I read this book in a frenzy almost in around 24 hours (not all at once, jeez), once I started I just could not get enough of Ali Smith’s quirky, almost poetry like prose which was a HUGE SURPRISE! I’m not a massive poetry fan, I always joke I’m too dense but actually I’m semi-serious, so the fact that I found something so lyrical and playful so hugely enjoyable is something I’m proud of!

Autumn is jam-packed with British cultural references and humour, so I can see how some of it may not appeal to non-UK readers, and I loved it. I loved chuckling at the inefficiency and slowness of the Post Office, I loved feeling like I’d been punched in the gut when Smith so perfectly described the bitter feelings of disappointment and sadness after Brexit and all the awful stuff that came after it. It’s very much a book that makes you feel, that makes you slam the book shut and say YES TO ALL OF THIS! And surely that’s the mark of an excellent book, to provoke a strong reaction?

I also loved that it opened my eyes to the work and life of Pauline Boty, which was at first admittedly random, but then I was just as sucked in. Yet more evidence of how women of history are shunted to the side, did you know there was a female founder of Pop Art?! Because I didn’t.

This novel is one that I could read 17 times and still find something new to appreciate each time, through her wordplay, rhymes, reflections, references that I may have missed... it’s a veritable goldmine! It’s fun, explorative, informative, contemporary, and I’m so glad I chose this as my first Ali Smith. Very much looking forward to getting to know her work further