Honor Clerk

Ali Smith’s How to be Both: warm, funny, subtle, intelligent – and baffling

You may have to read this fictional account of a 15th-century painter at least one-and-a-half times to understand it, but it's worth it

Triumph of Apollo and Sign of Gemini, ca 1470, by Francesco del Cossa Photo: Getty
  • Comments

  • How to be Both

    Ali Smith

    Hamish Hamilton, pp. 372

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Iain Macwhirter

Is this the beginning of the end for Humza Yousaf?

Scottish politics may be about to enter the abyss following the disintegration of the Green-SNP coalition. The Scottish Conservatives have tabled a vote of no confidence in First Minister Humza Yousaf and he might very well lose it, now the Greens are out of the government. They only have 63 MSPs since the former community

Because you read about book review

Also by Honor Clerk

Latest

Comments

A blooming good offer

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting the next 3 months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in