Tournament of Books discussion

Space to discuss the 2025 TOB contender All Fours by Miranda July.

Ok, who has read this? (I have)

Audra wrote: "Ok, who has read this? (I have)"

I did and I did not love it. There were some interesting ideas and July can write, but it was exhausting. I usually love characters who are too much and who I would want nothing to do with in actual life, but the main character defeated my goodwill.

I had a difference experience. I could have done with out the rude use of my name however.

So glad this made the tournament because I think it’s great discussion fodder. I read it at the same time as my husband and bff and we had so many great conversations about it. We all experienced the book very differently!

Theresa wrote: "So glad this made the tournament because I think it’s great discussion fodder. I read it at the same time as my husband and bff and we had so many great conversations about it. We all experienced t..."

Wow that must have been interesting.

I did! I was primed to hate it with a passion. I didn't! I didn't love it. Is it the book I've thought about the most in 2024? Probably!

I agree it's terrific discussion fodder.

"I usually love characters who are too much and who I would want nothing to do with in actual life, but the main character defeated my goodwill."
I somewhat agree with this. I mean, I still finished the book and I still got a lot out of it but my God if I ever met her in real life I would back away slowly.

I LOVED this book. I also had a mid-life awakening (though not so outlandish as hers) and I think it spoke beautifully to the seduction of a life so different from your own. It feels like the beauty and freedom and messiness of menopause to me. Love love love it.

I read it and really liked it. It’s such a unique book. Totally unlike anything I’ve read before, so that held my interest. I did get frustrated with the protagonist a lot, though, because she did so many things that made no sense. My practical self just couldn’t deal with all the chaos!

Lort they're gonna try and put this on the TV.

I just finished listening to this (July reads it herself), and I surprised myself by really liking it. I loved that it was so explicitly about perimenopause and women's experiences. Four orgasms, though? Really?

too many? Too few? :D

Audra, I thought four in a single session was a lot. Maybe a little show-offy. No?

Jan wrote: "Audra, I thought four in a single session was a lot. Maybe a little show-offy. No?"

Well, she does see herself in a race against time....

Jan wrote: "Audra, I thought four in a single session was a lot. Maybe a little show-offy. No?"

I would say no but perhaps I've said too much.

I’m reading this right now and what I like about July’s character is she makes me feel competent by comparison.

Janet wrote: "I’m reading this right now and what I like about July’s character is she makes me feel competent by comparison."

LOL!

Dang I'm conflicted about this book. I found it really engaging and fascinating, always curious about what would happen next. But there were so many details that I didn't like or made me deeply uncomfortable that I found really distracting:
-The whole premise relies on the motel remodel which I just found ridiculous. At first I was like ok eye roll, whatever. But then the deeper it goes, and the more the plot is tied to the room, it just felt like too much.
-She takes baths with her 7 year old kid/son?
-Her parents had sex while she was in the same room? On multiple occasions?
-It's probably my lack of understanding of all things kink, but the "daddy" sex with Kris was kind of messed up.

Maybe the book just pushed my boundaries about what's normal, or should be more acceptable, sex-wise and body wise. It'll just take some time before I'm part of that world.

I did appreciate the menopause lens and the exploration of polyamory, but sometimes I just can't let weird details go.

Bretnie wrote: "The whole premise relies on the motel remodel which I just found ridiculous. At first I was like ok eye roll, whatever. But then the deeper it goes, and the more the plot is tied to the room, it just felt like too much. ..."

That was my favorite part of the novel. It felt like =Remainder=, and I think it wouldn't have been half as fun if July hadn't fully committed to the absurdity of it.

It's also a really clear indication that we are with someone who is creating their own reality out of the stuff of ours.

Tim wrote: "That was my favorite part of the novel. "

I figured it works for some people, and not for others. Sometimes I can let go but for whatever reason this time I couldn't.

Bretnie wrote: "Dang I'm conflicted about this book. I found it really engaging and fascinating, always curious about what would happen next. But there were so many details that I didn't like or made me deeply unc..."

Her kid is nonbinary. "daddy" stuff is pretty common in kink (for all genders)

Audra wrote: "I had a difference experience. I could have done with out the rude use of my name however."

Haha Take it as a compliment?

In the midst of all the big themes on aging and creating and sexual awakening (okay, lusting), this is a very funny book.

Act I was the more unputdownable section for me.

I respect her provocative, graphic depictions even if it's not my style.

I thought this book started out so boring! I’m glad I kept going though because it got a lot better. There was definitely some crass, gross stuff in it I didn’t need to read.

It reminded me of last year’s TOB book “Big Swiss.”

I feel much like Bretnie did.
I was engaged and invested in where the story was going but not necessarily enjoying the storyline. Much as a deeply religious text might not appeal to me, so a grossly graphically sexual text also turns me off lol. This is a provocative book and probably makes for great book club discussions!

I don't think I'm the targeted audience for the book, but it's an interesting read, at least much better than Liars.

It kind of reminds me of Big Swiss from last year, just with an even more promiscuous main character. I wouldn't mind if this gets the win in the play-in round.

I had such a roller coaster ride with this book. When I started it, I loved it immediately. Gradually, as she started doing more and more ridiculous things (like remodeling a motel room girl wtf??), I started hating it. I set it aside for a few months. I came back to it this year to give it another chance, and at first I still hated it. I switched to audiobook because I heard that was good, and at first I hated the audio too. But it slowly weaseled its way into my heart, I learned to appreciate its ridiculousness, I started to find it really meaningful, and I ended up LOVING this book, it will be one of my best reads of 2025. I really admired how fearless July was - she really WENT for it, knowing that a lot of people would not get it, or would hate it.

I am SO GLAD I stuck with it. This is the kind of book that makes me reluctant to dnf books (tho I do still dnf with abandon).