexy, or insightful, or funny, or something. But no, just more bafflingly insecure, self-centered rambling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished this. I think it is on lists and getting buzz because she called attention to female midlife and perimenopause. However, the narrator is un-self aware, frivolous and completely selfish. So, it ultimately does nothing to help cast introspection on my own midlife because she is not relatable whatsoever.

I do think we all are vulnerable to a mid-life WTF moment. But I think it’s shallow to imply that a sexual renaissance is the fix. Sex is not going to answer your existential questions and make your life make sense.

I don’t think I’d recommend this book because it didn’t meet two of my most important criteria: it didn’t leave me wanting to spend more time with the character(s) — it did the opposite — and it didn’t change the way I think or feel about anything.

That said I’m happy for the PPs who found it impactful because it does touch on an underserved topic. I just don’t think this should be the definitive tome for peri women

+1

What's better that talks about the peri experience?

As somone in peri, this feels like a pretty far outlier of the peri experience to me. But mostly I just found the main character insufferable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious if the people who disliked this book had seen her previous work. I thought the book was wonderfully in keeping with the other quirky, high-concept work she does. But it is a very specific style.

Bumping this comment. Miranda July is not neatly packaged chick lit - not for all tastes! I quite like her work but I remember going to one of her movies that I loved and my date was like wtf was that??!

I read very little "chick lit" and still didn't like it (echoing many of the comments above). The amount of self-absorbtion of the main character got boring for me after a while.

[Anonymous]

I quit about a chapter or two in. Life is too short for this navel gazing crap from a superficial narcissist.

[Anonymous]

she was trying to be x-rated but it feels false. Like the way she described lesbian sex. I've had plenty and that did not ring true. And what mid-centry-modern women send nudes to their besties?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I quit about a chapter or two in. Life is too short for this navel gazing crap from a superficial narcissist.

+1

[Anonymous]

For those who read it and whether you liked it or not, any theories on whether the protagonist had experienced sexual abuse as a child. Some of her daddy fantasies had me wondering and maybe the author was too subtle for me on this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those who read it and whether you liked it or not, any theories on whether the protagonist had experienced sexual abuse as a child. Some of her daddy fantasies had me wondering and maybe the author was too subtle for me on this point.

Genuinely didn’t occur to me and I don’t think Miranda July wants us to approach the character as a victim of traumas we should try to identify.

[Anonymous]

I got not get into it, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got not get into it, either.

Goodness. I meant to say I could not get into it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished this. I think it is on lists and getting buzz because she called attention to female midlife and perimenopause. However, the narrator is un-self aware, frivolous and completely selfish. So, it ultimately does nothing to help cast introspection on my own midlife because she is not relatable whatsoever.

I do think we all are vulnerable to a mid-life WTF moment. But I think it’s shallow to imply that a sexual renaissance is the fix. Sex is not going to answer your existential questions and make your life make sense.

I don’t think I’d recommend this book because it didn’t meet two of my most important criteria: it didn’t leave me wanting to spend more time with the character(s) — it did the opposite — and it didn’t change the way I think or feel about anything.

That said I’m happy for the PPs who found it impactful because it does touch on an underserved topic. I just don’t think this should be the definitive tome for peri women

+1

What's better that talks about the peri experience?

As somone in peri, this feels like a pretty far outlier of the peri experience to me. But mostly I just found the main character insufferable.

Agree with this PP. I could not stand the main character and I had to force myself to finish the book. I do not understand the hype around this book. Went in the immediate donate pile.