“Because if you aren’t unsettled, then there’ll be no sublime,” (Smith 114).
In the near-future, two children find themselves alone. After their mother’s boyfriend drops them off at an abandoned house with food, promising to be back in a week while reminding the children not to go outside too often, the siblings wonder about the world they inhabit that doesn’t seem to want them in it. And then one day, a horse shows up with a curious little boy that brings a domino effect on their lives.
At this point, I have read two adaptations of Brave New World without actually reading the novel itself. Will Gliff be the book that pushes me to read the source material? Maybe, because I absolutely adored it.
Gliff is a hard book to describe. It’s an adaptation while also shockingly topical to the technological advancements currently happening in our lives. Discussions of AI, what is real, people’s dependency on technology, war, who we deem enemies, and how we think when technology makes it easy to find the answer to anything (whether or not that answer is actually correct). It feels philosophical at times, fairy-tale like at others, while having a lot of fun with language as a whole.
I loved the voice in this book. Briar was a fantastic narrator and I loved the relationship between themselves and their sister Rose, it’s honestly what makes this book so great, seeing that love the siblings have for one another and what they are willing to do for each other. There are times Gliff is light and lovely, other times where it is heartbreaking and sad, and Smith balances these contradicting feelings so expertly to make a strong novel. That being said, there are a lot of things left unanswered and I’ll spoil the sequel Glyph a bit by saying that it doesn’t answer anything from Gliff, but the unknowing makes the book so much stronger. Without a concrete idea of what’s to come, we can create our own ending. I choose to believe it’s hopeful.
Gliff is a fantastic read. Ali Smith has such a unique and addicting voice. I loved getting lost in this world and in the lives of these siblings. I’ll definitely be exploring Smith’s other works!
Publication: October 31 2024
Publisher: Pantheon
Pages: 288 pages
Source: Library
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤.5
Summary:
An uncertain near-future. A story of new boundaries drawn between people daily. A not-very brave new world.
Add two children. And a horse.
From a Scottish word meaning a transient moment, a shock, a faint glimpse, Gliff explores how and why we endeavour to make a mark on the world. In a time when western industry wants to reduce us to algorithms and data—something easily categorizable and predictable—Smith shows us why our humanity, our individual complexities, matter more than ever.
Sarah O'Connor 