This resonated with me quite a bit as someone who has been working in hotels for a year and a half... Ali Smith is genius and the way she plays with tense, point of view and general structure here is delightful. Much preferred this to Autumn which I read earlier this year. So glad this was on my syllabus, otherwise I don't think I ever would've picked it up. I think the watch fitting perfectly on the shopkeeper's wrist is going to be stuck in my head for a while... love when a poem or person is mentioned in passing and the novel circles back around to them!!!!