Companion Piece

Companion Piece, Ali Smith's 2022 novel, follows artist Sandy as she navigates pandemic life while caring for her ill father. A mysterious phone call from a former university acquaintance sets the story in motion. The narrative moves between present-day events and a parallel historical storyline set in 1700s Britain. The connections between these timelines emerge through themes of isolation, human connection, and artistic expression. The story incorporates elements of magical realism and wordplay while examining the nature of time, companionship, and storytelling. Smith's characteristic style blends contemporary social commentary with historical elements. This meditation on art, isolation, and human bonds explores how people seek and create connection across time periods and circumstances. The novel stands as a reflection on what it means to be a companion - to others, to art, and to history itself.

Readers describe Companion Piece as thoughtful and experimental, with many noting its connection to COVID-19 lockdown experiences. The word play and linguistic creativity Smith employs resonates with fans of her previous work. Readers appreciated: - The timely reflection of pandemic isolation - Complex character relationships - Clever use of language and double meanings - Links between past and present narratives Common criticisms: - Plot can be hard to follow - Stream-of-consciousness style feels disjointed - Characters sometimes seem underdeveloped - Too similar to Smith's previous novels Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (280+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.1/5 (150+ ratings) One reader noted: "The wordplay is brilliant but sometimes gets in the way of the story." Another wrote: "Perfect capture of the pandemic's surreal atmosphere, though the narrative threads don't quite come together."

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🔖 The novel was published in 2022 as a "side piece" to Smith's acclaimed Seasonal Quartet, making it an unexpected addition to her pandemic-era works. 🔖 Ali Smith wrote this book in real-time during the COVID-19 lockdowns, incorporating actual events as they unfolded, similar to her approach with the Seasonal Quartet. 🔖 The word "smith" itself, which is both the author's surname and an ancient profession, plays a significant role in the book's exploration of how words are crafted and meaning is forged. 🔖 The novel draws inspiration from the medieval art of curating "commonplace books" - personal collections of quotations, letters, and observations that people used to make sense of their world. 🔖 Smith completed her Seasonal Quartet and this companion piece in an extraordinarily quick timeframe, with each book written, edited, and published within months of real-world events they describe.